Waterford ( ) is a city in County Waterford in the south-east of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour. It is the oldestWaterford City Council : About Our City . Waterfordcity.ie. Retrieved on 23 July 2013. and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland. It is the ninth most populous settlement on the island of Ireland. As of the 2022 census, 60,079 people lived in the city and its suburbs.
Historically the site of a Viking settlement, Waterford's medieval defensive walls and fortifications include the 13th or 14th century Reginald's Tower. The medieval city was attacked several times, and earned the motto Urbs Intacta Manet ('The Untaken City'), after repelling the Siege of Waterford in the 15th century. Waterford is known for its glassmaking industry, including at the Waterford Crystal factory, with decorative glass being manufactured in the city from 1783 until early 2009 when the factory closed following the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc. The Waterford Crystal visitor centre was opened, in the city's Viking quarter, in 2010 and resumed production under new ownership. As of the 21st century, Waterford is the county town of County Waterford and the local government authority is Waterford City and County Council.
History
The name 'Waterford' comes . The Irish name is Port Láirge, meaning "Lárag's port".Discover Waterford, by Eamon McEneaney (2001). ()
Viking raiders first established a settlement near Waterford in 853. It and all the other longphorts were vacated , the Vikings having been driven out by the native Irish. The Vikings re-established themselves in Ireland at Waterford in 914, led at first by Ottir Iarla (Jarl Ottar) until 917, and after that by Ragnall ua Ímair and the Uí Ímair dynasty, and built what would be Ireland's first city. Among the most prominent rulers of Waterford was Ivar of Waterford.
In 1167, Diarmait Mac Murchada, the deposed King of Leinster, failed in an attempt to take Waterford. He returned in 1170 with Cambro-Norman mercenaries under Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (known as Strongbow); together they besieged and took the city after a desperate defence. In furtherance of the Norman invasion of Ireland, King Henry II of England landed at Waterford in 1171. Waterford and then Dublin were declared royal cities, with Dublin also declared the capital of Ireland.
Reginald's Tower, built after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland on the site of an earlier fortification and retaining its Viking name, was one of the first in Ireland to use mortar in its construction.
Throughout the medieval period, Waterford was Ireland's second city after Dublin. In the 15th century, Waterford repelled sieges by two pretenders to the English throne: Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. As a result, King Henry VII gave the city its motto: Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia ("Waterford remains an untouched city").
After the Protestant Reformation, Waterford remained a Catholic city and participated in the confederation of Kilkenny – an independent Catholic government from 1642 to 1649. This was ended abruptly by Oliver Cromwell, who brought the country back under English rule; his son-in-law Henry Ireton finally took Waterford in 1650 after a two major sieges.A New History of Cromwell's Irish Campaign, by Philip McKeiver (2007). ()Discover Waterford, by Eamon McEneaney (2001). () In 1690, during the Williamite War, the Jacobite Irish Army was forced to surrender Waterford in the wake of the Battle of the Boyne.
The 18th century was a period of huge prosperity for Waterford. Many of the city's architecturally notable buildings appeared during this time. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of the Cavalry Barracks at the end of the 18th century.
In the early 19th century, Waterford City was deemed vulnerable and the British government erected three Martello towers on the Hook Peninsula to reinforce the existing Fort at Duncannon. During the 19th century, industries such as glass making and ship building thrived in the city.
The city was represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1891 to 1918 by John Redmond MP, leader (from January 1900) of the Irish Parliamentary Party. Redmond, then leader of the pro-Parnell faction of the party, defeated David Sheehy in 1891.
In July 1922, Waterford was the scene of fighting between Irish Free State and Irish Republican troops during the Irish Civil War.
Politics Local government Following the Local Government Reform Act 2014, Waterford City and County Council is the local government authority for the city and county. The authority came into operation on 1 June 2014. Prior to this the city had its own local council, Waterford City Council. The new council is the result of a merger of Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council. The council has 32 representatives (councillors) who are elected from six local electoral areas. The city itself forms three of the electoral areas – which when combined form the Metropolitan District of Waterford City – and returns a total of 18 councillors to Waterford City and County Council. The office of the Mayor of Waterford was established in 1377. A mayor is elected by the councillors from the three electoral areas of the Metropolitan District of Waterford every year, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual may serve. Mary O'Halloran, who was mayor from 2007 to 2008, was the first woman to hold the post.
National politics For the elections to Dáil Éireann, the city is part of the 4-seat constituency of Waterford, which includes the city and county of Waterford. For elections to the European Parliament, the county is part of the South constituency.
