Waterford is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region.
From its vibrant city life to its rural charm and stunning coastline, County Waterford have something for everyone.
In this blog, I would like to cover a one-day trip that we did in July 2023, to County Waterford.
We started our journey from Saggart, Dublin Ireland around 8:30 AM and returned by around 8:30 PM.
We took the following route. Its approximately 6 hour’s drive and 450 Kms.
[Apart from the driving time, you would also need time for sightseeing, refreshments and so on. So, you should certainly consider around 12 hours for the entire journey].
Now let’s get into more details about the various stop overs:
1. Kilkenny Castle (Kilkenny, Ireland’s Medieval City):
This castle has been rebuilt, extended, and adapted to suit changing circumstances over a period of 800 years. Kilkenny Castle is open to visitors all year round.
If you wish to see the castle in detail, its better to book a tour (self-guided or guided) in advance. Tickets can be found in https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/kilkenny-castle/
The adult ticket price is around 12 Euros and student price is around 6 Euros.
Other features include 50 acres of rolling parkland with mature trees, a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands, and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century.
The toughest challenge you will face with this first destination is ‘Parking’.
There is parking exactly in front of the castle, but slots are limited.
In case if you find something even 400-500 meters away from the castle, grab that without a further second thought.
As this is old city, you should certainly spend some time walking around the streets to explore more.
(NOTE: We did not go inside the castle but saw it from outside and explored few streets within the city centre)
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 45 min
2. Mahon Falls:
If you follow the above route, you would ideally be passing through the various sections of Comeragh Drive and Nire valley drive.
The Comeragh Mountains stretch from the coast near Dungarvan as far as Clonmel and this is one route that has spectacular views.
During the Comeragh Drive, you must stop at the ‘MAGIC ROAD’. The magic road is located close to Mahon Falls. A small road, located off the beaten track, where if you stop the car and let the handbrake off, the vehicle will magically roll uphill.
NOTE: Not sure why, I could not figure out this magic road enroute Mahon Falls.
Also, we did not take the walking trail to reach near Mahon Falls.
Mahon Falls is an 80m waterfall situated in the Comeragh Mountains near Lemybrien, Co. Waterford. The waterfall can be seen from far, but you might have to walk around 20+ minutes (from car park) if you really want to see it from near.
There is a very nice restaurant (Cooney’s Yard) enroute the Mahon Falls. On your way back from the falls, you can have lunch from this restaurant (please note that there are not many restaurants available in this route). We just had coffee and hot chocolate and the rate seems to be nominal. There is enough parking space aswell.
There are clean toilets available, so getting down here for a lunch would be a right time for a biological break aswell.
As the route is quite scenic, you might love to have short breaks for capturing some moments in your Camera. Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination and enroute photography: 1 hour.
As per this itinerary, you can spend around 45 Min for Lunch time.
3. Bunmahon Beach:
Bunmahon Beach is a stretch of sandy beach located on the southeast coast of Ireland in Bunmahon, County Waterford. This beach is slightly off the R675 (one of the most scenic coastal routes in Ireland)
It is backed by sand dunes and is popular with surfers and for canoeing and kayaking.
Swimming at Bunmahon Beach is only suitable for experienced swimmers. The high waves are dangerous. In fact, Bunmahon Beach can be one of the most dangerous beaches on this part of the coast.
The beach is manned by lifeguards during the summer months and has been awarded Blue Flag status.
There is a caravan park, modern outdoor play park and basketball court located directly behind the beach.
The dedicated parking space is quite limited, but I have seen people parking on both sides of the different nearby roads.
COPPER COAST UNESCO Global geopark (one of the 3 Geoparks in Ireland) is few meters away from this beach. You can also explore the park if you wish to do so.
The area used to be mined for copper and this section of the coast being known as the “Copper Coast”.
NOTE: We have not gone to the Geopark.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 20 min
NOTE: We took lunch from home and had that near the parking area in Bunmahon Beach.
4. Kilmurrin Cove / Beach:
This is a nice viewpoint over this beach, with a decent parking lot facility.
For extra picturesque views walk a bit uphill on the farmland and enjoy the view from there!
Kilmurrin Beach is an expansive stretch of golden sand that’s perfect for a day out with friends and family. The beach was the location for a stunning piece of sand art created by environmental artist Sean Corcoran, measuring 120ft in height and 200ft wide, higher than Dublin’s Liberty Hall. The artwork was created to encourage people around Ireland to ‘Keep Discovering’ as the country reopens once again.
Kilmurrin Beach is surrounded by two rocky headlands that shelter the soft, powdery sand, leaving the water still and clear, creating perfect swimming conditions.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 20 min
R675 Route is one of the most scenic coastal routes in Ireland.
5. Annestown Beach:
This place is not mentioned in the above map.
There are many beaches in the R675 route. The one that we visited after Kilmurrin was Annestown beach.
