Guide to County Waterford in Ireland

County Waterford

Waterford is located in the south of the country and is the smallest county within the province of Munster. However, the recent building boom has enabled the county to increase its population to around 110,000 although more than 40% of these residents live in Waterford city which is the fifth biggest city in the Republic. The city administers its own local government whilst the town of Dungarvan is the administrative centre for the remainder of the county.

The Republic's third longest river, the River Suir flows alongside Waterford city and forms a county boundary with neighbouring Kilkenny and Wexford to the north and west. The county also borders on to Tipperary and Cork. There are over 30 beaches to explore in Waterford along its shoreline with the Celtic Sea, the largest being at the quaint seaside town of Tramore (which literally means "big strand" in Irish) located 13km from the city. Waterford Airport which lies between the city and Tramore is expanding its services year on year.

Waterford city has always been a busy and congested settlement due to its location as the only coastal crossing point of the wide River Suir for travellers over the centuries moving between the Republic's two largest cities of Dublin and Cork. A town centre bridge crossing (first erected in 1796) replaced 2 previous small ferries across the river. This bridge has been upgraded twice in the last century, but the increasing volume and size of vehicles needing to cross the River Suir in modern times has led the Republic to invest in the building of a magnificent new 4-lane wide cable-stayed bridge a few kilometres upstream as part of the N25 Waterford Bypass (currently under construction). This structure is classed as the longest bridge in Ireland with a span of 475 metres.

Outside of the environs of Waterford City, the county's other notable towns are Dunmore East, Aglish, Ardmore, Cappoquin, Cheekpoint, Clashmore, Kill, Kilmacthomas, Lemybrien, Lismore, Passage East, Portlaw, Stradbally, Tallow and Villierstown.