Counties Wexford, Waterford, Carlow & Kilkenny

House of Waterford Crystal Guided Factory Tour

At the House of Waterford Crystal, there is a  manufacturing plant, and brand experience in Waterford, where we produce crystal and give visitors an opportunity to visit the factory and see how we make our beautiful products.On the tour, guests visit the mould room where they witness mould making – a technique that has remained unchanged throughout the centuries, as the Master Blowers shape the molten crystal flawlessly with the use of wooden moulds and hand tools. The next part of the tour is truly magical, as visitors enter the blowing department where they see glowing balls of crystal transformed into majestic shapes as they are put through the 1300-degree furnace. The Waterford Crystal pieces are then hand marked for precision and accuracy, and they are then cut, sculpted and engraved. While getting this behind the scenes sneak peak of this highly skilled method of crystal manufacturing, visitors also see the high standards that the House of Waterford Crystal has for each and every piece that leaves the factory. The crystal is inspected at each stage of production, so each piece no matter how small goes through six inspections, and if it fails to reach the Waterford Crystal standards at any stage it is smashed and returned to the furnace to be re-melted so that the piece can be started again. The tour is fully guided and takes approx 50 minutes to complete.On completion of the tour, visitors can experience over 12,000 sq ft of crystal heaven in the largest retail and showcase of Waterford Crystal in the world. The retail store represents everything that is made in crystal, including a showcase on golf and sport, which is a major part of the international business at the House of Waterford Crystal.The main feature in the retail store is a centre dining table, with twelve Waterford Crystal Chandeliers on display. The lifestyle displays communicate the various brand stories including the Jo Sampson Collection, John Rocha, Jeff Letham and the core Waterford Crystal patterns.The product range includes Waterford Crystal, House of Waterford Crystal, John Rocha, Jasper Conran, Jo Sampson, Archive Stemware, Marquis, Lighting, Holiday Heirlooms and the new Waterford Crystal Jewellery Collection.Waterford Crystal continues to provide some of the most prestigious trophies to the world’s great sporting events made at the facility, and some of these trophies are on display in the retail store.The Crystal café is open seven days a week, a daytime cafe, the Crystal Café is all about great food using nothing but the best locally sourced seasonal produce supporting as many Irish suppliers as possible along the way.The menu  offers café-style dining, incorporating scrumptious salads, soups, wraps, ciabatta’s and other healthy options, with fresh baking daily.

Kilkenny Smithwick's Experience Admission and Ale Tasting

Make your own way to Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny, roughly 1.5 hours from Dublin by car, at a time suited to you. Located in an old Victorian brewing building in Kilkenny City, the Smithwick’s Experience offers a fully interactive, multi-sensory journey through Smithwick’s history. On arrival, join one of the guided tours — which run regularly throughout the day and last approximately an hour — and trace the evolution of Ireland’s oldest beer brand, from its medieval origins right up to present day. Holograms, Franciscan monks and living portraits of John Smithwick and his family guide you through the tour. Discover how the Smithwick’s story dates back to the 1200s, when monks settled at St Francis Abbey, which functioned as a brewery for more than 300 years. Then, hear about the arrival of the Smithwick family in the 18th century. You’ll also learn more about the brewing process itself and have the chance to experience the texture, tastes and smells of the materials that go into creating the perfect pint of Smithwick’s ale. Finish your tour with a carefully poured pint (or a soft drink) at the bar before heading to the gift shop, where you’ll have the opportunity to purchase souvenirs.

Kilkenny Ghost Walking Tour

The ghost tour is 1-hour long starting upstairs in Lanigans Bar and Restaurant at 8pm. Each tour will be guide by one of the characters (The Witch, Dr Death, Highwayman, Priest Hunter, the Monk or the Banshee).The tour takes you through the haunted streets of the oldest medieval city in Ireland. Starting with the curse of Sir Richard Shee along St. Marys Lane to St. Marys Church and graveyard. You will experience the first ever witch trial of the notorious Dame Alice Ketyler along with her accomplices, Petronilla and Basilia and her imp, or evil spirit, called Robin Artisson, to whom, in order to make the infernal thing obedient to all their commands, they sacrificed nine red cocks in the middle of the highway, and offered up the eyes of nine peacocks.If that’s not enough to spook even the bravest souls the tour takes us from the ghostly Kilkenny prison via Rothe house to the mysteries Black Abbey with its open stone tombs and up Black mill street St Marys Cathedral.As you make your way up chapel lane your will experience the ghostly presence of the highwayman, James Freney, the Irish Robin hood, the monk and the Dr. Death. Arriving at Kilkenny Castle visitors like those before them may encounter the white lady or even hear the screams of the Banshee herself.Arriving at the famous Johns Bridge visitors’ may see some of the ghostly shapes of the 16 people who fell into the river Nore when the bridge collapsed in 1763.

Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle

This walking guided tour, the ‘Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle’, includes entry to six national monuments ranging in date from 1190AD to 1783, it is a wonderful way for visitors to get an overview of Irish history both the historic and archaeological treasures and also experience the developments in architecture over a period of a thousand years as visitors transverse the Viking Triangle. We market the experience as ‘From the Vikings to the Victorians - A thousand years of History in a Thousand Paces’. The visit includes Reginald’s Tower first mentioned in 1088, Greyfriars Medieval Franciscan friary 1240, Choristers’ Hall 1274, the Mayor’s Wine Vault 1448, the Bishop’s Palace 1741 and if there is not a church service in progress then Christ Church Cathedral 1773 is also included. It’s an engaging tour and will entertain you with numerous photo opportunities along the way. This unique tour will have you experience an overview of Irish history in an hour!

Medieval Museum and Bishop's Palace: Combined Admission Ticket

Waterford Medieval Museum houses the 13th century Choristers Hall in the heart of Waterford's Viking Triangle and is the only museum of its kind in Ireland. The Medieval Museum houses the 13th century Choristers Hall and the 15th century Mayor’s Wine Vault, in the heart of Waterford's Viking Triangle and is the only museum of its kind in Ireland and Europe that is built over two national monuments. This striking new building reveals the story of Waterford through the middle Ages and visitors are wowed as they go underneath the new building into centuries old vaults. On display are the magnificent Cloth of Gold vestments the only complete pre-reformation set to survive in Europe. It's the only complete set of medieval High Mass Vestments to survive in Northern Europe, the only piece of clothing to survive from King Henry VIII’s reign, the ‘Cap of Maintenance’, as well as the Great Charter Roll which was viewed by Queen Elizabeth II on her state visit to Ireland in 2011.The Bishop’s Palace Museum houses a display of Waterford treasures from 1700 to the 20th Century, and gives visitors a wonderful insight into the history of what was, up until the 1750s, Ireland’s second city. Waterford city boasts the finest collection of 18th Century architecture of any city in Ireland outside of Dublin. Its great legacy from this era includes elegant architecture, silverware and of course, fine glassmaking. This period of elegance began in Waterford in 1741 when the Anglo-German architect Richard Castles designed the wonderful Bishop’s Palace. Castles built the Palace with its front overlooking the town wall which he had reduced in height so that it formed part of the palace’s terraced garden. Today Richard Castles is celebrated as one of Ireland’s greatest architects having designed most of the great houses of Ireland including the seat of the Irish parliament, Leinster House in Dublin. The Bishop’s Palace Museum reveals the story of Waterford from 1700 to the 1970s. Amongst the many items of national and international significance displayed at the museum is the only surviving Bonaparte 'mourning cross', which was one of 12 produced upon Napoleon Bonaparte’s death in 1821. The museum also holds the Penrose decanter, the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal, which dates back to 1789. The Bishop’s Palace offers a unique experience for visitors. The building contains a wealth of fascinating artefacts, period furniture, beautiful fireplaces and a collection of rare and important paintings. An entire floor of the building is dedicated to historic stories specific to Waterford such as Ballybricken’s pig markets, Waterford’s Home Rule story, the First World War in Waterford, the War of Independence in Waterford, childhood and household living in Waterford.

The Kilkenny Way: Ultimate Hurling Experience

International visitors have little or no knowledge of the national game and this activity is a great way of teaching all about Irish culture and heritage. You will learn all about the 3,000 year-old ancient Celtic games. You will gain entry into the Legends Hurling Museum where you will receive an in debt historical analysis of the history of the GAA and all its great players.Next, you will visit Nowlan Park, home of the famous Kilkenny Cats, for a tour of the stadium, and hit the pitch to experience the skills of the clash of the ash and see if you have what it takes to become a "Kilkenny Cat".