Wexford to Waterford

18th August
Wexford to Waterford
We woke to a fine morning - even blue skies above. We travelled along a more major road, through New Ross and arrived in Waterford soon after 10. We found a car park near the docks for 5euro a day. Whether you stayed 1 minute or 12 hours the price was the same. We walked along the main seafront road and came accross the information centre. This was in a huge old building which had been a malting house, then warehouse, then had caught on fire and all that remained was the four outer walls. The three floors above were all burnt out and the roof also gone. The building was then sold to the Waterford council for 1euro and they then spent 4 million doing it up. We picked up maps of the city etc. booked into a walking tour that started later in the morning and headed to the Waterford Crystal Factory and Store.
The Crystal was really beautiful, some items were in the tens of thousands, the cheapest thing there was about 50 euro. They had tour of the factory which we thought we would do after the walking tour and perhaps buy something then. So a bit of early lunch and then off on the walking tour.
Our guide was Jack. He was quite a personality. We walked around the town, down to the Viking area. In around 500ad the vikings had settled in Waterford. They of course drove out the previous residents who had been there for thousands of years. Jack told us many stories and facts in a very entertaining way - trouble is I've forgotten most of them!!! The architect of the oldest Roman Cathlic Church and the Church of Ireland was the same man. I asked Jack which he was - he said he was an architect, if you had the money he'd have built you a mosque!! This architect built many of the large buildings of Waterford, his wife did the accounts. The wife was a fierce business woman - you paid on Friday or the work was pulled down on Monday. She also must have been a very busy lady as they had 22 children and both lived into their 80s.
Our guide also told us of the recent story of Waterford Crystal. The factory was closed a few years back all of the men sacked and their long service and super vanished. Fortunately for the bosses their super was in a different account ad they awarded themselves large hand outs. Only 1% or less of the crystal sold by Waterford Crystal is made here. Most is made in India and China. We decided not to go back to the tour at Waterford Crystal.
The day had clouded over a bit and so we decided it was a good opportunity to get some raincoats. After the past few days of showers, intermittent down pours with drizzle in between we thought it a good plan. Of course once we had our coats the clouds disappeared and the sun shone. Great pruchase - 2 coats to insure that we have no more rain.
We drove on to Slieverue to our B & B for the next 2 nights. It was too early to check in but we wanted to see where it was and go for a walk through the village. Most of the houses are cojoined. They look rather strange because each half has been painted and decorated as differently as possible. Only hope the people living in the houses get on better than the way it looks. A nice little village with a corner convienence. So time for an icy pole and back to check out the map on where to next.
WE decided on Carrick-on-Suir on the edge of County Tipperary. We went on a tour through this very impressive castle which has some parts dating back to 14th and 16th century. The original owner, Theobald Walter had been a ceremonial cup-bearer or butler to Prince John who gave the title of Lord of Ireland and gave him large parcels of land. He changed his name to Edmund Butler. There is a nice view from one of the upper windows onto the river below. The name Carrick-on-Suir is just gaelic for Rocks on the Shore - no way near as romantic sounding!!!
We watched a couple of boys playing in the street who seemed to be playing a game we had seen on the TV. It looks like a cross between baseball, cricket, football and armed combat. I asked them what it was called - 'Hurling' was the answer 'and you play like this' and with that the little kid gave the bigger kid an elbow in the stomach and a cheeky grin to go with it. They were hitting the ball so hard up against the wall that bits of render were flying off.
We wandered about the town. It was really quaint but qite shabby and there seems to be a lot of unemployment and hard times. The views down by the river were really nice. We headed towards 'home for the night' through Fiddow, Mooncoin and stopped at an original Irish Pub called The Thatch (yes a real thatched roof) in the village of Kilmacow (great place for a steak restrauant). So a real Irish pub - a guiness was our drink of choice. I had haddock chips and salad. The piece of fish was twelve inches long and the plate was huge. Den had a chicken stir fry ( a very authentic Irish dish to be sure) but it was the best option for him. There were lots of fun signs up and dusty things laying on dusty shelves. It was really cosy and full of atmosphere and real Irish people!!!
From there we went to Rosewood Cottage, our B & B in Slieverue. We settled in, and walked down to the local pub - as authentic as the one in Kilmacow - and had another guiness. I have been wanting to have a guiness in a real Irish Pub for years and years so two in one day was incredible. It was a gorgeous building. Tudor style white and black strips and inside all dark woodand red walls.
So another big day in Ireland came to an end.