Waterford - 56 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Waterford

County Waterford is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region. is the oldest city in Ireland and it is the perfect blend of ancient and modern. It is renowned for its exciting festivals and events such as the West Waterford Festival of Food, Spraoi, Winterval, Harvest Festival, Taste Tramore, Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival and Waterford Film Festival and many more.

Types of Attractions in Waterford

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Waterford

Dunabrattin Head

Dunabrattin Head

Outdoors- Other

Dunabrattin Head is a cape and is located in Waterford, Munster, Ireland. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 7 metres. Variant forms of spelling for Dunabrattin Head or in other languages: Brattin Head, Dunabrattin Head, Brattin Head, Dunabrattin Head. From here there are some excellent views of sea-arches and sea-stacks along the way. Arriving at Dunabrattin Head one finds that the ancient defensive features are still very much in evidence.

Dungarvan Castle

This is an Anglo-Norman fortification founded in 1185. It was built in a very strategic location at the mouth of the River Colligan. The castle consists of a polygonal shell keep with an enclosing curtain wall, a corner tower and a gate tower. The shell keep is the earliest structure, dating from the 12th century. Shell keeps are common in England, but rare in Ireland. Inside the curtain wall is a two storey military barracks, which dates from the first half of the 18th century.

Dunhill Castle

The ruins of Dunhill Castle is situated on a rock outcrop south of the village. The castle was owned by John Power in 1641 and traditionally it is thought to be an ancient stronghold which fell to Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century. It is one of the iconic attractions in this area and there are so many opportunities for travelling through history.

Dunmore East Woods

Dunmore East Woods

1 Day Treks

Forests

The majestic Dunmore East woods comprise of 42 acres of woodland granted in a trust by the 7th Marquis of Waterford in 1924, for the recreational use of the people of Dunmore East along with the park in the centre of the village. The woods and park are administrated by a Trusteeship of villagers. The woodland is a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees. You can see Wild Cherry, Silver Birch, Common Lime. Scots Pine, Rowan and Yew which have been part of the recent Neighbourwood planting scheme.

Fairbrook House

Fairbrook House

Old Ruins

Botanical Gardens

This 3.5 acre walled artists garden and 3 acre woodland garden laid out between the ruins of a former woollen mill, is situated on the River Dawn. Unusual plants, trees and special water features. Featured in books, magazines and on television. Stones from former buildings have been recycled into walls, raised borders, obelisks and magic standing stones.

Gaulstown Dolmen

Gaulstown Dolmen

Monuments

Old Ruins

The Gaulstown Dolmen dates to c.3000-4000 BC and is regarded as one of the finest portal tombs in Ireland. The east-facing portal stones stand eight feet high and the capstone is 14-feet long and possibly weighs over 40 tonnes. It is likely that the structure was once enclosed by a mound or cairn, which has since been removed or eroded away. There is evidence that some of the upright stones may have moved over time, as the shape of the chamber has been impacted.

Geneva Barracks

Geneva Barracks in County Waterford, Ireland, was a barracks created in 1783 by converting a settlement which had been created for an 18th-century colony of disaffected citizens of Geneva following the Geneva Revolution of 1782. Built near Passage East, the colony was commissioned by the Irish Parliament and approved by British Royalty.

Goat Island

Goat Island is a beach located roughly 5 kilometres west of Ardmore, County Waterford. The inlet where the beach is located faces south and is sheltered to the west side by the island itself. The beach can be found via a windy lane signposted for Goat Island.

Kilfarrasy Beach

This popular beach with its golden sand is sheltered by remarkable cliffs inland. It is one of the most well known and popular areas amongst photographers on the Copper Coast. There is plenty of features there especially if you are willing to explore some more unique areas and compositions. I’m going to break up this post into 2 parts, one focusing on the east side and the second the west side of the beach.

Kilmacthomas Viaduct

The Kilmacthomas Viaduct is a former Irish railway viaduct located in County Waterford. It is one of the attractions of the Waterford Greenway, a green cycle route with many tourist sites as stopover points.

Knockeen Dolmen

Knockeen Dolmen is one of the finest dolmens in Ireland. The six uprights of this very impressive portal tomb stand, at the highest point, at 2.8 metres and form a sort of porch with the doorstone, which reaches almost to the same height. This is one of the finest dolmens in Ireland. The six uprights of this very impressive portal tomb stand, at the highest point, at 2.8 metres and form a sort of porch with the doorstone, which reaches almost to the same height.

Knockmealdown

Knockmealdown

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Knockmealdown is the highest peak of the Knockmealdown Range of mountains, located on the border between Co Tipperary and Co Waterford. The peak is easily accessed from the west, via the layby overlooking Bay Lough on the Vee Gap. The route we intended to walk up to the top of Knockmealdown is a basic straight up and down and should be done within 3 hours with good weather conditions permitting.

Lady Louisa's Walk

Lady Louisa's Walk

Outdoors- Other

1 Day Treks

Lady Louisa’s walk is a gentle and picturesque walk which takes you, for the most part, on a woodland walk along the river bank. Along the walk one can expect to find plants such as beech, ash, ferns, spindle tree, holly and ivy as well as wood sorrel, golden saxifrage and wild garlic. Make sure to look back along the riverbank as you walk to catch views of Lismore Castle.

Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens are set in the beautiful seaside town of Tramore, County Waterford, Ireland. These gardens are a living biography of the Greek/Irish writer Patrick Lafcadio Hearn, who was born in 1850 and died in 1904. There is also an American Garden, a Greek Garden and a traditional Japanese Tea Garden, in total there are eleven unique garden areas that reference much of his folklore and fairytale.

Lismore Castle(Caisleán an Leasa Mhóir)

Lismore Castle is a luxury exclusive use castle, built by King John in 1185. It sleeps up to 27 guests and is perfect for family gatherings and celebrations. Spread over seven acres, the historic gardens at Lismore Castle in County Waterford are divided into two very distinct and different halves. The Upper Garden is a complete example of the 17th-century walled garden first constructed here by Richard Boyle, the First Earl of Cork, in about 1605.

Matthewstown Passage Tomb

This megalithic monument is all it promised to be, the wedge-shaped remains of a passage tomb. There are five orthostats on each side of the passage with three large roofstones, there are four more stones at the western end which may be part of the kerb, very little remains of a cairn. I left feeling rather pleased that the tomb was actually on this farm and with no worries about its survival.

Molana Abbey

Molana Abbey

Old Ruins

A small Augustinian monastery near Youghal. It is now a dreary and lonely spot, on the banks of that beautiful Munster river- the Blackwater: although it was at one time, the home of pious monks, whose graves can still be discerned beneath the tall oaktrees which form a long body-guard around the Abbey ruins.

Monavullagh Mountains

Monavullagh Mountains

Mountain Peaks

Monavullagh Mountains is a mountain in Ireland and has an elevation of 631 metres. It is situated west of Comeraghmountain, close to Seefin. It is one of the iconic location for a trek and also it offers so many stunning views too.

Mount Congreve Gardens

Mount Congreve Gardens

Iconic Buildings

Botanical Gardens

Mount Congreve is an 18th-century Georgian estate and mansion situated near the village of Kilmeaden in County Waterford, Ireland. The gardens at Mount Congreve, Waterford, consist of around seventy acres of intensively planted woodland garden and a four acre walled garden. is internationally recognised for its rare species of plants and also its plant nurseries. The gardens are open to the public each Thursday to Sunday.

Map of attractions in Waterford

Comments

For more information about Waterford, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Waterford