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Waterford Tourism

135

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 10,177 ✭✭✭✭greenspurs


    Apart from the Crystal showrooms and the Viking triangle .
    Is there anything else for foreign visitors to see in Waterford town centre though?

    Whats they point complaining about them not coming, if theres nothing for them to see/do after 2hrs in the town, and they then have to move onto somewhere with more places of interest.

    "Bright lights and Thunder .................... "



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭Deiseen


    greenspurs wrote: »
    Apart from the Crystal showrooms and the Viking triangle .
    Is there anything else for foreign visitors to see in Waterford town centre though?

    Whats they point complaining about them not coming, if theres nothing for them to see/do after 2hrs in the town, and they then have to move onto somewhere with more places of interest.

    Whats there to do in Cork city, Limerick City, Kilkenny City, Galway City?

    Dublin is the only place really where you have endless amounts of stuff to do.

    Waterford actually has a decent amount of history to see and absorb compared to the other cities.


  • Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭azimuth17


    The Greenspur's post is exactly what |I had in mind Deiseen. One could make the point that visitors to Kilkenny (it being a town I understand) see the castle, walk down the main street see the Tholsel, see Rothe House, on to St Canice's cathedral and that's that. What to do then? Walk back? All small cities in Ireland have limited thing sto see. In Waterford there is a decent coastline and seaside near at hand to offer some sort of alternative. Waterford city has a reasonable spread of historic things to see and do. A recent media article about Galway suggested that its main attraction was public drinking in Shop street. I find it hard to understand why every initiative or hope for the future is reacted to by Kilkenny posters suggesting it wont work or what ever. I see no such Waterford posts on teh Kilkenny pages which in general are lifeless.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭914


    greenspurs wrote: »
    Apart from the Crystal showrooms and the Viking triangle .
    Is there anything else for foreign visitors to see in Waterford town centre though?

    Whats they point complaining about them not coming, if theres nothing for them to see/do after 2hrs in the town, and they then have to move onto somewhere with more places of interest.

    Take a tour to metalman brewery or waterford distillery. Walk along the viking and norman walls. Walk and explore Waterford Walls, blie plaque trail.

    Visit a good pub such as phil grimes, downes or geoffs.

    Take a river crusie with Traditional Boat Charters. Rent a bike from the various bike rental shops in the city centre and begin your trip on the greenway.

    2 hours in town. You would be doing well to cover the medevil museum in 2 hours.

    Golfing in the city, waterford golf club, waterford castle, municipal, just out the road, faithleg, dunmore and tramore.

    While your post covers the centre only, I'll extend outside the city slightly, mount congreve, dunmore/tramore day trips. Lord Waterford (portlaw), waterford suir valley railway.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 499 ✭✭Joe Daly


    Tourism is a regional thing in kilkenny you have the discovery park castlecomer which is drawing in huge crowds, the medieval mile, the new Butler gallery, as regards the greenway a Kilkenny man is supplying bikes his business has grown that he had to take on extra pair of hands summers like this help a lot. Some great places like Dunmore east, other places along the coast there in Waterford, Wexford, you have the v which is spectacular.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭azimuth17


    I actually agree with most you say Joe. Tourism is a regional thing and people coming to the south east should be retained by the south east no matter where or what county they come to. What I don't understand is the destructive comment that seems to me to be emanating from Kilkenny posters against almost every policy initiative that Waterford tries to progress. I see no evidence of similar posting on the KK pages from Waterford based members. Wexford. Kilkenny and Dungarvan are all nice tourist towns but the Waterford agenda is geared towards bigger issues IE airport etc,all of which have spin off for every county ion the region


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Hire a boat and go fishing with dunmoreboatrips.ie


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,177 ✭✭✭✭greenspurs


    azimuth17 wrote: »
    What I don't understand is the destructive comment that seems to me to be emanating from Kilkenny posters against almost every policy initiative that Waterford tries to progress.

    I asked the question, After the Waterford Crystal gallery and the Viking Triangle bits and pieces are visited, What is there to do in the Town centre itself?
    I don't see how that is a "destructive comment" ? :rolleyes:

    If I was a tourist I wouldn't know what else is there to do/see.
    Why isn't the Town/County doing more promotion?

    "Bright lights and Thunder .................... "



  • Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,439 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    hardybuck wrote: »
    I used to dread driving on that road, cycling on it could be very stressful and dangerous for tourists. You'd end up competing with tractors, lorries and farm machinery...if you wanted to push cycling maybe something to encourage people to bring their bikes on the train between Kilkenny and Waterford..

