Bishop's Palace


The Bishop's Palace, a Georgian mansion dating from 1741, covers Waterford's history from 1700 to 1970 and displays a wide-ranging selection of city treasures, from period furniture, oil paintings and Georgian silverware to old photos recording the 1960s heyday of Irish showbands. Most interesting is the original dining room set with period tableware, including the world's oldest surviving piece of Waterford crystal, a decanter dating from 1789.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. House of Waterford Crystal

0.03 MILES

This large modern complex combines a retail shop and cafe with a factory offering a 90-minute tour that shows how world-famous Waterford crystal is…

2. Medieval Museum

0.04 MILES

Housed in a stunning modern structure that incorporates several medieval buildings and part of the city wall in its basement (all on display), this museum…

3. Christ Church Cathedral

0.04 MILES

Christ Church Cathedral is Ireland's only neoclassical Georgian cathedral. Designed by local architect John Roberts, it was built on the site of an 11th…

4. City Hall

0.07 MILES

Waterford's stately City Hall (1788) was designed by local architect John Roberts.

5. Reginald's Tower

0.12 MILES

Ireland's oldest complete building and the first to use mortar, 13th-century Reginald's Tower, the city's key fortification, is an outstanding example of…

6. Holy Trinity Cathedral

0.23 MILES

The sumptuous interior of the city's Roman Catholic cathedral has a carved-oak baroque pulpit, painted pillars with Corinthian capitals and 10 Waterford…

7. Clock Tower

0.26 MILES

In the middle of Waterford's waterfront stands an 1860s clock tower, a famous local landmark.

8. Half Moon Tower

0.3 MILES

Half Moon Tower is a crumbling fragment of the old city wall.