Why has Waterford City falling so behind the other 4 Cities Dublin Cork Limerick Galway ?

Lord Baron Lane 8

Why has Waterford City falling so behind the other 4 Cities Dublin Cork Limerick Galway ?

orangerhyme

No university. Not a tourist destination.

Relatively low population in its hinterland.

Not really a gateway to anywhere.

Taxburden carrier

Add no airport, poor inter city connections and poor city planning

Finnbar01

We lack political clout. Also poor cohesion/cooperation amongst South East counties.

Rustyman101

Isn't it obvious ? Lack of political representation and the calibre of TDs we have currently and previously.

The grinning id*** from dungarvan CC, the I'll smoke if I want TD also from dungarvan as it happens.

Then we had JH our ghost busters TD. Who went up the hill and came back down more times than I care to remember.

And our political dynasties, less said about them the better.

The list goes on and on.

Deasy had potential but for some reason didn't fulfil it.

Coffey also had potential but just had enough.

Look at the difference when Cullen was a Minster to the crumbs we get today.

Look at the people we have now, party hacks couldn't give a toss about their constituency all about the party.

Shanahan rattles them ever now and again with questions they don't like but in reality he's powerless as well.

Be nice to see an independent group formed but it would last as long as takes to soft boil an egg.

Drive into Cork the level of investment is staggering and there for all to see.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720332#Comment_121720332

That second sentence is the single greatest issue.

All the lemons ever grown couldn't outdo the sourness between Waterford and Kilkenny councils.

The two cities are 20 minutes apart and if they got around the table they could come up with some great mutually beneficial opportunities.

Instead all there is is a load of willy waving.

Glenomra

A personal opinion. The acute crises limerick suffered in recent decades has actually proven beneficial to a large extent imo. Limerick and Waterford both neglected cities; Limerick's problems received massive media exposure and became so acute that very significant redevelopment schemes were put in place, particularly Limerick 2030 which is transforming the city and enabling it to more fully exploit its resources, large urban area, location, airport, two universities etc. Waterford has continued on in a low profile manner, still forgotten, still neglected.

azimuth17

Forgive me in advance, but could OP please correct Falling to Fallen?

In the meantime someone who cannot count posts about relatively low population in its hinterland and instead ask the obvious question as to how Galway came from being half the size of Waterford circa 1960 to 1.5 times size today. The answer to that question will give OP and others most of the info they require. The rest is explained by the Waterford Glass, all our eggs in one basket syndrome ( John Martin Hearne "Waterford Crystal: The Creation of a Global Brand" ) with low educational attainment and non transferable skills.

Latterly, one of our opposition TDs got 20000 first preference votes last time out and has assumed the recumbent, "silence of the lambs" position. Its a dreadful situation.

If Shanahan had not been elected we would have never heard anything except ".I'm working in the background" The performance of our FF and Green TDs has been lamentable. The less said about our FG senator the better. All the same, I would not be down hearted. Real progress is being made.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720660#Comment_121720660

Galway having a university is a big advantage and also being the capital of Connaught. Also all the tourism Galway gets.

Luna84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720676#Comment_121720676

And they have more than one university.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720784#Comment_121720784

What other university is in Galway?

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121720866#Comment_121720866

Former IT, now Atlantic Technological University since April 2022

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721082#Comment_121721082

Ok but I mean historically Galway had that advantage over Waterford.

Easier to attract multinationals when you've a university.

Waterford's had a brain drain also.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721082#Comment_121721082

Waterford has SETU

NewbridgeIR

I attended Waterford RTC between 1989 and 1991. The social life was savage then, all funded by the ESF grant. I still get down there every so often but the pub scene has totally changed - I think only Downes and Geoff's are still there. Shopping wise it seems still seems quite good and that Everett's restaurant is really nice. The city doesn't seem have the same buzz as it did though.

914

Lack of a standalone University has played a major part.

Dublin, too many to name

Cork, UCC

Limerick, UL

Galway, UG

Why is a standalone University important? Research and Development, International Students and FDI.

Also worth considering student population and those who study there might remain there.

We are sold that we now have a "University" in SETU, but the other four cities also have a TU.

Limerick alone has 30k 3rd level students attending, UL, Mary I and it's TUS campus. Waterford has about 9.5/10k students.

A lack of a stand alone University also meant, 3rd level education was the last thing on people's minds in the past and Waterford relied heavily on a manufacturing industry, changes in this sector resulted in large unemployment.

The in house politics of the South East have a played a major part also. As an example zero support or ambition from neighbouring counties to get, the then WIT to a stand alone Uni.

WIT was one ministerial vote away from maintaining standalone University status in 2008. Along came big Phil and Howlin and WIT received zero political and financial support and the result SETU, where Howlin delivered a campus for Wexford.

