Waterford and Kilarney , Ireland – Day 6, Wednesday, August 24, 2022
We’re up early again, stopped for coffee and croissants and took off for the town of Waterford. Again, the roads are either narrow two-lane, no shoulders with either vegetative or stone hedges on either side or are the faster two-lane motor ways. The countryside continues to be beautiful … green fields sectioned mostly by stone, but sometimes by vegetation, often dotted with either sheep or cattle … though mostly sheep!
Waterford is considered the oldest City in Ireland, established by the Vikings in 914. By the 18th century, it became the center for glass making as well as being a major port for the country. Of course, we went to the Waterford Crystal’s Visitors’ Center, drooled over the most gorgeous crystal and booked a tour of their factory. It was fascinating learning the painstaking time taken to create each piece of cyrstal by hand, whether it is a line of glassware or a special order for some special presentation. Their expert craftsmen are required to study 8-10 years, then take a test by doing their “job” absolutely perfectly to become “master” of their skill, whether it is blowing, etching, inspecting, etc. The Waterford Crystal name is well known for its quality, as you can know it is authentic because every piece has its name etched on it somewhere. The more fascinating pieces were that of a Cinderella carriage and horses, a huge bear, a beautiful harp which represents Ireland, horses, a train, a football … and hundreds more. However, note that the price tag reflects the quality. I didn’t buy but Suzanne did!
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| Another Irish symbol is the harp. This is all glass! |
We walk around some of the town and the harbor of Waterford, then caught a bite for lunch before heading to The Rock of Cashel. The “Rock” is actually a church in ruins rising high above the Plain of Tipperary. This is where it is said St Patrick baptized King Aengus around 450 A.D. The Rock was fought over by local Clans for hundreds of years until it was given over to the Catholic Church in 1101. We had an excellent guide who told us all about the history of the area and about the church itself. Most of the Church buildings no longer have roofs and are in ruins, because wooden roofs do not last as long as stone walls. However, a Chapel on the rock has recently been restored with a steep pitched stone roof, unique to Irish buildings. Unfortunately, it was closed to our group because the number of people going into it is restricted to preserve the fresco art works within. It was particularly interesting to listen to our guide’s passionate explanation of his family’s personal history around this Rock … him being a fifth generation of his family to be working for the Rock of Cashel! Of course, the Rock provided commanding views of the surrounding County Tipperary Plain with its iconic patchwork of fenced off fields, cows grazing, green, green, green and the mountains behind it. Again … Stunning!
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| The Rock of Cashel |
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