    Except you don't find it stressful or dangerous , since the motorway the vast majority of the road is dead.

    I've cycled and ran the route a number of times at various times of the day and various days of the week.

    It tends to be a little busy at rush hour in certain parts but there's many times where I could go 30-60min without seeing any car etc.

    It sounds like you may need to drive the road again, it's not dangerous at all. In fact it's a pleasure to be in now, even for a drive.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭Deiseen


    greenspurs wrote: »
    azimuth17 wrote: »
    What I don't  understand is the destructive comment that seems to me to be emanating from Kilkenny posters against almost every policy initiative that Waterford tries to progress.  

    I asked the question, After the Waterford Crystal gallery and the Viking Triangle bits and pieces are visited, What is  there to do in the Town centre itself?
    I don't see how that is a "destructive comment" ?  :rolleyes:

    If I was a tourist I wouldn't know what else is there to do/see.
    Why isn't the Town/County doing more promotion?
    Well there are the Viking walls all over the city, numerous ruins outside of the viking triangle and inside there are 2 substantial museums with another small one so it's more than 2 hours. But I agree, we need more and hopefully the North Quays can fill this void, not to mention the plans for the Art Quarter in O'Connell street.
    You did come across like you were trying to say that there was nothing to do in Waterford as a statement of fact, apologies if not.
    Anyway my previous point is that most of Ireland's tourism revolves around food/drink. In Waterford City alone there are about 150 Restaurants/Bars, Kilkenny has around 180 in the entire county. After that, if people have a few days they can do the Copper Coast, Lismore, Dungarven, Greenway, Comeraghs so there is lots to do.
    Out of interest, could someone tell me how much of Kilkenny's tourism figure are made up by the city itself and how much is made up in the rest of the county?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭TheQuietFella


    Viking/Norman walls my a**e! This is not Rome that we're living in!

    https://www.waterfordcivictrust.ie/the-beach-tower-project

    Why was the above never opened or anything else done with it?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭Deiseen


    Lads is there not an ignore function? This guy is really getting on my nerves..


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,981 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Viking/Norman walls my a**e! This is not Rome that we're living in!

    https://www.waterfordcivictrust.ie/the-beach-tower-project

    Why was the above never opened or anything else done with it?

    Open? It is a tower .... how many could squeeze into it?

    What else done with it?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭TheQuietFella


    Open? It is a tower .... how many could squeeze into it?

    What else done with it?

    My point exactly but why after the investment is it being left there?
    The last time I was in that area it has become overgrown with weeds
    and litter! The usual bottles, cans and empty cigarette boxes!

    And I'll say it again and again! Why would ANYONE want to invest in this City
    when the WCC cannot maintain it to some degree!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭tonc76


    Open? It is a tower .... how many could squeeze into it?

    What else done with it?

    Maybe get the Romans back to rebuild it :P


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭TheQuietFella


    tonc76 wrote: »
    Maybe get the Romans back to rebuild it :P

    We've had a few Roma ns so the less said there the better!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭914


    Viking/Norman walls my a**e! This is not Rome that we're living in!

    https://www.waterfordcivictrust.ie/the-beach-tower-project

    Why was the above never opened or anything else done with it?

    Correct its not Rome, but it is Ireland's oldest city and thankfully is steeped in history. I have brought a few tourists around our City Walls and they are amazed by them especially the Americans (considering they come from a county with a 150 years of history or so, and we have buildings/walls close to 1000 years old)

    One of the hottest TV shows around at the moment is the vikings. Viking/medevil is the in thing at the moment and we have plenty of it on offer.

    That combined with the three museum's, Reginalds Tower, Viking VR experience. Metalman brewery in Tycor (who offer tours), waterford Distillery, the 150 pubs/restaurants. That about covers out food/drinking experience.

    Christ Church cathedral, and the cathedral in JRS, waterford Walls, river cruise that about covers our curtral/urban scene.

    Moments from the city, waterford greenway, suir valley railway, mount Congreve, lord Waterford, passage east beach, woodstown, dunmore and tramore.

    Nothing to see or do in Waterford, oh wait I didn't even mention our biggest attraction, the crystal.

    I agree with your post, the towers should be open. I think in time this will happen. Waterford has really only entered the tourism maket in the past 5-6 years and before that we relied heavily on industrial industry such as Waterford Crystal.

    Would love to see the towers open and have an ar/vr experience in each one or have Déise medevil present at each one re enacting how things were, providing photo ops for tourists.

