The city of Waterford consists of various cultural quarters, the oldest of which is known as Viking Triangle. This is the part of the city surrounded by the original 10th century fortifications, which is triangular in shape with its apex at Reginald’s Tower. Though this was once the site of a thriving Viking city, the city centre has shifted to the west over the years, and it is now a quiet and tranquil area, dominated by narrow streets, medieval architecture, and civic spaces. Over the past decade, a number of restaurants have opened in High Street and Henrietta Street, taking advantage of the charming character of the area. Much of Waterford’s impressive architecture is to be found in the ‘Viking Triangle’. Waterford’s oldest public house (pub) can be found just outside the old ‘Viking Triangle’. T & H Doolan’s, of 31/32 George’s Street, has been officially active and open to the public for over three hundred years. The official record of licences dates back to the 18th century but the premises is believed to be closer to five hundred years in age. A main element of the structure includes one of the original city walls, almost 1,000 years old, which can be viewed in the lounge area of the building. In the 15th century, the city was enlarged with the building of an outer wall on the west side. Today Waterford retains more of its city walls than any other city in Ireland with the exception of Derry, whose walls were built much later. Tours of Waterford’s city walls are conducted daily.
The Quay, once termed by historian Mark Girouard ‘the noblest quay in Europe’, is a mile long from Grattan Quay to Adelphi Quay, though Adelphi Quay is now a residential area. It is still a major focal point for Waterford, commercially and socially, and the face that Waterford presents to those travelling into the city from the north. Near Reginald’s Tower is the William Vincent Wallace Plaza, a monument and amenity built around the time of the millennium that commemorates the Waterford born composer. John Roberts Square is a pedestrianised area that is one of the main focal points of Waterford’s modern day commercial centre. It was named after the city’s most celebrated architect, John Roberts, and was formed from the junction of Barronstrand Street, Broad Street and George’s Street. It is often referred to locally as Red Square, due to the red paving that was used when the area was first pedestrianised. A short distance to the east of John Roberts Square is Arundel Square, another square with a fine commercial tradition, which the City Square shopping centre opens onto. Ballybricken, in the west, just outside the city walls, is thought to have been Waterford’s Irishtown, a type of settlement that often formed outside Irish cities to house the Vikings and Irish that had been expelled during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Ballybricken is an inner city neighbourhood with a long tradition, centred around Ballybricken hill, which was a large, open market-square. Today it has been converted into a green, civic space, but the Bull Post, where livestock was once bought and sold, still stands as a remnant of the hill’s past. The Mall is a fine Georgian thoroughfare, built by the Wide Streets Commission to extend the city southwards. It contains some of the city’s finest Georgian architecture. The People’s Park, Waterford’s largest and finest park, is located nearby. Ferrybank is Waterford’s only suburb north of the river. It contains a village centre of its own.
Waterford is the main city of Ireland’s South-East Region. Historically Waterford was an important trading port which brought much prosperity to the city throughout the city’s eventful history. Throughout its history Waterford Crystal provided employment to thousands in the city and surrounding areas. Waterford Port is Ireland’s closest deep-water port to mainland Europe, handling approximately 12% of Ireland’s external trade by value. Waterford’s most famous export, Waterford Crystal is an internationally known and highly sought after product that was manufactured in the city from 1783 to 2009 and again from 2010 to the present day. Some of the places where Waterford Crystal can be seen include New York City where Waterford Crystal made the 2,668 crystals for the famous New Year’s Eve Ball that is dropped each year in Times Square, in Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Agriculture also played an important part in Waterford’s economic history.
