Waterford revival: the reinvention of Eire’s oldest metropolis

It was a reasonably lengthy interregnum, about 1,000 years, however Waterford is as soon as once more a sizzling journey vacation spot.

The Vikings have been the primary to popularise this nook of south-east Eire, liking it a lot they settled, constructed a city and referred to as it Vadrarfjordr, Norse for “winter port”, round AD914. There was no higher refuge for weary raiders to relaxation and recuperate.

Its prominence pale because the Anglo-Normans unfold throughout Eire within the twelfth century. Dublin grew to become the principle settlement and finally the capital of the Irish Free State in 1922, leaving Waterford, because it grew to become recognized, a sleepy footnote. The jet age didn’t change it a lot, as a result of vacationers tended to favour the west coast.

After which this yr Waterford roared again into style. The New York Occasions ranked it alongside Paris, Maui, Valencia and Grenada in an article on 52 locations to go in 2024. Condé Naste Traveller chosen it as probably the greatest locations within the UK and Eire. The Worldwide Jury of the European Capital of Christmas – which seems like one thing Kafka dreamed up after an excessive amount of pudding – named Waterford this yr’s European metropolis of Christmas, a tribute to its Winterval pageant.

The endorsements haven’t come utterly out of the blue. The Guardian, amongst others, has been flagging Waterford lately.

“We have been form of forgotten and now we’re being observed and found, which is incredible,” mentioned Tina Darrer, co-owner of Dooley’s, a family-run resort by the quays in central Waterford. “There’s a lot happening right here and individuals are selecting up on that.”

Since Covid restrictions ended, British guests have poured off the Fishguard to Rosslare ferry, together with Welsh rugby followers, who watch matches in native bars relatively than trekking to Dublin, mentioned Darrer. “They prefer it right here.”

After a three-day break in Waterford with my spouse and daughter, I share the sentiment. Waterford packs in historical past, surroundings, enjoyable and high-quality eating. We explored ruins, heard fabulous tales, imbibed nature, cycled alongside a greenway and ate and ate and ate.

The transformation into customer magnet is all of the extra spectacular given its roots in calamity: Waterford Crystal, the cut-glass producer and world model, shut its fundamental manufacturing unit in 2009, wreaking a devastating financial and psychological toll on a metropolis lengthy outlined by the corporate. Authorities responded partly by making a hub of monuments and museums inside a “Viking triangle”. Bounded by historic partitions and perched atop tunnels, it enables you to hopscotch from the Thirteenth-century Reginald’s Tower to treasures in a silver museum to bizarre, fantastic clocks in a museum of time. The newest addition, a wake museum celebrating dying rituals, opened final yr.

“We needed to reinvent ourselves,” mentioned curator Donnchadh O’Ceallacháin as he guided us round stone ramparts, every with a narrative, corresponding to a “homicide gap”, via which defenders hurled nasty surprises on to attackers beneath. Our eight-year-old liked the idea: “I’d drop spiders.” Strap on a headset on the King of the Vikings digital actuality expertise – guide upfront – and you might be immersed in a world of longship raids, burning monasteries and medieval political intrigue. Costumed guides – some used to work as extras on the TV present Vikings – full the tour.

For chutzpah nothing beats the lifetime of Thomas Francis Meaghar, whose statue gazes down on the town. Credited with flying the primary Irish tricolour throughout a doomed revolt, he was deported to Tasmania, escaped to the US, led an Irish brigade in the course of the American civil conflict, was in all probability a part of the honour guard that stood by Abraham Lincoln’s coffin, and have become governor of Montana earlier than drowning within the Missouri River, presumably murdered.

Sated on historical past, we explored the remainder of the town, gorging at Bodega, a Mediterranean-themed wine bar, and marvelling at grasp glassblowers who formed molten crystal with their breath and picket moulds at Waterford Crystal’s customer centre workshop. And, past the town, nature awaited.

Mount Congreve Gardens hosts one of many world’s greatest plant collections amid 28 hectares (70 acres) of woodland color, aroma and birdsong. It’s dwelling at numerous occasions of yr to Chilean flame bushes, Japanese irises, carpets of bluebells, effusions of rhododendron, even some Wollemi pines, till not too long ago believed extinct.

Because it reopened in 2023 after refurbishment, annual customer numbers have surged to 100,000, double pre-Covid ranges, and there may be capability for 200,000, in keeping with Ray Sinnott, the property supervisor. Sporadic droughts and monsoon-type downpours are challenges for the property however the local weather disaster can be engaging guests who want to keep away from continental heatwaves, mentioned Sinnott. “Individuals inform us they’re coming for the climate – the cool air.”

Heading south-west, we curled alongside the Copper Coast, a 15-mile stretch of coves, seashores and disused mineshafts that was named a Unesco world geopark in 2015. Our information, Deirdre Woodbyrne, led us via an outside show of geological information going again a whole bunch of tens of millions of years. She too has heard guests categorical appreciation for cool, damp situations. Nonetheless, we have been delighted when the solar emerged for our bike trip alongside a 28-mile greenway that runs alongside meadows, the ocean and villages. Since opening in 2017, it has been named one in every of Eire’s high points of interest.

In Dungarvan we lunched on prawns – caught that morning – on the Native, a pub with a wealthy folks music custom, tried a creamy fruit rice pudding on the 360 Cookhouse, then retired to the five-star Cliff Home Lodge at Ardmore. Etched right into a cliff, with steps all the way down to the ocean, it’s the form of place you don’t ever wish to depart. There may be an infinity pool, a spa, a Michelin-star restaurant, spectacular sunrises.

The Vikings are gone however Waterford stays a refuge.

The journey was offered by go towaterford.com. Doubles at Dooley’s from €119 room solely. Doubles on the Cliff Home Lodge from €210 B&B