Waterford’s ranking on prestigious New York times ‘places to go list’ is a tremendous boost for the county – Cummins

Waterford’s ranking on the prestigious New York Times’ ‘52 Places to go in 2024’ list is a tremendous boost for the county and the south-east region, according to Fine Gael Senator John Cummins.

Senator Cummins welcomed Waterford’s placing at No. 30 on a list of places to visit alongside locations like Singapore, Paris and Brisbane by the renowned publication.

Senator Cummins, who represents Waterford, said: “This is great news for the county and for the entire region. Huge credit must go to Waterford City and County Council who had the vision over the past decade to invest heavily in Waterford’s tourism offering, developing state of the art museums like Bishop’s Palace, Museum of Treasures, the Silver Museum and the Museum of Time which explore the rich history of the city since its foundation in 914AD.

“An innovative virtual reality experience and a refurbished Reginald’s Tower which is managed by the OPW have also added to the offer.

“The council was also instrumental in bringing the House of Waterford Crystal into the city centre in 2010, following the closure of the factory on the Cork Road, a move that ensured the history and heritage of such an iconic brand was maintained in Waterford.

“In more recent years the Waterford Greenway was developed linking Waterford city to the picturesque town of Dungarvan along the disused railway line and the latest in a long list of multi-million euro investments has been the reopening of world renounced Mount Congreve House and Gardens which got a €7 million revamp.

“The amazing scenery on offer from the Comeragh Mountains to the breath-taking Copper Coast, coupled with our beautiful towns and villages give all visitors something to see, while festivals such as Winterval, Spraoi, West Waterford Festival of Food, Comeragh’s Wild and Waterford Walls amongst many more bring great vibrancy throughout the year.

“This news reinforces the designation a couple of years ago by the Irish Times that Waterford was the best place to live.

“Many of the jigsaw pieces that have been worked on over many years such as the North Quays which are currently under construction, the Airport which received €12 million in private investment recently and the newly established South East Technological University will drive continued success of Waterford in the years ahead.

“We look forward to seeing the continuing trend of increased visitor numbers across our beautiful county from both the Irish and overseas markets in the coming year,” Senator Cummins added.