Activities in Waterford

County Waterford offers everything you could ask for in terms of recreation and amenities. Whether your preference tends towards the active or the sedentary you are bound to find a leisure activity that fits the bill.

Beaches
Waterford boasts 49 beaches along its 145 km of coastline. Among the foremost of these are: Tramore, with its 3km of golden sand and spectacular sand dunes; Clonea blue-flag beach; and Bonmahon blue-flag beach, situated in the heart of the Copper Coast Geopark. Being a maritime county, watersports are naturally to the fore.  All along the coastline, various centres can offer sailing, sea-kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing, waterskiing, sea-angling and diving.

Rivers
The County's rivers are clear and unpolluted. The river Blackwater, in the West of the county, is world-renowned for Salmon and Game Angling, with Roach, Dace, Tench, Gudgeon, Bream, Eels, Pike and Trout in plentiful supply. Towns such as Cappoquin offer excellent coarse angling and facilities for disabled anglers and daily and weekly permits are available locally. Various stretches of the river are also used for power boating and water skiing. River walks, in the Blackwater and Bride Valleys offer spectacular scenery, while the River Colligan, at Colligan wood near Dungarvan is a very popular picnic and recreation area.

Mountains
County Waterford contains parts of the Knockmealdown and Comeragh Mountains in the North and the Monavullagh Mountains in the centre. These mountains contain peaks in the 700-800 metre range and offer hill-walking and climbing opportunities for both novice and experienced walkers and climbers. The Mahon Falls, a stunningly beautiful waterfall in the Comeragh Mountains is well worth a visit. Orienteering, rock-climbing, rock-jumping and abseiling are among the other pursuits on offer in various facilities.  The Comeragh mountains are one of the most scenic in Ireland with vast glacier sculpted valleys and towering cliffs covered in unusual wild flowers and inhabited by flocks of mountain sheep and goats, fallow deer, and peregrine falcons.

On the way you can traverse the only road in Ireland where your car travels uphill, when out of gear!

Water Pursuits
The coastal resorts offer the opportunity to charter boats for family or group trips for such diverse activities as deep sea angling, dolphin watching, bird watching or river cruises. Diving trips are also available from a number of centres during the summer months. The main resorts cater for pursuits such as sailing, windsurfing, water skiing and sea kayaking. A number of beaches are renowned for the breakers which make surfing virtually a full-time occupation for part of the year. Tramore, in particular, caters for the needs of surfers with fine surfing schools offering expert tuition. The resort also caters for the rainy days with Splashworld indoor swimming pools and waterpark. The county is well served with quality hotels which include swimming pools among the leisure facilities on offer. A number of tourist facilities also offer outdoor heated pools, during the summer months. There is also Sea Safari in Dunmore East which is truly an unforgettable experience. Fast becoming one of Waterfords primary tourist attractions, sea safari combines the pure excitement and adventure with the opportunity of discovering Irelands rich bird and sealife.

Equestrian
County Waterford has much to offer the equestrian enthusiast. Tramore Racecourse has been providing exciting entertainment for racing fans for more than 200 years. The main event of the year is the August meet which runs for four days and includes the ever popular Fashion Day. The facility is currently in the process of relocation with a view to become even bigger and better.

Dotted throughout the County are equestrian facilities offering everything you could wish for including riding lessons, pony trekking, showjumping, schooling, breaking, all grade competitions and full and part livery. Waterford is noted for its equestrian profile and particularly its ability to produce young champions. The county currently claims young locally trained, National and European champions.

Golf
Whether you golf off a single digit handicap or just play for pleasure, you can enjoy some of the best courses in the world here, right on your doorstep. The County is well served by golf courses and plays host to prestigious competitions. Dungarvan alone is served by three 18-hole championship standard courses, within a three-mile radius. There are no shortage of facilities with membership and green fees being at a very affordable level. The County also offers a number of driving ranges.

Click here for more information on Waterford Golf Clubs (word .doc, 1,552 kbs) .

Walking
The opportunities are endless for novice and experienced walkers. The foothills of the Comeragh and Knockmealdown Mountains, the scenic Nire Valley and the stunning seaside villages and coastal paths offer a variety of aspect and terrain to suit all ages and levels of fitness. The old railway line, stretching from Clonea Beach in the west of the County, to Waterford City, is being developed as a major walking route, traversing flatland, mountain foothills and the stunning Copper Coast. A number of walking clubs are active within the county.

Click this link for Walking Routes on our Toursim website.

Performing Arts
The County has a number of very active drama groups, among which are Ballyduff Drama Group and Blackwater Dramatic Society, both All Ireland Champions, in recent years. The Booley House in Ballyduff Upper is internationally famous for its Summer productions which include Irish dancing, singing and the renowned Seanachie. Waterford's dancing schools have made significant contributions to the cast of Riverdance and similar productions. The County is also home to a number of choral societies, folk choirs and a gospel choirs.

Arts & Heritage
Waterford has a number of art galleries both public and private in various towns and villages. The Old Market House Arts Centre in Dungarvan hosts exhibitions all year round and shows both Irish and international artists. The centre also hosts a weekly film club. The county Arts Office administers arts bursaries and grants and organises the annual Molly Keane Creative Writing Award, among others. The County Museum, located in Dungarvan is well worth a visit, while Dungarvan branch library houses the County Archives, for those interested in genealogy and local history. County Waterford hosts a variety of cultural and literary festivals each year, among the foremost of which are:

• Feile na nDeise, a feast of Irish music, song, dance and pageant held on the May bank holiday weekend each year. This festival attracts huge audiences from both home and overseas.
• Immrama, a Travel Writing Festival, held each year in Lismore, includes lectures, workshops and pageants and hosts international authors and speakers. The festivities include street entertainment.
• Tionól an tSamhraidh, a cultural Irish language event held in August/September, celebrating the tradition of Irish literature, poetry, music and song.
• Heritage Week, held each year in September is marked by a variety of events ranging from a "Feast of Famine Fare" to re-enactment of scenes from history, lectures and historic walks

Places of Historic Interest
The County's past is always present and among the landmarks not to be missed are Ardmore Round Tower; Lismore Castle and Cathedrals; The Towers, Lismore; Dromana Gateway; King John's Castle, Dungarvan; Mount Melleray Abbey; The Metalman, Tramore; Bonmahon Geopark; Strancally Castle and Curraghmore House.  These are only a sample of the built heritage which forms a stunning foreground on an unspoilt natural landscape.

For up-to-date listings of what's on in County Waterford visit the whazon website.

Click this link for the Highlights and Hidden Secrets of Waterford.