What to see in Waterford City
One Day Tour
Medieval Museum
Treasures of Medieval Waterford
This stunning new musuem which brings to life Waterford’s fascinating history in enjoyable and imaginative actor led tours.As part of the complex, the medieval vaulted 13th century Chorister’s Hall survives and is the centrepiece of the new museum. Don't miss: the Great Charter Roll which was view by Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Ireland, and the cloth-of-gold vestments which were hidden from Cromwells army and only rediscovered when the cathedral was rebuilt in the 1780s.edieval Museum is open to visitors as follows:
Average length of visit is approx. 1 hour.
June - August: Monday - Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm. Sundays and Bank
Holidays, 11 am to 6 pm.
September - May: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays
and Bank Holidays, 11 am to 5 pm.Medieval Museum
Admission Fees
Adult : €7.00
Seniors : €6.00
Student : €6.00
Children under 14 are free with familys
School groups €2.00 per child (teachers and helpers go free)
Family : €14.00 (2 adults & 2 children under 14)
Group rate over 8 people : €4.00 pp.
Guided Tours are available.
Bishop's Palace
Treasures of Georgian Waterford
The newly restored Bishop's Palace charts the history of Waterford from 1700 to 1970 and gives a wonderful insight into the history of what was up to the 1750s, Ireland’s second city. Waterford city boasts the finest collection of 18th century architecture of any city in Ireland outside of Dublin and its great legacy from the period is its elegant silverware and, of course, fine glassmaking. Visitors to the Bishop’s Palace will see the oldest piece of Waterford Crystal in the world - a decanter made in the 1780’s.
June - August: Monday - Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm. Sundays and Bank
Holidays, 11 am to 6 pm.
September - May: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, Sundays and Bank
Holidays, 11 am to 5 pm.
Average length of visit is approx. 1 hour.
Admission Fees
Adult : €7.00
Seniors : €6.00
Student : €6.00
Children under 14 are free with familys
School groups €2.00 euro per child (teachers and helpers go free)
Family : €14.00 (2 adults & 2 children under 14)
Group rate over 8 people : €4.00 pp.
Guided Tours are available.
House of Waterford Crystal
Reginald’s Tower
Treasures of Viking Waterford
Reginald’s Tower is the oldest civic urban building in Ireland and
is one of the most remarkable Viking buildings still in existence in
Ireland. The present structure was built on the site of the original
Viking fort named after Regnall who founded the City in 914. During its
lifetime it has been used as a royal court, mint and prison.Christ Church Cathedral
The Cathedral of The Holy Trinity,
Christ Church Cathedral has
been a constant presence in Waterford, in one form or another, since the
11th century. Built on a site of Christian worship which dates back to
1050 and probably before, the building is steeped in history. The
only neo - classical Georgian Cathedral in Ireland, it is an important
part of the Church of Ireland, and is considered to be of enormous
architectural importance. The Cathedral, in addition to continuing as a
place of Christian worship, is now used as a venue for concerts,
recitals and exhibitions adding to the cultural life of Waterford.
Kite Design Studios
A unique visitor attraction, with on-site designers and craftspeople working in situ, selling high-end craft and art. At Kite Design Studios, a visitor can see: traditional copperwheel engraving techniques by Sean Egan Art Glass, Bonzie working on their range of “achingly” romantic clothing and accessories, Stradbally Jewellery designing jewellery inspired by their surroundings, Fine Art Printmaker Anne Mc Donnell working on her limited edition etchings, and Irish Handmade Glass blowing and cutting unique glass pieces. Well worth a visit!
Theatre Royal
Located on the historic Mall, the Theatre Royal is one of the finest 19th Century theatres in the world. While its architectural charm has been preserved, its programme is broad based and contemporary and includes drama, musical theatre, comedy, dance and music. The Theatre houses part of the City’s art collection.
If after your full day of sight seeing, you want to experience the night
life, check out our ‘Wine & Dine’ Section which along with a guide to
places to eat out has information on traditional and modern music, pubs,
night clubs and other evening entertainment.
Suir River Cruises
Suir River Cruises offers daily trips on the River Suir from the Neptune Marina behind the Marina Hotel, Canada St., Waterford at 3pm and 6pm. These trips must be pre-booked as numbers are obviously limited. Trips last for 1 or 2 hour durations. Trips at other times can be arranged for groups of 4 or more persons.
This is a wonderful way to see the sights of Waterford such as Reginalds Tower , Clock Tower , Granville Hotel , Rice Bridge , Red Bridge , Suir Bridge , Grannagh Castle , The Island , Cheekpoint , Passage East , and lots more.
1 hour cruise is €20 per person and 2 hour cruise is €30 per person
For further information contact Vincent on 087 2807563 or 051 833777
Two Day Tour
If you have succeeded in visiting all of the locations listed on the
Discover Waterford City tourist map, then there is still plenty to see
in the City before heading out into the surrounding areas.
The
Edmund Rice Heritage
Centre opened in 2008 and is an interactive visitor centre
which gives you the opportunity to live the Edmund Rice Story and become
immersed in 18th Century Waterford through audio visual and multimedia
creations. The centre at Mount Sion is a prime heritage centre of the
Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers Congregations
and is the final resting place of
Blessed Edmund Rice.
Sean Egan Art Glass
was founded by a former master engraver with Waterford Crystal and is
based in the Waterford Museum of Treasures. Sean is striving to keep the
age old skill of copper wheel engraving on crystal alive in Waterford
and Ireland. All pieces are designed and hand engraved by Sean meaning
no two pieces are exactly the same. Sean can be seen at work
creating his unique depictions of nature, particularly marine life and
wild life, landscapes and historical monuments. Visit Sean's at Kite
Design Studios on Henrietta Street in the Viking Triangle.
Art Exhibitions
Greyfriars Municipal Art Gallery is housed in a
former Methodist Church which was built in 1835 and is now the permanent
home for the Municipal Art Collection with over 200
paintings by Irish and International artists, including pieces
from renowned Irish artists such as Jack B Yeats, Paul Henry,
Charles Lamb and Louis Le Brocquy. Greyfriars also hosts a number of
national and international temporary exhibitions.
SOMA Contemporary Art Box is Waterford City’s
newest space for new exciting art. Conceived and run by artists,
the space is a place for people to congregate, show and see new and
upcoming artists and their work.
The
Theatre Royal
houses a large selection of beautiful and extraordinary
artworks from the Waterford Municipal Art Collection which is now on
semi-permanent display in the public areas of the newly restored Theatre
Royal. Artists represented include Sir Jacob Epstein, George
Campbell, Evie Hone, Harry Kernoff, and Sean Keating.
Garter Lane
hosts a number of temporary exhibits throughout the year created
by artists which is reflective of contemporary art practices.
Since November 2006, Waterford Institute Of Technology has been the permanent host to Pauline Bewick’s Waterford Collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, sketches and wall hangings from her renowned Seven Ages Collection. This eclectic exhibition consists of 240 pieces of art and is housed in the Walton ICT Building on WIT’s Cork Road Campus.
Index Gallery, Central Library Lady Lane aims to support the arts and artists in the City by offering a new exhibition space. The Index Gallery space is situated in the foyer of Central Library and already has hosted exhibitions from a wide range of artists including Pat McArdle, Ali Razza, Tom Mullane and Conrado Velasco.