County Waterford

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.

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.

Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens Admission Ticket and Tour

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens are a haven of beauty and tranquility for all who visit and also a part of Ireland’s Ancient East Touring Region. Children are introduced to these magical gardens through a special children’s discovery trail, secret pathways, woodlands and Lafcadio Hearn’s fairytales and folklore.You can begin a self-guided tour in the Victorian Garden, plaques in each garden provide you with the information for your tour. You will then go through the niwa mon - a traditional Japanese Entrance Gate and follow the story of the garden through the Transition Garden, the American Garden and the Greek Garden. You will then go under the Fuji-dana and into the Japanese Gardens, passing by the Tea Garden, the Stream Garden and onto the Woodlands. During this time you will be able to discover folklore and fairytales as translated by Lafcadio Hearn and your map will provide you with information on some of the many interesting features of the garden. This magical journey will then move on to the gardens of Peace and Harmony, the Garden of the Living God and onto Journey's End.Please note: You also have an option to choose a professional guided tour through the gardens, just choose the option when selecting your product. The guide will relate to you the story of the Gardens, point out interesting features and intrigue you with folklore and fairytales as translated by Lafcadio Hearn, an experience not to be missed.

Waterford Treasures Medieval Museum: Admission Ticket

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, which were lost for hundreds of years after they were hidden from Cromwell’s army in the floor of the then Christ Church Cathedral, 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 visit to Ireland.Take the tour with our costumed re-enactor, or use our multimedia handheld guide in English, French or German or just wander at your lesiure throughout the museum.

Bishop's Palace Museum: Admission Ticket

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.