    Would love to see tourism figures from before the Viking Triangle and see how we have come on in leaps and bounds.

    There is plenty more that can be done and will be done. The upgrade of the tower hotel to a 4 star and expansion is evidence of a growth in tourism.

    Combine all that with the cities various festivals, Spraoi, waterford walls, Day Tripper, Waterford Harvestfest, Viking Festival, Waterford Viking Marathon, waterford City Artbeat, the imagine arts festival, waterford film festival, winterval. Just outside the city, bluegrass, dunmore east festival of food, promenade festival tramore, ska fest tramore, all together now portlaw.

    I could expand further into the west of the county but I would be typing all day. Waterford City and County has plenty to offer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭914



    And I'll say it again and again! Why would ANYONE want to invest in this City
    when the WCC cannot maintain it to some degree!

    I don't know ask the lads in North Quays/Michael Street who are investing €300 million the largest investment in the state outside of Dublin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    Christ almighty, the idiocy....the tower underwent some maintenance by in large part, some volunteers to do general maintenance...i.e....prevent it from falling down anytime soon and basically preserve it as a historical site as part of old city walls.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭Deiseen


    914 wrote: »
    Viking/Norman walls my a**e! This is not Rome that we're living in!

    https://www.waterfordcivictrust.ie/the-beach-tower-project

    Why was the above never opened or anything else done with it?

    Correct its not Rome, but it is Ireland's oldest city and thankfully is steeped in history. I have brought a few tourists around our City Walls and they are amazed by them especially the Americans (considering they come from a county with a 150 years of history or so, and we have buildings/walls close to 1000 years old)

    One of the hottest TV shows around at the moment is the vikings. Viking/medevil is the in thing at the moment and we have plenty of it on offer.

    That combined with the three museum's, Reginalds Tower, Viking VR experience. Metalman brewery in Tycor (who offer tours), waterford Distillery, the 150 pubs/restaurants. That about covers out food/drinking experience.

    Christ Church cathedral, and the cathedral in JRS, waterford Walls, river cruise that about covers our curtral/urban scene.

    Moments from the city, waterford greenway, suir valley railway, mount Congreve, lord Waterford, passage east beach, woodstown, dunmore and tramore.

    Nothing to see or do in Waterford, oh wait I didn't even mention our biggest attraction, the crystal.

    I agree with your post, the towers should be open. I think in time this will happen. Waterford has really only entered the tourism maket in the past 5-6 years and before that we relied heavily on industrial industry such as Waterford Crystal.

    Would love to see the towers open and have an ar/vr experience in each one or have Déise medevil present at each one re enacting how things were, providing photo ops for tourists.

    Would love to see tourism figures from before the Viking Triangle and see how we have come on in leaps and bounds.

    There is plenty more that can be done and will be done. The upgrade of the tower hotel to a 4 star and expansion is evidence of a growth in tourism.

    Combine all that with the cities various festivals, Spraoi, waterford walls, Day Tripper, Waterford Harvestfest, Viking Festival, Waterford Viking Marathon, waterford City Artbeat, the imagine arts festival, waterford film festival, winterval. Just outside the city, bluegrass, dunmore east festival of food, promenade festival tramore, ska fest tramore, all together now portlaw.

    I could expand further into the west of the county but I would be typing all day. Waterford City and County has plenty to offer.

    You can get all the tourist figures on Failte Ireland but tourist numbers declined this year.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭TheQuietFella


    Max Powers wrote: »
    Christ almighty, the idiocy....the tower underwent some maintenance by in large part, some volunteers to do general maintenance...i.e....prevent it from falling down anytime soon and basically preserve it as a historical site as part of old city walls.

    And why did they take so long to do that Max?
    And the word you used was volunteers to do it!
    This to me just shows how important our Viking/Norman history is to WCC!
    They wouldn't pay to preserve Waterford's heritage!

    Everything was great when we had The Glass but those days are long gone
    when we had tens of thousands pouring into our city and now we're trying to
    re-invent ourselves. But we're a pauper in the grand scheme of things.
    We're like a beggar now sitting on the side of a street with an empty coffee cup
    in our hand asking for spare change!

    The 'New Development' will never get off the ground because we don't have the pulling power of the bigger cities of Ireland.
    €300 million down the tubes!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,173 ✭✭✭Azatadine


    Deiseen wrote: »
    Well there are the Viking walls all over the city, numerous ruins outside of the viking triangle and inside there are 2 substantial museums with another small one so it's more than 2 hours.

