HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL
New Visitor Center and Factory Tour in Waterford City
Waterford Crystal is a world famous brand of leaded crystal glassware.
As a company and brand it has gone through a complex history of closures,
acquisitions and rebirths. The manufacture of what was known as flint glass crystal was originally
founded in the city of Waterford in the southeast coast of Ireland by
George and William Penrose in 1783. The fine heavy glass with sparkling
prismatic light catching the
cut pattern designs became world renowned for its place on the tables
of the wealthy and decorating the palaces
of royal kings and potentates. But the first company in Waterford only
lasted as a going concern until 1851. 
In the post WWII years, in a Ireland
of depressed economy, the crystal business in Waterford was revived by
two Czech immigrants, Charles Bacik and Miroslav Havel in 1947. Jasper
Conran began designing a signature range of crystal for Waterford in
the late 1990s, revitalizing the brand in the modern era. Waterford Crystal
merged with the fine china companies of Royal Doulton and the
famous Wedgwood earthenware brand in England (see Wedgwood
Factory Tour), but even the combined
company went into receivership in 2009. The large factory in Waterford
closed, still a campus of empty buildings at the edge of town, but the
beauty
and majesty of the art glass remains. Waterford-Wedgwood is operating
again. Most of the consumer products are now made in factories around
the world, but for the visitor to Waterford City in Ireland, a brand
new visitor center has opened in the heart of the city, called the House
of Waterford Crystal.
The
Waterford Crystal visitor center, in a brand new very modern structure
across
from the
Royal Theater on The Mall, just a block from the medieval
Reginald’s Tower, houses a stunning retail showroom with the largest
collection of Waterford Crystal in the world - a wonderland of sparkling
masterpieces produced 
by
the master artisans. This is no museum, the brilliant pieces of intricate
glasswork on display are mostly all for
sale. If you have a loose 35,000 Euros of change jangling in your pocket
you can take home Cinderella’s Glass Coach, or for half that, a
crystal football helmet, though there are less pricey pieces to take home
for souvenirs - table and glassware sets of Waterford's signature rich
colored crystal stemware and even Christmas ornaments.
The
heart of the House of Waterford Visitor Center is the tour. Though more
a demonstration facility than factory, actual products are indeed
made here, with thousands of the luxurious high-end designer hand-crafted
crystal pieces turned out per year by the skilled craftsman using traditional
and unique artisan techniques, aided by modern technology. A tour of
about an hour, first explores the history of Waterford Crystal, then
takes you in close observation from the blowing of glass from the glowing
hot kiln ovens - to quality control, where the imperfect are 
smashed
and returned to the smelter - to the marking of design patterns on the
smooth glass in magic marker - to the cutting of the crystal by hand
on the whirring diamond-tipped grinding blades. Watch intricate sports
trophies and seemingly impossible glass designs take shape, sculpted
from solid pieces of crystal, and engraved by copper wheels, forming
limited edition pieces, Some of the more unique pieces made to order
are Formula One and World Cup trophies and can take up to hundreds of
hours to finish. After the tour, you return to the showroom for some
shopping.
Visiting the House of Waterford Crystal
The retail store at the House of Waterford Crystal is open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10:30am to 5pm on Sunday. Last entry for the factory tours are 4:15pm Mon-Sat and 3:15pm on Sunday. Admission is €12 for adults, €9 for seniors and students, €4 for children 5 to 18. During summer months a separate walking history tour of the city called the Viking Triangle Experience departs from the front of the Waterford Crystal visitors center for exploring the city (see Waterford 1100 Anniversary). More of Waterford City's crystal history can be seen at the Waterford Museum of Treasures (see Waterford Treasures) a few blocks away on the waterfront Merchant's Quay. © Bargain Travel Europe
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Waterford
Crystal Visitor Centre
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SEE ALSO:
TANNERY COOKERY SCHOOL & TOWNHOUSE
MOBY DICK’S PUB - YOUGHAL - CORK
ROS
TAPESTRY - NEW ROSS
WEXFORD
FESTIVAL OPERA
ST DECLAN’S WELL & COAST WALK – ARDMORE
JERPOINT
GLASS STUDIO - KILKENNY
