Waterford

This is the Church of Ireland (Protestant) cathedral, next to the museums. It was built in Georgian style 1773-79 replacing the 13th-century Gothic cathedral, from which the Catholics had been ejected at the Reformation. When the old one was demolished, they found remarkable medieval vestments now in the museum.

You start in the 1270 Choristers' Hall, which extends into the wine vaults - Waterford had extensive trade with Bordeaux, which was ruled by the English. Religious artifacts include a relic of the True Cross (it must be a true relic if Pope Paschal II deemed it so in 1110, but no wonder Europe was rapidly de-forested in that era) and a pilgrim badge (violently anti-Semitic). There's a sumptuous gold brooch of 1210, a charter roll stating Waterford's precedence over a rival nearby port (which they destroyed just to be on the safe side), and a ceremonial sword presented by Edward IV. The Cloth of Gold clerical vestments were woven circa 1460 with Florence silk and embroidered in Bruges: they were hidden in the cathedral from Cromwell’s army in 1650, and only rediscovered 123 years later. They were in an ornate Spanish iron chest, also displayed. The "cap of maintenance" was presented by Henry VIII; the Great Parchment Book is the city records from 1356 to 1649. The Luker chalice is from 1595. Finally the Mayor's Treasury is a summary of civic history.

Grand Georgian residence with decor and items mostly from that era, including a 1789 piece of Waterford Crystal and a Napoleon Mourning Cross. The Hucklebuck shoes are from 1963 (from pop group Royal Showband) yet resemble the attire of a Regency buck. Costumed docents lead guided tours on the hour.

Hourly show on Irish funeral rites, in a 15th century almshouse.

It's named for Røgnvaldr, a common name among Viking rulers, so he may or may not be the fellow who founded Waterford in 914. The tower was probably built in the late 13th century; Prince (and later King) John had begun fortification of the city with stout walls and towers a century earlier. It's been variously a mint, a prison, a military bastion and munitions store, and the residence of the Chief Constable. It's now part of Waterford Treasures museum and displays the Viking era.

The Roman Catholic cathedral stands on the Quays. It was completed in 1793 on the site of a chapel when the Penal Laws against Catholic assemblies were relaxed. It's in Romanesque style resembling a particularly august bank.

Chapel, shrine and museum commemorating the work of the Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice (1762-1844). Widowed young, he gave up his business and threw himself into the education of the city's impoverished youngsters. Others joined him and by 1803 Mount Sion was established as a school, monastery, and teacher-training centre, in an era when Roman Catholic education was slowly recovering from the Penal days of "hedge schools". But as the initiative expanded, Rice as a layman had no authority in the church, and had to laboriously seek permission from the local bishop whenever one of his teacher-priest Brothers was to be relocated. In 1820 he obtained papal authority to manage these Christian Brothers, and the scheme extended geographically and to secondary education. A minority remained subject to the bishops under the earlier arrangements and these were called the Presentation Brothers. Both societies remain active internationally, but the Christian Brothers' regime in the 20th and 21st centuries was marked by systematic physical and sexual abuse of their pupils. Rice lived in retirement at Mount Sion and died there. In the 20th century a campaign began for his beautification. In 1976 a boy who seemed sure to die of a gangrenous colon had a relic of Rice placed at his bedside and recovered fully; post hoc ergo propter hoc and in 1996 Rice was declared a saint.

Waterford Crystal is the brand name of a fine flint glass used in tumblers, chandeliers, decorative bowls, trophies and similar luxury wares. The brand is owned by the Finnish company Fiskars. It's almost all manufactured abroad: the main factory in Kilbarry, south edge of Waterford city, closed in 2009 but there's small-scale production here. Visits are by guided tour, taking 50 min and demonstrating the glass-making process. Then, of course, you troop to the gift shop.