Kilkenny City
Kilkenny City is bursting with unbridled energy and boasts a fascinating history and heritage – not to mention great pubs and places to eat.
Activities
Set your pulse racing with high-octane sports and mind-blowing scenery
Cycling tours
Get on your bike around the Waterford Passage East (40miles/64km), which takes you by many of the city’s finest attractions.
Fishing
Surrounded by varied and beautiful waterways, Waterford City makes a great base for sublime angling opportunities, whether on the sea, river or lakes.
Golf
Get into the swing of things at one of Waterford City’s top clubs. Check out the wonderful Williamstown Golf Club, Waterford Golf Club , Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Club, and the exquisite Faithlegg House Hotel.
See more highlightsGreyhound Racing
Kilcohan Park is Waterford’s premier night time entertainment venue. This modern and sophisticated racetrack features the top class fine dining Masters Restaurant as well as high-octane racing.
Horse riding
The beautifully varied Waterford countryside offers spectacular opportunities for trekking into unspoiled natural habitats with beaches, moorlands, valleys, mountains and rivers.
Walking Tours of Waterford
Take off on this one-hour walking tour through Ireland’s oldest city, including two cathedrals, four national monuments, and a gallery of rogues and rascals.
Children
Let the kids go wild with fun and frolics designed just for them.
Hullabaloo International Children’s Festival
Get into the groove with music, dance, drama, art photography and film on the city streets at this festival that rejoices in children and THEIR world.
Imagine Waterford Arts Festival
Nine mini festivals all in one, this is your chance to get the kids immersed with some arts and crafts, theatre, film, music, comedy and visual delights.
Jack Meades Pub
Don’t fear venturing into this 18th century waterhole with the kids! Attractions include an agricultural museum, animal farm and children’s playground, along with outdoor music every Sunday afternoon!
See more highlightsLeisure Zone Family Recreation Centre
With 10-pin bowling, American Pool, and skating at the winter garden, it’s really non-stop fun at the Leisure Zone.
Sprog Fesival
Well, what do you know – an annual festival designed entirely around the whims and desires of the Under 8s!
Waterford Spraoi Festival
A colourful music and arts festival for all the family with the emphasis on showcasing national and international street theatre and world music.
Culture & Festivals
Immerse yourself in culture during the city’s magnificent music and arts festivals
Edmund Rice Centre
A multi-media presentation charting the incredible life and works of Edmund Ignatius Rice – founder of the Irish Christian Brothers.
Garter Lane Arts Centre
A premier arts venue, the centre is housed in a Quaker meeting house, which was built in 1792. With a year-round programme of events, you can indulge in theatre, music, film, dance comedy and even children’s art!
Hullabaloo International Children’s Festival
Get into the groove with music, dance, drama, art photography and film on the city streets at this festival that rejoices in children and THEIR world.
See more highlightsImagine Waterford Arts Festival
Nine mini festivals all in one, this is your chance to get the kids involved with some arts and crafts, featuring theatre, film, music, comedy and visual delights for children of all ages.
Sprog Fesival
Well, what do you know – an annual festival designed entirely around the whims and desires of the Under 8s!
Theatre Royal
Housed in City Hall, the Theatre Royal presents the best of Irish and international theatre, music and dance in a series of events throughout the year!
Waterford Festival of Light Opera
A real classic among events, this popular and polished festival gathers the leading musical societies to the Theatre Royal for a series of light opera and modern musical events.
Waterford Fringe Festival
This fabulous multi-arts festival coincides with the Waterford Festival of Light Opera.
Waterford Municipal Art Gallery
Erected in the early 19th century, this late Victorian church built in gothic revival style was home to the Waterford Methodists until 1973 and is the permanent home of the Municipal Art Collection – including works from Le Brocquy, Lamb, Jack B Yeats and Paul Henry!
Waterford Spraoi Festival
A colourful music and arts festival for all the family with the emphasis on showcasing national and international street theatre and world music.
Waterford Treasures Museum
The Waterford Museum of Treasures at the Granary brings together an extensive range of rare and beautiful artifacts, which are brought to life by the latest technological innovations.
Eating, Drinking & Luxury
Sit back, relax and indulge your senses with a feast for all occasions
Arlington Lodge Country House Hotel
A gracious 18th century Georgian house, this was formerly the Bishop’s Palace for over 200 years!
Bardens Restaurant
A friendly and relaxed restaurant that serves up traditional homecooked Irish fare and promises panoramic views over the River Suir.
Cosythatch Bar
The essence of a traditional Irish pub, this is the place to share a joke, story or simple conversation over a pint or two of the Black Stuff.
See more highlightsFaithlegg House Hotel
Enjoy luxurious accommodation in this magnificently restored 18th-century mansion just outside Waterford City.
Jack Meades Pub
With BBQs, live music and lots to keep the entire family entertained, this is a great place to relax and unwind!
Gay & Lesbian
Check out Waterford City’s hip and happening gay scene
La Quoi, 10 John Street, Waterford
Waterford city’s premiere gay clubbing night.
Prism, 4 Keizer Street, Waterford
Every Wednesday from 8-10pm, you can get info, have a coffee, meet friends and pick up national gay and lesbian press.
Shopping
A top shopping destination for fine fashion, exquisite crystal and delightful local produce
City Square Shopping Centre
With two major department stores, a supermarket and 40 shops, there’s no end to the amount of retail therapy you can have in the one location.
Jenkins Lane (off Georges Court)
A fresh shopping experience where the best in quality specialized and locally produced foods, crafts and jewellery are available.
Shaws and Sons
A family-owned department store with ladies and men’s fashion, homeware goods and cosmetics.
See more highlightsWaterford Crystal Visitor Centre
A must-visit to purchase some of the fine hand-blown crystal from the world-renowned factory.
Sightseeing
Explore Waterford city’s stunning heritage sites and world-renowned visitor attractions.
Christ Church Cathedral
The only neo-classical Georgian Cathedral in Ireland, Christ Church was designed by John Roberts and built in 1793. The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is over two centuries old and is Ireland’s oldest Catholic Cathedral.
City Hall
Designed by John Roberts, work began on the building in 1783 and features a fine display of an early Waterford Crystal chandelier.
Faithlegg Forest Walk
Minawn Hill overlooks the meeting of the Suir, the Nore and Barrow rivers to the north, Waterford city to the south and west and Passge East to the east, and is a sublime beauty to stroll around.
See more highlightsReginald’s Tower
A tower has stood on this site for over a thousand years, protecting the Quays of Waterford. The present structure, dating from the 12th century, with a second phase in the 15th century, is the oldest civic urban structure in the country.
Theatre Royal
Housed in City Hall, the Theatre Royal presents the best of Irish and international theatre, music and dance in a series of events throughout the year!
Waterford Chamber of Commerce Building
Designed by the famous Waterford Georgian architect, John Roberts, the Chamber of Commerce building is an imposing structure that houses leading business representatives in Waterford.
Waterford City Walls
These imposing fortifications date from the Viking and Anglo-Norman Period, and include six towers, plus long stretches of well-preserved wall.
Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre
Perhaps the most famous crystal company in the world, Waterford Crystal was founded in 1783. Take a tour of the production process and browse through the tempting shop.
