After picking up a car in Dublin, our circumnavigation of Ireland began with us travelling south to the lovely little city of Waterford. About four hours from Dublin, it is the oldest city in Ireland, originally settled by the Vikings.
Waterford's main claim to fame today is its famous Waterford Crystal, and we discovered that there was a bit to see on the way there. Come along with us to enjoy the scenery.
Waterford, Republic of Ireland
July 2023
If you want to follow our travels you can sign up HERE to be notified when we put up a new post.
Copyright © 2019 Walk the World | Powered by Page Builder Framework
2 Comments
Hi Chris and Jan. I’m guessing the Waterford Crystal factory is the primary industry in the area, and its closure during the GFC must have been economically painful for the city & region. Did you get that sense?
By now, any effects have receded into the past, and the town looked quite bustling and vibrant. Your question prompted me to consult Google to see what the biggest industries are around there. Manufacturing and engineering, of which the crystal factory is part, looks like it’s the biggest. Medical and biotech seem to be growing more recently, and of course tourism is big.
But to put it into perspective, the crystal factory is very small. During the tour, across the blowing, cutting and inspection rooms, there would have been fewer than 10 workers. Add a couple in the gift shop, one at the bar and maybe three tour guides, they could all fit in your lounge room for drinks. The closure of the factory wouldn’t have hit the total manufacturing sector much, but the GFC would have depressed the sector in the region.