Waterford’s collection of museums has re-opened to the public for the Summer of 2020 and there is a brand new tour available offering visitors the ‘Freedom of Waterford’.
Visitors can now enjoy a guided walking tour experience with one of the expert guides at Waterford Treasures taking in the insights into the 1,000 years of history of Waterford all within 1,000 paces. The tour highlights include an opportunity to learn of the City’s Vikings foundations, be inspired by medieval wonders and experience elegant Georgian architecture.
Following the walking tour, the Freedom of Waterford Tour ticket enables each visitor to take a deep dive into their favourite era of Ireland’s heritage with complete access to the Medieval Museum, Bishop’s Palace, and the brand new Irish Museum of Time (officially opening and accessible on June 14th, 2021) and the Irish Silver Museum (officially opening on June 24th 2021 and currently accessible).
At the Medieval Museum visitors can take a step back into 13th and 15th century Waterford and explore the atmospheric underground Choristers’ Hall and the 15th century Mayors Wine Vault. An exhibition highlight includes the medieval Cloth-of-Gold Vestments and the 1373 Great Charter Roll of Waterford - viewed by Queen Elizabeth II on her 2011 visit to Ireland.
The Bishop’s Palace Museum is an authentic 18th-century Georgian grand residence built in 1743 which is also home to the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal in the world. A spectacular 4D ‘Masterpieces in Glass’, the story of glassmaking is included in the ticket.
The two new museums have been completed over the last number of weeks (April / May 2021) and while are presently open from pre-views both of which are set to be officially opened to the public in early June. Speaking of the upcoming occasions Museum Director Eamonn McEneaney says, “We are delighted to be welcoming visitors back to our museums again and we are very excited to unveil the two new experiences, a fascinating Museum of Time which hosts the largest collection of timepieces in Ireland and a showcase of science and technological development and at the Irish Silver Museum we have the grandeur of Ireland’s past from exquisite coffee collections to rare and ancient coins.”
1. The Irish Silver Museum offers a journey through Irish history using beautiful, intimate and personal objects as a guide to the fascinating story of Ireland and its ostentatious past.
2. The Irish Museum of Time at Greyfriars gothic-style church is a fitting home for what is beyond doubt the finest collection of Irish timepieces in the world. It features the oldest Irish-made grandfather clocks, table clocks and watches in the world and celebrates the incredible skills of the virtuoso craftspeople who, since the seventeenth century, created timepieces of remarkable beauty and technological genius.
‘Freedom of Waterford’ tickets are €15 and available from Waterford Treasures, The Mall, Waterford and available to pre-book online at https://www.waterfordtreasures.com/shop/freedom-pass-five-attractions-within-the-viking-triangle