    In fairness though I don't think you can compare walls to Kilkenny castle. The castle is a huge draw to Kilkenny. I'm not sure if there is much else to visit in Kilkenny city itself but the castle alone carries a lot of weight.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,311 ✭✭✭914


    And why did they take so long to do that Max?
    And the word you used was volunteers to do it!
    This to me just shows how important our Viking/Norman history is to WCC!
    They wouldn't pay to preserve Waterford's heritage!

    Everything was great when we had The Glass but those days are long gone
    when we had tens of thousands pouring into our city and now we're trying to
    re-invent ourselves. But we're a pauper in the grand scheme of things.
    We're like a beggar now sitting on the side of a street with an empty coffee cup
    in our hand asking for spare change!

    The 'New Development' will never get off the ground because we don't have the pulling power of the bigger cities of Ireland.
    €300 million down the tubes!

    I think you are forgetting one major issue here. Waterford was decimated during the recession. Not helped by the lack of government policy or support.

    The council have begun reinvited the city. The crystal was to leave waterford completely. The council acted on this and moved it onto the mall. The created the viking triangle and are currently completing a €19 million euro redevelopment of the city centre.

    They also completed the greenway linking the city to dungarvan. It looks as if the €300 million euro development will go ahead into the city.

    Not everything is going to happen over night. But we are getting there. Would like to see more done to the walls myself and in time that will happen as we continue to get our name out there as a tourism destination.

    As I highlight the positives there I would also have plenty negitives about councils of past and present. Presentation and general maintenance being a major fault, but it is possible that this is beginning to change.

    Things are changing for the better in Waterford and we are beginning probably for a first time to see more positives than negitives.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭Deiseen


    Cortecs wrote: »
    Deiseen wrote: »
    Well there are the Viking walls all over the city, numerous ruins outside of the viking triangle and inside there are 2 substantial museums with another small one so it's more than 2 hours.

    In fairness though  I don't think you can compare   walls to Kilkenny castle. The castle is a huge draw to Kilkenny. I'm not sure if there is much else to visit in Kilkenny city itself but the castle alone carries a lot of weight.
    Can't argue with that in fairness but overall I think there is just slightly more to see in Waterford but yes hands down, the Castle is the cream of the crop.


  • Registered Users Posts: 871 ✭✭✭azimuth17


    Will someone tell me please why anyone pays any attention to the god awful remarks of that troll the quiet fella? They are characterised by utter ignorance of almost everything to do with Waterford that he/she comments on.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,177 ✭✭✭✭greenspurs


    Did anyone mention parking, and the redeveloped Quay yet ??









    :) :P

    "Bright lights and Thunder .................... "



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    Move the parking to the shop side and run the road along the outer part, though build a cycle path as a discreet lane on the water side. The new footbridge should come ashore on an "island" at the Clock Tower and then drop below the road level and re-emerge in Broadstreet under a fancy canopy

    2KAn1.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    And why did they take so long to do that Max?
    And the word you used was volunteers to do it!
    This to me just shows how important our Viking/Norman history is to WCC!
    They wouldn't pay to preserve Waterford's heritage!

    Everything was great when we had The Glass but those days are long gone
    when we had tens of thousands pouring into our city and now we're trying to
    re-invent ourselves. But we're a pauper in the grand scheme of things.
    We're like a beggar now sitting on the side of a street with an empty coffee cup
    in our hand asking for spare change!

    The 'New Development' will never get off the ground because we don't have the pulling power of the bigger cities of Ireland.
    €300 million down the tubes!

    Answer to your question is so obvious a twelve year old could answer it, go ask one, then more random gibberish, when will you put together a well thought, balanced sentence together.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,510 ✭✭✭Max Powers


    Move the parking to the shop side and run the road along the outer part, though build a cycle path as a discreet lane on the water side. The new footbridge should come ashore on an "island" at the Clock Tower and then drop below the road level and re-emerge in Broadstreet under a fancy canopy

    2KAn1.jpg

    Nice thoughts Harry but to be fair, budget just isn't realistically there for that, not to mention the added complaints and disruption from/to the public/shops/traffic on quay.we all would like a rolls Royce bridge, an iconic one like say Newcastle or something but won't be funded, what will be funded and is committed to by govt is funding for well designed opening bridge, that is core of what we want.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    The bridge would be whatever they have in mind - the exit/entrance area would just go under the traffic lanes rather than empty out into the car park (as currently configured). Nothing fancy (well unless digging a tunnel is now considered a bit out there!)


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