HERITAGE GEMS
TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME
If you’re looking for drama, romance and heart-breaking sagas stretching back over 5,000 years, go no further than the Ancient East. And when it comes to epic history, the city of Waterford and its Viking past has it in abundance. Once one of the great ports of Ireland, today it’s famous for its crystal, fabulous new Greenway route and its culture-laden medieval streets.
At its heart is the Viking Triangle, where the Waterford Museum of Treasures displays artifacts from over 1,000 years of history. The Waterford Treasures collection of five museums tells the fascinating story of a city founded by those sea-faring Norse pirates in 914. The country’s rich Viking history is now being introduced to a whole new audience through a newly released video game, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla/Wrath of the Druids Ireland extension. Take a walking tour with one of the expert guides at Waterford Treasures - your ticket also gives access to the Medieval Museum and Bishop’s Palace Museum, as well as the brand-new Irish Museum of Time and the Irish Silver Museum.
Step back into the 13th and 15th centuries at the Medieval Museum, where an exhibition highlights the medieval Cloth-ofGold Vestments and the 1373 Great Charter Roll of Waterford. The 18th century Bishop’s Palace Museum is also home to the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal in the world. Meanwhile, the newest attraction, the Irish Museum of Time, is located in a gothic-style church and houses a fine collection of timepieces.
Explore more along the Ancient East …
Castletown House, Co. Kildare
Ireland’s largest and grandest Palladian-style house was built by an Irish commoner. Ornate and opulent, 18th-century Castletown tells tales of lords, rebels and rock stars.
Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly
Once a great centre of monastic learning, Clonmacnoise boasts impressive high crosses and round towers, the ruins of a cathedral and churches, plus the largest collection of Early Christian grave slabs in Western Europe.
Hill of Uisneach, Co. Westmeath
Ireland’s sacred hill has been at the heart of the island’s history over millennia. Here a great fire was lit each year to usher in summer, an event celebrated today in the annual Bealtaine Fire Festival.
Wicklow Gaol, Co. Wicklow
For 200 years, this prison held the poor and desperate alongside rogues and rebels. An interactive tour led by costumed actors tells the story of its prisoners.