Annestown Strand is in Annestown, County Waterford and is an attractive bathing place. It is popular with surfers and swimmers alike.
There is a dedicated parking space available but there is a height clearance restriction to enter the car park.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 10 min
6. Newtown Cove / Beach:
Newtown is a small, sheltered cove with a stony beach, with easy access for swimmers by the slipway or ladder.
The water is very clean generally with good visibility. This place is popular during summertime. There is a lot of parking space available, and this place is nearby metal man statue.
The Metal Man statue stands on one of three pillars near Newtown Cove.
It was constructed as a maritime beacon after the tragic loss of over 350 lives after HMS Seahorse sank back in 1816.
Dressed in traditional British sailor clothing, the Metal Man is on private land with the entrance to the monument blocked due to dangerous cliffs. However, you can see the figure from various points along the coast.
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination: 20 min
7. Station House, Kilmeadan (WSV Railway):
The Waterford Suir Valley Railway starts from this station and ends at this station (journey time is approximately 50 minutes).
This is a heritage narrow gauge railway whihc runs along 10 kilometres of the abandoned Waterford Dungarvan line. We were told that this is Ireland’s longest narrow-gauge railway.
I had my son with me during the trip and hence this place was picked as one of the destinations in this trip. Kids would love this train journey.
There is enough car parking space available in front of this station. The car park and train’s starting point (Kilmeadan) are very near to each other (just a few metres).
There is also a toilet facility and a café shop (Whistlestop Cáfe) available within the station.
Try to book online in advance, if you plan to visit this place as sometimes the seats get filled faster.
I had done an online booking in the WSV website ( https://www.wsvrailway.ie/) a day prior and have opted for the 4PM trip (last trip of the day). By picking 4PM slot, you will get enough time to cover all the places mentioned above in the route map.
Enroute, the train stops at a station for a minute or so. On the left side, watch out for the cormorants resting on the ruins of Kilmeadan Castle and get a glimpse into Mount Congreve Gardens . Make a wish when you see the fairies in the Magic Wood.
NOTE:
- There are different slots available like 11 AM, 12 Noon, 1 PM, 2 PM, 3PM and 4 PM (last slot)
- There are 8 small compartments available. Enclosed compartments can hold 12 people and partially open compartments can hold 8 people.
- You will get better views (River Suir) if you sit on the left-hand side. The right side has view only to the walking track (part of Waterford greenway)
- If you plan to take photos/videos, I suggest booking a partially open compartment as its quite open (the enclosed ones have fully closed windows).
- The carriages are wheelchair accessible.
8. Dunmore East / Dunmore Harbour:
Dunmore East is a popular tourist and fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland.
The harbour is one of the five designated National Fishery Harbours and has the second highest figure for fish landings after Killybegs.
Tourism in Dunmore East is supported by boating and sailing facilities, holiday homes, traditional pubs, a golf course, and several hotels.
This place can potentially be a good place for you to have your Dinner.
We tried some Fish and Chips from ‘Fish shop’. The food was economical and good (taste wise and Quantity wise)
Approximate time that you can set aside for this destination (including Dinner): 1 Hour
9. Waterford City Centre:
This place is not mentioned in the above map.
If you are following the above map, you will be passing through Waterford city centre enroute Dublin.
Waterford is the oldest and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland.
Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city is believed to have been established by the Viking Ragnall (the grandson of Ivar the Boneless) in 914 AD.
Incase if you didn’t have your dinner from Dunmore, this place would be another great option.
Parking can be a problem if you decide to park your car and explore the city by foot.
Waterford is renowned for its exciting festivals and events such as the West Waterford Festival of Food.
This concludes the destinations in this trip. We returned to Saggart, Dublin which was approximately 150Kms and 1.5 hours.
I had to do the trip to Waterford in a day and hence had to purposefully avoid few other interesting places in Waterford.
If you have time, I will strongly recommend spending 2 days (&1 night) in County Waterford. There are plenty of accommodation options available within the county.
Few other places that you could explore are:
Waterford crystal Factory, Medieval Museum, Bishops’ Palace
COPPER COAST UNESCO Global geopark
Dungarvan (Davitts Quay),
Tramore Beach
Lismore castle garden
Ardmore Beach
Ardmore farm & Mini Zoo
Goat Island, Ballynamona
Copper Coast Sea Kayaking
Hook Lighhouse
There are many walking trails within county Waterford:
Waterford Greenway
The Mahon Falls Walk
The Coumshingaun Loop Walk
The Ardmore Cliff Walk
The Ballysaggartmore Towers Walk
The Anne Valley Walk
The Dunmore East Cliff Walk
There are also different surfing schools within Waterford that offer lessons for novice surfers and first timers, so don’t worry if you’ve never tried surfing before. If you fancy trying your hand at a bit of surfing, this is an ideal place.
Hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I would like you to try out this itinerary and let me know your comments!