Geography
Harbour and port The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour ( or ). The River Suir, which flows through Waterford City, has provided a basis for the city's long maritime history. The place downriver from Waterford where the Nore and the Barrow join the River Suir is known in Irish as Cumar na dTrí Uisce ("The confluence of the three waters"). Waterford Port has been one of Ireland's major ports for over a millennium. In the 19th century, shipbuilding was a major industry. The owners of the Neptune Shipyard, the Malcomson family, built and operated the largest fleet of iron steamers in the world between the mid-1850s and the late 1860s, including five trans-Atlantic passenger liners.
Climate The climate of Waterford is, like the rest of Ireland, classified as a maritime temperate climate (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification system. It is mild and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. The counties in the Waterford area are often referred to as the 'Sunny Southeast'. The warmest months of the year are June, July and August with average daytime high temperatures of around . Rainfall is evenly distributed year-round; however, the period from October to January is considerably wetter and duller than the rest of the year.
Demographics
With a 2022 population of 60,079, Waterford is the fifth most populous city in the state and the 32nd most populous area of local government.
The population of Waterford grew from 1,555 in 1653 to around 28,000 in the early 19th century, declining to just over 20,000 at the end of the 19th, then rising steadily to over 40,000 during the 20th century.For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865. By the time of the 2016 census, Waterford city and suburbs had a population of 53,504 and the broader metropolitan area a population of 59,854.
Culture
Arts Theatre companies in Waterford include the Red Kettle, Spraoi and Waterford Youth Arts companies. Red Kettle is a professional theatre company, founded by Waterford playwright Jim Nolan,Jim Nolan – Current Member | Aosdana . Aosdana.artscouncil.ie. Retrieved on 23 July 2013. that regularly performs in Garter Lane Theatre. Spraoi is a street theatre company based in Waterford. It produces the Spraoi festival and has participated regularly in the Waterford and Dublin St. Patrick's day parades. In January 2005 the company staged "Awakening", a production which marked the opening of the Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture program. Waterford Youth Arts (WYA), formerly known as Waterford Youth Drama, was established in August 1985. The Theatre Royal Waterford dates back to 1785.
There are four public libraries in the city, all operated by Waterford City and County Council: Central Library, in Lady Lane; Ardkeen Library, in the Ardkeen shopping centre on the Dunmore Road; Carrickphierish Library in Gracedieu, and Brown's Road Library, on Paddy Brown's Road. Waterford Council operates eight further library branches through the county.
Central Library, or Waterford City Library, opened in 1905. It was the first of many Irish libraries funded by businessman Andrew Carnegie and renovated in 2004 for its centenary. The library is built over Lady's Gate, part of the medieval city walls of the city.
Waterford Film For All (WFFA) is a non-profit film society, operating primarily from the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) campus, whose aim is to offer an alternative to the cineplex experience in Waterford.
The Waterford Collection of Art, formerly known as the Waterford Municipal Art Collection, is one of the oldest municipal collections of art in Ireland. Originally founded as the Waterford Art Museum in 1939, the collection now comprises over 500 works of art including works by: Paul Henry, Jack B. Yeats, Mainie Jellett, Louis Le Brocquy, Letitia Hamilton, Dermod O'Brien, Evie Hone, Mary Swanzy, Charles Lamb, Hilda Roberts, Seán Keating, and George Russell (aka. AE).
Greyfriars Church, a disused Methodist church, was purchased by Waterford Corporation in 1988 and refurbished into a museum and gallery.
Events Waterford hosts several annual events and festivals, with a number held during the summer.
The Spraoi festival (pronounced 'Spree'), organised by the Spraoi Theatre Company, is a street art festival which takes place in the city centre on the August Bank Holiday Weekend. Previous Spraoi events have attracted in excess of 80,000 visitors to the city. Waterford Walls is also an annual street art event which takes place in August. The event involves street artists who are invited to the city to practise and display their craft. Other arts festivals include the Fringe Arts Festival in September and the Imagine Arts Festival in October.Imagine Arts Festival, Waterford Ireland . Discoverwaterfordcity.ie. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
The Waterford Film Festival, which was established in 2007, celebrated its tenth year in November 2016. Waterford International Festival of Light Opera is an annual event that has been held in the Theatre Royal since 1959. Also known as the Waterford International Festival of Music, it also takes place in November.Waterford International Music Festival | May 1 – 13 2012 . Waterfordintlmusicfestival.com. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
Waterford hosted the Tall Ships Festival in 2005 and 2011.Tall Ships Race 2011, Waterford Tall Ships Festival Ireland . Waterfordtallshipsrace.ie (3 July 2011). Retrieved on 23 July 2013. The 2005 festival attracted over 400,000 people to the city.
Waterford Winterval is an annual Christmas festival held in the city centre.
A St. Patrick's Day parade takes place annually on 17 March.
Public buildings