As our tour group visited Waterford Crystal last week, our guide mentioned that a 9/11 memorial had…read morejust been dedicated at a museum across the street. We checked it out and learned the memorial was pretty much brand new - just being dedicated on September 16, 2018. The memorial contains a small steel beam from one of the WTC towers sitting at an angle on a grid-work metal support that resembles what the towers looked like before that terrible day. It's located on the second level at Bishop's Palace, in the Menapia Plaza. It's a very pretty setting, on an oval shaped lawn ringed by shrubs, flowers and benches. A wall plaque nearby reads: September 11th, 2001 Lest We Forget This piece of steel was retrieved from the ruins of the World Trade Centre. It serves as a memorial to the many lives that were lost during the terrorist attacks on 11th September 2001. Unveiled 16th September by Cllr. Declan Doocey Mayor of the City and County of Waterford

Incredible piece seen on the Waterford Crystal factory tour. Would love to see the one in NY.read more

While touring the House of Waterford Crystal we came upon an incredible sculpture that was created…read moreas a memorial to remember the 343 members of the NYC Fire Department who were lost on that day. It took over 200 hours of artistic excellence to create, and estimates of its value are near $75,000. I saw a detailed sculpture of the World Trade Center steel skeleton and five men carrying Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge from the wreckage. Actually, the sculpture I saw was the original prototype. A much larger version was donated to Father Judge's firehouse at Engine 1 Ladder 24 in Manhattan in 2007. This was the station Judge left on 9-11-01 on his way to his final hours. In accepting the sculpture, NYC Fire Commissioner said "The sculpture is a beautiful work of art, and the sentiment behind it is greatly appreciated".

"Stay away stay away stay away from me, for I am the man of misery" is supposedly what the man atop…read morethe pillar shouts. To be honest, he looks like a giant smurf - white pants, blue shirt. During storms, ships used to try to shelter in Tramore Bay. Only to be welcomed by rocks. One of the masts of these unfortunate crafts now stands on Tramore Beach's backstrand as a further reminder of the treachery of the bay's hidden rocks. So the locals hoisted pillars on each headland of the bay - to the east on Brownstown Head, and on the west headland (called Westown) the Metal Man. It's a lovely walk through the fields along the coast out to the Metal Man - start at Newtown Cove and tramp the mile or so around the inlets and through the fields. You'll need sturdy shoes and a waterproof/windbreaker: even if it's not rainy, it will most likely be windy. The view is well worth the effort.

This was the spot that the tender from the ship dropped us for our excursion. When we returned, we…read moregot a great workout climbing the stairs up to the street level. Went in search of a public toilet, not knowing there was one right here! On the way back from town, passed a lovely anchor and memorial to those lost at sea. By the way, I liked the mural at the Fish Hatchery nearby.

Anchored by its famous lighthouse, Dunmore East harbour is a fully working harbour (as is very…read moreapparent if the wind is from a certain direction) and is home to dozens of fishing trawlers, a fish factory, boatyard and even a fish auction. It's a great place to bring kids - they love the brightly coloured boats, the raucous gulls and the lobster pots littering the quay. Blow away the cobwebs (and the kids?) with a walk along the high harbour wall. Check out the daily evening auction, where you can bid for the catch of the day with the local restauranteurs, fish factory or fish brokers. When I was last there, a shark was up for grabs. It was 'this big". It's a fun way to kill an hour working up an appetite for supper, or to catch a glimpse into one of the toughest professions around.

Amazing place, beautiful bucolic views and peaceful atmosphere. It is nestled in a quaint Irish…read moretown with 2 pubs, takeaway place, a convenience shop, and Michelin restaurant. Whether you are just visiting the tea room and gardens/castle tour, or staying in the castle Airbnb rooms- it's a wonderful experience. The gardens and grounds are more extensive than you realize, and can find many hidden pathways that lead to somewhere seemingly magical. I have been a guest at Huntington for a collective 3 months now, and would highly recommend. If you come in the Spring, don't miss out on seeing the lambs!

We had a lovely stay in the castle. Claire and Alex are excellent hosts! They made sure we were…read morecomfortable. The castle is beautiful and full of history. We had to miss their award winning breakfast due to an early flight, but we heard it was amazing. I highly recommend staying here!

We toured the abbey on our own since it was close to Kilkenny. It was around a 20 minute drive…read more Admission was free using the Heritage Card. We had a great overview of the abbey from the staff as well as tips on other places to see nearby. We almost had the abbey to ourselves given the weather and lateness in the day. The ruins were in good condition to walk around and we tried to find most of the unusual carvings that the staff highlighted. They were randomly located throughout and an odd feature given the austerity imposed on most abbeys at the time. Do stop by.

A Cistercian Abbey from ~1100AD. Interesting history and description of the life of the monks in…read morethose days. Our guide was delightful and knowledgeable. Tour lasted about 1 hour. It is worth a look if you are in the area. Mark & Nancy.

We were in the area(ish), heard this was the world's oldest, intact, operational lighthouse and…read moreknew we had to take the detour to see it. Hook Lighthouse has 800 years of history and is found on Hook Head, a rocky blustery bluff jutting out into the harbor on the Atlantic. The history is cool but you definitely feel the necessity of the lighthouse when you're there as it must have saved many ships from rocky fates during the frequent spring storms. We didn't go in the lighthouse but have heard such good things about the tour. We came a little later in the day. There are beautiful overlooks and the view of the lighthouse is pretty splendid regardless. Get to it!

This was really a highlight on our trip! We wandered the grounds for a bit, viewing the free…read moreexhibits, enjoying the day, taking in the amenities. Our tour guide was charismatic, knowledgeable and patient. Our group of about 10 included young and old requiring some time on the stairs. We had plenty of time to explore the lighthouse and learned so much more than we could have imagined. The tour includes some quick films based on persons who worked in the lighthouse as well as information provided by our guide. I just can't say enough good things about this tour. All together, this is a must do if you find yourself any where near by. Bring the kids, bring mom & dad, bring your friends, just go!

This is the official county museum for Wexford. Building is really cool and you can get all the way…read moreto the rooftop. Views across the town are pretty cool, and you can pick out all the historical points in the towns history like Vinegar Hill and the Cathedral as well as some others. The exhibits are awesome, I particularly liked the Eileen Grey one. They also have a Brooklyn exhibit with Kelly's shop including all the old things you could buy back in the day. They also have some of the rooms decorated in the style from when the castle was occupied while downstairs they have a super interesting collection of artefacts including a wheel from a German blame that mistakenly dropped a bomb in nearby Kiltealy area, a three seater bike made for brothers who wanted to attend GAA matches, a carriage and lots of other stuff. You can also go downstairs to see the dungeon. I really recommend the guided tour because there is a lot of history and information connected to this place. The guide we had was awesome-and even provided some Stuff for kids or dress up!