County-Waterford Travel Guide
Waterford City is 65km (40 miles) W of Wexford, 53km (33 miles) W of Rosslare Harbour, 158km (98 miles) SW of Dublin, 126km (78 miles) E of Cork, and 153km (95 miles) SE of Shannon Airport
Waterford City (pop. 42,500) is the main seaport of southeast Ireland. Only 11km (7 miles) from the Atlantic, it is one of Ireland's windiest cities, boasting gale-force winds an average of 180 days every year. More significantly, this is Ireland's oldest city, founded by Viking invaders in the 9th century. In fact, Waterford is older than any of the major Nordic capitals of modern Europe, including Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. In recent years, a major archaeological endeavor has excavated nearly a fourth of the ancient Viking city, and some of the more striking finds from these excavations can be seen in the new Waterford Treasures at the Granary Museum.
Although the historic district around Reginald's Tower is quite intriguing, the city is primarily a commercial center, dominated by its busy port. Because the rest of County Waterford is so beautiful, many travelers don't linger long in the capital city, though it is currently enjoying a fresh wave of renewal and development, some of which is aimed directly at visitors. Truth is, there's a good deal to see and do here.
Coastal highlights south of Waterford include Dunmore East, a picturesque fishing village; Dungarvan, a major town with a fine harbor; Ardmore, an idyllic beach resort; and Passage East, a tiny seaport from which you can catch a ferry across the harbor and cut your driving time from Waterford to Wexford in half. Of all the coastal towns in County Waterford, Ardmore stands out as the perfect getaway. It has a beautiful and important early Christian site, a pristine Blue Flag beach, a stunning cliff walk, a fine craft shop, an excellent restaurant, comfortable seaside accommodations, and a quaint town recently named Ireland's tidiest. Portally Cove, near Dunmore East, is the home of Ireland's only Amish-Mennonite community.
In northwest County Waterford, the Comeragh Mountains provide many opportunities for beautiful walks, including the short trek to Mahon Falls. These mountains also have highly scenic roads for biking. Farther west, there's great fishing and bird-watching on the Blackwater estuary.
