WATERFORD CITY HISTORY AND CULTURE

Waterford is full of history and culture with a fantastic arts scene. Whether it is theatre, music, drama, there is something for everyone. Waterford boasts 3 museums which make up Waterford Treasures from Reginald's Tower, Ireland's oldest civic building, hosting a Viking heritage, the award winning Medieval Museum showing the history of the middle ages including the city charter and the Bishops Palace showcasing Waterford's greatest most prosperous era of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Waterford Crystal experience is also an adventure into the glass making industry that is synonymous with Waterford.

Waterford is renowned for glass making and is celebrated the world over for its quality and design. The history of glass making in Waterford goes back over 200 years to 1783 when two brothers George and William Penrose first started producing “Flint Glass” in Waterford City in what was called the Waterford Glass House.

Today the tradition of glass is flourishing in Waterford with such companies as Penrose Crystal, Emerald Crystal, The Irish Handmade Glass Company Heritage Crystal and Waterford Crystal along with engravers of world renown like Sean Egan Art Glass.

Waterford has a long and colorful past and has influenced Ireland and indeed the world. The story is told through the magnificent Waterford Treasures, which is a collection of no less than 3 award winning museums full of the inspirations dreams and goals of the people of Waterford. Reginald's Tower, Ireland's oldest civic building from the 12th century to the beautifully built Medieval Museum and finishing at the Bishops Palace.

There is nothing like a night at the theatre and Waterford City has two along with other venues that encapsulate the love of the arts in the City. From plays to musicals, music to dance, the variety of what's on offer in Waterford is astounding. There are also numerous galleries where you can delve into the art of the city.

There are numerous spectacular examples of religious architecture dotted all over the world, and Waterford is no exception. Cathedrals and churches have played important roles in this county for over 1000 years, and represent some of the oldest structures in the county. Many historical events have taken place within the walls of some these structures in the last millennium, and although many may have fallen and been rebuilt in that time, they play an enormous role in Waterford's history.