Overview
At the eastern end of Parade Quay stands Reginald’s Tower, Ireland’s oldest civic building, and out on the quay in front of it sits a 12-metre, fully seaworthy replica of a Viking longboat, the Vadrarfjordr. Between them, this short stretch of the River Suir is the working front of Waterford’s Viking Triangle – Waterford being Ireland’s oldest city, founded by Norse settlers in 914. The name comes from the Old Norse Veðrafjǫrðr, usually read as ‘ram (wether) fjord’ rather than the ‘windy fjord’ you’ll sometimes see printed.
The quay is more than a backdrop to the museums. The city’s Discover Ireland tourist office is at No. 120 (call +353 51 875 823 for tickets and what’s on), and next door at No. 122 is a substantial Georgian house with a fine old shopfront, now McLeary’s, a river-view restaurant with a terrace over the water. A few doors along the row runs a timber pubfront at No. 123 and, at 123A, Central Hall – the earliest-surviving Methodist church in Waterford. One honest note: the quay is mid-regeneration under Waterford City and County Council, backed by the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, so expect some works and hoarding while the scheme is being redesigned.
Reginald’s Tower and the museums
If you only go into one thing here, make it Reginald’s Tower at the end of the quay. The tower you see was built by the Anglo-Normans around 1253, on the site of an earlier Viking fortification – not, as is often claimed, an 11th-century Viking tower itself. Inside is the Viking collection, including finds from the 2003 Woodstown excavation: swords, ship nails, silver ingots and Byzantine coins. The upper floor gives a clean view over the Suir and the city’s roofs.
The tower is the gateway to Waterford Treasures, the cluster of museums packed into the Triangle a few paces inland: the Medieval Museum, the Bishop’s Palace, the Irish Museum of Time, the Irish Silver Museum, the Irish Wake Museum. The Bishop’s Palace, an 18th-century Georgian townhouse of 1741, holds the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal, the Penrose Decanter of 1789, and has a café with a terrace over the 13th-century town wall. The Medieval Museum keeps the Cloth of Gold vestments, the only complete set of medieval church vestments in northern Europe, made in the 1460s.
For more than one museum, the Freedom of Waterford Pass – valid a year, and covering the EPIC walking tour of the Triangle as well as the main sites – is the sensible buy; check the current price when you get it. Buy at the tourist office on the quay or at any of the museums.
Practical information
Opening hours Most of the Waterford Treasures museums open roughly 9am to 5pm, but the exact times differ from one museum to the next – some open at 9.15, others not until 10.15 – so check the Waterford Treasures website before planning a tight morning. The quayside walk, the outside of Reginald’s Tower and the longboat are free at any hour.
Parking The handiest parking is the Port of Waterford’s barrier-free Pay & Display at Merchants Quay (by the bus station) and Clyde Wharf (opposite the GPO). Merchants Quay long-stay is €5.00 for 12 hours Sunday to Thursday and €6.50 Friday and Saturday, or €2.50 an hour short-stay; pay at the station or through the Wayleader app.
Accessibility The quayside promenade is paved and level. The museums generally have lift access to upper floors, but the Mayor’s Wine Vault in the Medieval Museum is reached by stairs only, and Reginald’s Tower has limited access for visitors with reduced mobility. Wheelchairs and mobile stools are available at reception desks, and assistance dogs are welcome.
Events Waterford has run a St Patrick’s Day parade since 1903. It sets off from the Bridge Street end of the quay and comes along the waterfront past the Clock Tower and Plaza – the best free spectacle the quay puts on all year.
Start at the tourist office at No. 120 for tickets, then walk the quay to Reginald’s Tower before turning inland to the museums; give the Triangle a half day if you want to do it properly.