Politically we are very week, it's also become an insult to use the name Waterford, our local reps are more concerned about toeing the party line, keeping our neighbours on side while beating the South East drum, where in truth the South East is only a thing when services can be pulled from. Waterford.

con___manx1

Waterford has a small population with only around 80000 in the whole county.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721233#Comment_121721233

Waterford county is 128,000.

I agree though that relatively small population of its hinterland is another factor hindering growth.

The SE has small population and I think people gravitate towards Dublin or Cork anyway.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721225#Comment_121721225

No university = brain drain.

Smarter, more ambitious people will leave and never come back.

Not all, but a big amount.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721233#Comment_121721233

Check facts before posting. Waterford City,,Tramore, Carrick on Suir and New Ross form a coherent city zone by Irish standards with a reasonable population within a fifteen milel radius..People do not understand the closeness of county boundaries in the southeast. The region is more than comparable to Limerick and the Mid west or Galway ad the West Comparisons with Cork or Dublin are not valid.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721405#Comment_121721405

Galway county is 280,000. Limerick is 200,000. Waterford county is 128,000.

Limerick and Galway are more central and better connected also.

Population is definitely a factor.

I think people in Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford gravitate towards Dublin anyway.

People in South Tipperary towards Cork.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721480#Comment_121721480

This ties is with lack of standalone University, people look towards cork and Dublin for eduction.

Brain drain, people leave the region and do not return

Lack of investment in health (only model 4 hospital to have a governing hospital CUH) people look towards cork, Limerick (Tipp) and Dublin (KK, Wexford).

Lord Baron Lane 8

I think Waterford City needs a Motorway to Cork & Limerick Cities .

dublincc2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058334631/why-has-waterford-city-falling-so-behind-the-other-4-cities-dublin-cork-limerick-galway

6 cities. Belfast and Derry.

Well actually 5 because Galway is not technically a city. It’s a town.

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058334631/why-has-waterford-city-falling-so-behind-the-other-4-cities-dublin-cork-limerick-galway

Waterford is kind of irrelevant. It's all about Dublin. Dublin is the powerhouse city in Ireland.

Then the ugly duckings of Cork galway limerick.

After that, there is no end of towns. Waterford, Drogedha, Dundalk etc etc. Waterford isn't a city by most european standards , its cathedral gets it city status. But Armagh has that too.

Dexpat

A lot of valid comments re the abysmal political representation, lack of university and anti Waterford sentiment from elsewhere in the region. However, compared to 15 years ago when the glass closed I think things are moving in the right direction.

The city was a declining manufacturing centre but has made great strides towards transforming into a successful services and leisure centre. The tourism offering has come on hugely. There's now six good museums in the viking triangle. The new bridge to the north quays will link the Waterford and New Ross greenway when its finished. That's before any commercial development of the site. The urban realm in the viking triangle is one of the best in the country, even if many living there don't recognise it.

I know there's a lot of development going on elsewhere, but Waterford is now the fastest growing city on the island. Twenty, even ten years ago the premise of the OP would have been correct but I don't think it's now the case. Yeah there are still big issues to overcome and I understand the impatience, but in the longer term I believe Waterford has turned around and is moving in the right direction.

Furze99

I'd have thought Waterford was doing OK, certainly by the standards of the rest of the south east. That's the problem with being stuck between Dublin & Cork - what resources and investment should go to the SE, get sucked north or south.

Str8outtaWuhan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721672#Comment_121721672

Technically Belfast and Londonderry are cities in the UK, not in Ireland.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721741#Comment_121721741

Thats the most uninformed comment I have read and I am trying to be charitable. There are cathedrals in Lismore, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy , Cashel without city status. Waterford has two cathedrals by the way. The law of the republic says there are only five cities of which Waterford may be the smallest at present, but remember Galway only achieved city status in 1985! It was a provincial town then .

I detect a lot of new posters on this thread. Some seem anxious to geta sly kick in.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121721741#Comment_121721741

Tbf, with the exception of Dublin and maybe Cork, the rest probably don't come near city status on a European scale.

That said our cities are relevant to our population and at present Ireland has (the republic). has five cities, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford.

I don't think anyone would disregard Reykjavík in Iceland as a city despite only having a population of around 140k as it is relevant to the country's population.

At one stage Waterford was on par with Limerick and ahead of Galway (double it's size). So why the drop from 3rd largest to fifth?

Stand alone Universities, ministerial positions, and government funding/support or lack of all the above in Waterford's case.

I was delighted to see a positive post above, we are fighting back, all be it with one hand behind our back. If we had the fortune of one progressive government for Waterford we would be flying it, that I am sure of.

We have a lot of good people in Waterford and the missing link is that government support in education, health and IDA in FDI.

Economics101

I think things are looking up for Wateerford, and there is too much negativity in the comments above. Just consider the following:

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/best-place-to-live-in-ireland-2021-why-waterford-city-won-1.4680655

https://www.thejournal.ie/waterford-nyt-list-6268289-Jan2024/