Five Feet, Nine Inches Above Ground

An unfinished Waterford Crystal reproduction of the Brian Boru harp

Saturday, August 03, 2024

There’s lots to see and do on a sunny summer Saturday in Waterford. In fact, the city was in the midst of holding an outdoor interactive science fair in the central part of town. The crowds were beginning to gather as I began my round of historic sites and museums. First in line was the Medieval Museum followed by the Silver Museum next door to it and after that because there was time, the Clock Museum. Those were followed by lunch and then Christ Church Cathedral (Church of Ireland) and the Bishop’s Palace.

I saved the best for last: a tour of the Waterford Crystal Factory. Actually, there was a 3D film presentation in one of the other museums that included the history of how the crystal production was started by a Quaker family in 1783 and how they built the business over time until it collapsed in the mid 1800s. It wasn’t until after WWII, in 1947, that the business was revived by glassmaker Kael Bacek who hired fellow Czech Miroslav Havel as Chief Designer. The fascination of glass making, in particular, crystal ware, brought to mind my half day spent in a glass blowing factory in Murano, Italy over twelve years ago.

It was a wonderful day and with my shoulder bag and brain stuffed full of information, it was time to rediscover where I had parked the car earlier and head back to the B&B. Here’s a little sample of the street fair to end the day: