Ireland's Oldest City

In September 2019, Debra and I cruised the British Isles for 14 days on the Pacific Princess. We sailed round trip from Dover, England, with 11 port stops in five countries. Click here for a short summary about this cruise.

This story, which is part of a series, is about our day in Waterford, Ireland, the fourth port stop on our cruise. 

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Waterford, Ireland (September 13, 2019) Oh, what a beautiful sunrise – a glorious sunrise! – we had as the captain navigated River Barrow to Belview Port, a 20-minute drive from Waterford. And the weather forecast for our day of sightseeing the city was picture-perfect, with a high in the mid-60s and a mostly sunny sky.

​This was my second visit to Waterford this year, as I toured Ireland with our daughter Jill in March, and Waterford was one of our tour stops. With a sense of what the city had to offer and knowing Debra's interests, I created a self-guided tour of downtown Waterford. I booked a taxi before we left home, and our driver, Paul Caufield, was Johnny-on-the-spot to pick us up at the cruise pier at 9:30. Paul was an affable gent who shared some of the history of Waterford and told us a few stories as we made our way to town.

The Vikings established a settlement here more than 1,100 years ago, which they named Vadrarfjordr (meaning “ram fjord” or “windy fjord”), making Waterford the oldest community in Ireland. Vadrarfjordr was an important center of trade, but success was short-lived, as the Vikings lost this settlement a few decades later to England’s King Henry II, who declared Waterford a royal city that belonged to the Crown. Nevertheless, Waterford has a rich Viking heritage, as we saw when we walked an area called the Viking Triangle.

While Waterford is famous for its Viking past, it may be best known as the home of the world’s finest crystal. We began our day at the House of Waterford Crystal, which houses one of two crystal factories operated by Waterford Crystal (the other is in Slovenia) and an expansive showroom. As we soon learned, the term “factory” was a bit of a misnomer, as every piece of Waterford crystal was made by hand, and the work was pure craftsmanship.

Yes, Debra and I wanted to see the showroom (and we would), but the real reason we were there was for a behind-the-scene look at how Waterford crystal was made – so I purchased two tickets for the guided tour of the factory. The cost was 26 pounds for the two of us (senior rate), and it was money well spent! 

Before we stepped into the factory, our guide shared some of the history of Waterford crystal: The Penrose brothers opened the first glass making factory in 1783 on a site adjacent to Merchants’ Quay, just minutes from the present location. Although successful into the 1800s, they were forced to close the factory in 1853 because they lacked the necessary capital to operate. (Ahhh...the bane of many entrepreneurs!) Almost 100 years later, glass makers from Czechoslovakia studied surviving examples of the Penroses’ crystal and started their own glass making operation, which later became the House of Waterford. Their first pattern was "Lismore", which is still the best-selling crystal pattern in the world.
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History in hand, we entered the factory. There our guide told us that the process of making crystal included five discreet roles (and each was a department) – creating molds, blowing glass, marking designs, cutting and etching designs, and finishing. We were guided through each department, where we had time to stop and watch craftsman at work on each part of the process. I talked with the fellow in the photo at the bottom left, who cut and etched designs, as I saw and photographed him when I was there in March. A reunion of sorts, I guess!

We learned that more than 750 tons of crystal was melted to produce 45,000 crystal pieces each year, and that designers were encouraged to create a "signature piece" that demonstrated her/his creative vision and individual skills. We saw many signature pieces displayed in the factory. Three of our favorites were the horse-drawn carriage, grand piano, and gramophone. We were blown away by the details in each piece, including the black keys on the piano keyboard. The crystal football that Debra held was the Coaches' Trophy, awarded annually to the NCAA college football champion since 1986. 

It was amazing to see the process and finished pieces, especially for Debra, who has loved Waterford Crystal for a long, long time.

There was no surprise when the tour ended – the exit door led us from the factory into the showroom, with the "opportunity" to purchase Waterford Crystal. Neither Debra nor I have seen so much Waterford crystal in one place before! In March, I bought a Lismore glass angel for Debra. This day, Debra picked out a pair of crystal votives to grace our dining room table at home. 

Leaving the showroom, we walked a short distance to the quay that separates Waterford from the River Suir. We strolled along the boardwalk until we came to Barronstrand Street. There we crossed the road to reach our next stop, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. 

This Catholic cathedral, Ireland’s oldest, was designed by architect John Roberts in 1793. We stepped inside for a quick tour, and something we noticed right away were the many crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. As you might have guessed, these were not just any crystal chandeliers – they were Waterford crystal, 10 in total, that were a gift to the Diocese.

​The beautiful woodwork in the cathedral provided a striking contrast to the alabaster white walls and ceiling. We loved the soaring ceilings and symmetry of the columns and curved arches, which pulled our eyes upwards!

Next, we headed to the Viking Triangle, located at the eastern end of the city’s quay, a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. The Viking Triangle lies at the center of the original Viking settlement. It contains national monuments, museums, and exhibits dedicated to Waterford’s Viking and medieval heritage. One monument is Reginald’s Tower. The original tower, named for Ragnall MacGillemaire, the Irish-Viking ruler of the city, was built by the Vikings in the early 10th century. The Anglo-Saxons attacked and captured Waterford in the 12th century and held Ragnall prisoner in the tower. The current tower was built at the beginning of the 13th century, making it Ireland’s oldest civic building. 

Around the corner on Bailey’s New Street, we stopped to see a sculpture of a Viking sword titled “Dragon Slayer.” At more than 70 feet long, it is the world’s largest wood sculpture. Created by four wood carvers from a single tree (roots and all!) in 2017, Dragon Slayer tells a narrative story of the Vikings through a series of carved panels that adorn the sword. 

Nearby were the remains of Waterford’s Franciscan Friary, which was founded by Sir Hugh Purcell in 1240 and destroyed in the Reformation of Henry VIII. Earlier this year, the 800-year history of Franciscans in Waterford came to an end. Fr Aidan McGrath, the Minister Provincial of the Franciscan Province, said, “Dwindling numbers, increasing age, and illness have taken their toll.”

We continued up Bailey's New Street and then down Cathedral's Square to Christ Church Cathedral, the cathedral of the Church of Ireland. This cathedral, which was also designed by John Roberts, was constructed in the 1770s on the site of an 11th century Viking church and 13th century Gothic cathedral built by the Normans. The plastered ceiling had swirling floral designs and there were intricate reliefs and carvings on the walls and atop the columns. Oh, and by the way, it too had Waterford crystal chandeliers! 

Nearby the cathedral were bronze sculptures of Aoife and Strongbow, who were married in the former Viking church in 1170. "Who were they?" you ask. Strongbow was a mighty knight who agreed to help the King of Leinster regain his power in Ireland (from the aforementioned Ragnall) in return for a promise of marriage to the King’s daughter, Aoife, if he was successful. Strongbow landed in Ireland in August 1170 and successfully attacked Waterford with a force of some two hundred knights and one thousand troops. He won back the land for the King, and as promised, he received the hand of Aoife (and the rest of her, too). Quite a guy!

Debra and I had a delicious lunch at Muenster’s Bar, located on The Mall, not too far from the House of Waterford Crystal. Debra ordered Irish stew, while I opted for a beef rib. I also had a real Guinness beer, and not the “fake” stuff sold in the States! The restaurant, a popular spot, was crowded with tourists. Lucky for us that we found a dining room upstairs, with rich wood paneling and red velvet benches and chairs, that no one else was using. We felt like royalty as we ate our sumptuous meal!

​Well, all good things must come to an end. Paul picked us up midafternoon and regaled us with more stories on the drive back, including a very funny story about his mum.

Back on board the Pacific Princess, Debra headed to the Internet Cafe to catch up with family and friends. Me? I went to the aft end of the ship, on deck 9 outside the Panorama Cafe, to watch as we sailed from Belview Port. The scenery was beautiful on both sides of River Barrow as we made our way to Waterford Estuary and St. George's Channel, with many of Ireland's 40 shades of green on display under a sunny blue sky. 

We passed the village of Duncannon soon after we entered the estuary. There I saw a rocky promontory, which I later learned was Hook Peninsula. Atop the promontory was Duncannon Fort, which was built in the 16th century. This was a "star fort," constructed (more or less) in the shape of a five-pointed star.

Debra and I ate a relaxing dinner at the Panorama Buffet, where we talked about our day in Waterford. Neither of us have Irish ancestry, yet both of us felt connected to Ireland when we visited Waterford. Yes, there was something about our experience this day that led us both to say, "We'll be back one day soon!"

We stood on deck after dinner to enjoy the beautiful sunset and watch the ship's wake.