We can't believe it: today was our last full day in Ireland. The first stop we made was an area called the Viking Triangle in downtown Waterford. We learned that Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland, and that Reginald Tower, built in 940 A.D., is the oldest building in the city.
Something about Reginald looked familiar to me.
Just down the block was the Waterford Crystal Visitor Center, where we took an interesting guided tour of the factory and showroom. Most Waterford crystal pieces are now made in eastern Europe but certain items such as trophies and other special orders are made in the factory here. One of the craftsmen had just completed Santa's sleigh below.
The next photo shows a trophy awarded at the Santa Anita racetrack in southern CA.
A football like this one was made for an Alabama team, and they dropped it! Luckily it was insured so a replacement was shipped to them. We were surprised that we were allowed to handle this one.
We were impressed with a champagne glass that holds 64 liters. It's taller than me!
After leaving Waterford, we drove to the 500+ year old Kilkenny Castle which was occupied as a residence until 1935.
After touring the interior and walking the grounds, we headed to our final accommodation in Ireland, the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin.
A final note: this morning, even though it's Sunday, people were everywhere. We thought they'd all be at mass since 95% of the Irish are Catholic. But then we remembered what one of our tour guides told us. Many residents only go to church when someone gets hatched, matched, or dispatched! Ha, ha.
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