3/10 part 2 - Waterford Walking Tour

After our visit to the Waterford Crystal factory, Brendan drove us into the city of Waterford where we met the "famous Jack Butchall".  Well, that's how Brendan referred to him. Brendan also spelled his name as Bruithall but I think the rest of the world knows him as Burthchaell. By any name, he should be famous - he was a great tour guide! 

One of the first things he did was give us a history lesson. He picked "volunteers" from the audience, starting with our very own Erin, who played the role of Sadhbh Ní Fhaolain, a famously rich and beautiful princess of the area. She was given in marriage to an older king named Diarmait Mac Murchada (Jack just happened to pick Erin's (slightly) older husband Gary for that part!). Now Diarmait was rich but he wanted to be richer. In fact, he wanted to recover his kingdom of Leinster. He invited an Englishman named Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (aka Strongbow) over to help him fight and offered his daughter as a bride (Jack picked Aaron for this role). Strongbow did the deed and married the beautiful and rich Aoífe (and Jack just happened to pick Aaron's fiancé Glenda or that part!). Turns out that Diarmait's rich and beautiful wife Sadhbh didn't know about this daughter - must have been an interesting wedding!

But in the end everyone sorted out, Diarmait and Sadhbh ruled their kingdom for awhile and then Strongbow and Aoífe took over. Queue happily ever after music!

Then Jack started walking us around the town. He told us that in the 10th century people here drank Bordeaux and Andalusia wines, which they got through trade with the Vikings. In the year 980 the church said nope, that's enough trading with pagans, no more. Rather than give up their trade, the Viking kings converted to Christianity. Bet the Waterford folks were happy to get their wine back! And of course, no Viking ever wore horns - that was a construct of Wagner's 1876 opera. Jack led us through a street with several tiled reconstructions of older artwork depicting tradespeople of the early 1800s. They are especially valued as accurate view of what people work then. 

Nearby is the house of John and Suzanne Roberts. John, a Protestant, was a famous architect who designed some lovely Catholic cathedrals in the city. Suzanne was reported to be a fierce tradeswoman who somehow found also the time and energy to have 22 children. Jack referred them them as OSP - over sexed Protestants!

He took us by a huge, huge tree carving. Recently this 200 year old Douglas fir was dropped by a storm and artist John Hayes asked to carve it. This masterpiece is over 75 feet long and was placed here in December of 2017. 

It's right next to the ruins of the French Greyfriars Church, which of course caught my eye. Love that there are old ruins in the middle of town! But of course, this is in the middle of the Viking triangle - a heritage area of the city. 

In fact, a replica Viking longship is here, too. It's just 39 feet long. 

Nearby is Reginal's Tower. It's 56 feet high, built in the 12th century to replace one built earlier, and tough enough that during an attacking 1495 the cannon balls just bounced off it. 

In the pavement at the corner there are plaques inserted in the bricks, commemorating artifacts that were found there, including keys, spearpoints, and leather shoes. 

Across from the tower is a statue of Thomas Francis Meagher, who led an eventful life. Born in Ireland and educated in England, he became a leader in the fight for Irish freedom which earned him a death sentence. That was converted to transportation to Australia but he skipped out of there to go to the US, where he became a Brigadier General, leading Northern Irish troops in the Civil War before becoming a Montana Acting Governor. Busy man. 

Some of us went back to admire the Tower again. We found an open door so we went in. The nice lady behind the counter said there was a tour up to the top but we didn't have enough time. We had just enough time to admire the incredibly thick walls of the lower level. No wonder cannonballs couldn't break this!

We had a quick lunch in Waterford, which Jack called "cheap and cheerful". And it was. I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich on Blaa. Blaa is a Waterford bread that could become my favorite. It's a tender white bun, slightly sweet, not crumbly, just a bit chewy, and dusted with flour. Randy ordered the vegetable soup, which, as all vegetable soup we ever saw in Ireland, was pureed, with a slice of soda bread on the side. And hot tea, which was perfect on this brisk day!