Page 53 - WDT MAGAZINE IRELAND ISSUE WINTER 2018

With history swirling in our heads, we made the
short walk to the original Waterford Crystal Factory.
Though I’m not a fan of cut glass, I found the factory
tour to be quite entertaining and informative. It must be
noted that most Waterford crystal today is produced
outside Ireland in Eastern Europe. On the other hand, it
is a working factory with many skilled and experienced
craftsmen demonstrating the process up close and
personal.
Not only expert at blowing and cutting glass, but the
Factory’s craftsmen are also friendly ambassadors,
willing to pose for pictures or explain what they are
doing. Our guide took our small group of a dozen or so
into a stand up video
surround room for
a multimedia look
at the company’s
history before lead-
ing us through the
factory to watch
the glass transform
from red-hot molten
blobs to beautiful art
pieces worth millions.
Afterward several of our group made purchases in the
vast gift shop. We passed but did buy some ginormous
scones in the company café.
Beside Vikings, history, natural beauty, and cut glass,
Waterford has a lot more going for it, especially as an
exciting culinary destination for hand-crafted beers,
farm-to-table dining and a tasty little bread roll called
blaas. As we strolled the vibrant and busy pedestrian-
only downtown streets, we discovered a host of public
art. The city runs a yearly competition among artists
for the opportunity to paint large murals on the sides of
otherwise drab buildings. The jury-selected works were
a welcome change from the graffiti we’ve seen in so
many European cities.
A perfect finish to our brief stop in Waterford was
a farm-to-table feast at a cute little restaurant named
MOMO, owned by talented, and hard-working Polish-
born Kamila O’Neill. You’ll find out about our experience
at MOMOs in the Eating Ireland story on page 126.

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