Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fredericksburg. After the war, he became the first governor of the Montana territ-
ory. At age 44, Thomas Francis Meagher fell off a riverboat one night and drowned
in the Missouri River. Sheer accident, foul play, or careless drunkenness? Nobody
knows—but his body was never found.
Chorister's Hall Medieval Museum
This middle branch of the museum triumvirate uses its three floors to focus on life in
Waterford from the Norman invasion of the late 1100s to the Williamite English triumph
of the late 1600s. Your visit is enhanced by an excellent free audioguide that plays auto-
matically as you move from room to room (don't miss the changing images it displays).
Cost and Hours: €5, €8 combo-ticket with Bishop's Palace; June-Aug Mon-Sat
9:30-18:00, Sun11:00-18:00; Sept-May Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun11:00-17:00; last entry
one hour before closing, tel. 051/304-500,
www.waterfordtreasures.com
.
Visiting the Museum:
Begin bydescending under the modern building and into an ori-
ginal wine vault cellar from the 1200s (long on atmosphere but otherwise empty).
Ride the elevator to the top floor to see a grand collection of well-described Anglo-
Norman artifacts. The Great Charter Roll of 1372 was compiled to reinforce Waterford's
claim to a monopoly of the lucrative wine-import trade. Check out the painting depicting
the pivotal marriage of Norman leader Strongbow to Irish princess Aoife, then bring it to
life on your audioguide. Detailed town models and an informative 10-minute audiovisual
presentation complete the history here.
Down one floor, you'll learn how religion played out on Waterford's historic stage.
Watch this floor's audiovisual presentation first to understand the broader context of this
town'sroleinIrishhistory.Thenfeastyoureyeson“Heaven'sEmbroideredCloths,”acol-
lection of priestly vestments produced in Medici Florence, decorated in affluent Bruges,
andshippedtoconflictedWaterford.HiddenunderaflagstoneinthefloorofChristChurch
Cathedral during a siege, they were rediscovered 123 years later during renovation.
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Bishop's Palace
Housed in the former mansion (built 1743) of the local Protestant bishop (with his Christ
Church Cathedral looming right behind it), this museum presents a grand sweep through
the history of Waterford since 1700. The refined interior hints of the privileged lifestyle
of the holy resident and contains the world's largest collection of old Waterford glass. The
bishop would meet you at the top of the grand stairway if you were an upper-class visitor,
greet you at his office doorway if you were a middle-class merchant, and not budge from
