WATERFORD

     "Get thee a ship and go on the sea and kill men."

   Believe it or not, this was the advice  Norwegian mothers gave to their sons around 850, a time when the Vikings established many bases in Ireland and Britain. 
   The Viking name for Waterford was "Vadrafjodr" meaning "windy fjord". 


   This replica of a Viking ship was discovered during archeological excavations in Waterford and is dated 1050 AD. It has been established that the Viking founded Waterford, Ireland's oldest city, in 941 AD.

  Today tourists can experience the "Waterford Viking Triangle" which includes the cultural and heritage areas in Waterford city. It is called the "Viking Triangle" because of the  1000-year-old Viking walls which once surrounded Waterford. 
     The Waterford Viking Triangle includes the
replica of the 1050 Viking boat located in front of Reginald's Tower. The Viking Museum is located inside Reginald's Tower.  


             


Other parts of the Viking Triangle are additional Waterford museums of Viking treasures and Viking statues honoring Waterford's rich Viking heritage. We enjoyed walking back in time on the Waterford Viking Triangle.

     

     However, Waterford is perhaps most widely known as the birthplace of the famed, high-end fine crystal, appropriately named, "Waterford". Founded in 1783, Waterford crystal is a gold standard in the crystal industry. We took a tour of the House of Waterford Crystal factory which has the world's largest display of Waterford crystal. 

The tour was excellent! Our guide led us throughout the factory and we saw the masters at work.

It takes 8 years for an apprentice to become a master craftsman of Waterford Crystal.

We learned how the craftsmen make beach and pear wood molds for custom pieces.

We went through the hot shop to see the glass blowing 

The ones that were not 100% perfect made it to the rejected bin.

The ones that are deemed perfect, go onto the precision etchers

            

until the final inspection has rendered the product as perfect!

It was a very hands-on tour. Our tour guide allowed me to hold a finished crystal football valued at 2,450 euros or $ 2,735.06 dollars. 

Going long for a forward pass!

There was even a crystal football helmet for a mere 6,300 euros or $7,031.68!

The Celtic cross was stunning and was accompanied by a stunning price of 10,000 euros, or $12,222.94

 This exquisite globe caught my eye and so did its price: 13,995 euros or $15,621.92

But the most expensive priced item was the floor mirror: 32,500 euros or $36,278.12!

 We didn't purchase any pieces of the beautiful Waterford crystal but we did enjoy our time in Waterford. Soon we were on our way to Kinsale where we would spend the next 2 days.