As we were unable to go to Craggaunowen because it had shut for the season before we got near enough and we combined Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny in one day, we were left with two spare days. The original plan was to visit Waterford on the way to the ferry but now we were able to give it a day to itself and just as well as we could never have parked the car and caravan. We opted to avoid the toll road again and after a sunny drive, approached Waterford via an industrial estate. We found a car park but were only able to park for two hours, which was a shame as Medieval Waterford had a great deal to offer. Understandably, they make a great deal of their Viking heritage. There were also several building with murals.

We had a variety of museums to choose from; these were clustered together close to the cathedral. Should it be the Time Museum, The Irish Wake Museum or the Silver Museum? I was tempted by the virtual reality Viking experience but I am not sure how well virtual reality goggles go with glasses so we went for the tamer option of the Medieval Museum, which was very good. You are able to buy combined tickets for more than one museum, which seems like a good idea for those who want to go to more than one. We had already passed the Franciscan friary that Henry III agreed to the build in 1241. Richard II stayed here when he visited in 1394. After the dissolution, Henry VIII allowed a Catholic alms house to be built, where prayers were said for Henry VIII’s soul until the mid twentieth century. William III encouraged the Huguenots to settle in Ireland and there was a community in Waterford who used part of the friary as their church.

Inside the museum, photography was tricky as, understandably, light was low, no flash was allowed and there was reflection from the glass cases. We saw the cloisters and the wine cellar, which had a wattle and daub roof. There were many of the city’s charters on display and a list of mayors dating back to 1284; the first female mayor was not elected until 1991.

This part of Ireland was one of the first to be settled and it is believed that the Mesolithic settlers came from Wales c.7700 BCE. 10,000 artefacts were found in Bally Lough during a project in the 1980s and 1990s. The Medieval city was walled, with several towers, of different dates, along its length. Reginald’s Tower, which is mentioned as a stone structure in 1088, was where the city’s Viking leaders were taken during the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1170; two were executed there. The tower was rebuilt by King John and an additional two floors were added in the fifteenth century.

In the thirteenth century, Waterford was granted a monopoly for the importation of wine, so all wine imports in southern Ireland had to come through the port. This led to great rivalry with the neighbouring port of New Ross and smuggling took place. Initially, the wine came from France but during the Hundred Years’ War, Iberian wine predominated. The Great Charter Roll, which was on display, was put together to convince the king of the city’s long standing association with the crown and to ensure that it continued to be favoured over New Ross. The main exports were woollen rugs and cloaks. In 1566, woman were forbidden from being wine taverners or drawers (the equivalent of barmaids) because of their bad reputation in the taverns. ‘Naughty corrupt women’ were leading ‘honest damsels into folly’.

Apparently, Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to Henry VII’s throne, besieged the city in 1495, supported by the 9^th Earl of Desmond, from Cork and foreign mercenaries. Cannon in Reginald’s tower fired on the invaders’ ships and two were sunk. This is the earliest record of cannon being used in Ireland. After eleven days the besiegers were defeated and Warbeck escaped; Desmond was pardoned. Although Waterford was the only town not to succumb to Cromwell himself, it was taken in 1650 by Cromwell’s son-in-law Henry Ireton, when the citizens were weakened by plague. The city was looted but incredibly, fifteenth century vestments survived because they had been hidden in a secret chamber under the cathedral’s floor. They were not rediscovered until 1773 when the medieval cathedral was demolished and the current one was built. These were on display in very dim light but were intricately and lavishly embroidered and must have been very heavy to wear. We saw the Great Parchment Book of Waterford, chronicling activities in the city from 1356-1649. The entry declaring Charles II to be king upon the execution of his father was erased when the city was taken by Cromwell’s New Model Army.

We travelled back along the small coastal roads in order to have some different scenery for part of the way. Our sojourn at the Victorian Farm is over, so we began to work our way through the first series of Coast in the evenings.