Copper Coast, County Waterford. Image: unsplash

Waterford is where Ireland began, literally. Founded by Vikings in 914 AD, it’s the country’s oldest city and one of its most quietly dynamic counties. Beyond the urban centre lies a coastline that doesn’t try to compete with anyone, because it doesn’t need to. The Copper Coast is dramatic, raw, and unforgettable.

This is a place of contrasts: tech and tradition, beaches and mountains, music and stillness. From Tramore to Lismore, you’ll find surf, stone castles, Michelin-worthy food, and communities that know exactly who they are.

Waterford City, founded by Vikings in 914 AD, claims the title of Ireland’s oldest city, its medieval Viking Triangle still walkable today.

Waterford’s roots are deeper than most. It was Ireland’s first Viking settlement, and its city still holds the echoes of that, in the winding lanes, the medieval walls, and Reginald’s Tower. It later became a vital trading port for the Normans, then a stronghold of Catholic resistance and craftsmanship.

The county was central to glassmaking history, Waterford Crystal put the name on tables and mantels around the world. But it’s not stuck in the past. Today, the city is a creative and tech hub, while rural Waterford thrives with food producers, hikers, makers, and musicians.

Whether you’re following the Greenway by bike or the scent of sea air through Ardmore, Waterford offers a version of Ireland that’s rooted but constantly reinventing itself.

Waterford Crystal has been handcrafted in the city for over two centuries, and the factory’s visitor centre remains one of the South East’s biggest draws.

The Copper Coast’s cliffs and coves, once mined for copper ore, now form a UNESCO Global Geopark popular with walkers and geology enthusiasts alike.

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