Vedrarfjord

We approached Waterford under a blindingly brilliant sky. I don’t know whether it was because the sun sits so low on the horizon, or because it was such a stark contrast to the previous grey days, but the sun was so bright I thought my retinas would be seared.

Established by the Vikings, Waterford was first settled in 853 and is Ireland’s first city. The Anglo-Normans were introduced in 1170, and King Henry II of England landed the following year. Waterford and Dublin were then declared royal cities, with Dublin crowned the capital of Ireland. Waterford remained Ireland’s second city through the medieval period. Currently, it is the 4th largest city in Ireland.

“Waterford” is from the Old Norse term (Vedrarfjord) for “windy fjord”; the Irish name is Port Láirge. It boasts the oldest urban civic building in Ireland – Reginald’s Tower – which is also the oldest monument to retain its Viking name. It is believed to be the first building in Ireland to use mortar.

Waterford’s port has been one of Ireland’s major ports for over a millennium, and the river Suir (sounds like our word, "sure") which flows through the city is the foundation of Waterford’s maritime history.

Our destination in Waterford was the Waterford Crystal Factory. Crystal has been manufactured here since 1783. The business was originally founded in the city in 1783 by George and William Penrose. It’s been owned by the Wedgwood company since 1986.

At the beginning of the tour, we watched the flourescent orange molten crystal take shape as the craftsmen transformed the glowing globs into elegant forms that would later be etched and finished into the pieces we’d seen in the showroom. It is a magical, mystical process that I watched, slack-jawed, unable to grasp how each piece could be expertly crafted into a flawless work of art identical to other pieces in the set. We watched as the goo was pulled from the furnace and effortlessly dripped onto the side of the base and formed into a perfectly balanced and positioned handle. No matter how well you understand the mechanics of it, it’s still a wonder to see.

We moved on to watch the blowers who performed similar magic with the glass. The kiln areas are loud and “windy”. It was much quieter in the cutting area where dozens of cutters are bent over diamond-tipped wheels, following geometric guides to cut the glass. The guides are applied to the “raw” crystal with India ink. For the life of me, I can’t understand how these relatively thick guidelines (think marking guidelines with a fat Sharpie pen) produce perfectly symmetrical cuts. QA ensures that each piece is perfect – any that are not are crushed and thrown back in the kiln; everything is recycled.