towers round waterford

The earliest monastery was founded here by St. Declan who is alleged to have been a bishop in Munster when St. Patrick arrived, and who is one of the main supports for the belief in the existence of Christianity in the south of Ireland before St. Patrick. Ardmore was recognised as a Cathedral and had its bishop in 1170. In 1591 it was leased to Sir Walter Raleigh who only held it for 2 years. In 1642 the confederate army hiding in the Church and Round Tower were besieged by the English. When...

Waterford was founded by the Vikings around 914 and initiated its own episcopal See in the 11th century. It was taken by Diarmuid Mac Murrough Kavanagh, and later fell to Strongbow who married MacMurrough's daughter in the now no longer existing Cathedral in the town. In medieval times it was a flourishing port, loyal to the English crown. However, it lost status by remaining Catholic, and submitted to Cromwell's son-in-law in 1650. In the 18th and early 19th century, the town had a famous g...