113-511: Waterford ( Irish : Port Láirge [pˠɔɾˠt̪ˠ ˈl̪ˠaːɾʲ(ə)ɟə] ) is a city in County Waterford in the south-east of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster . The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour . It is the oldest and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland. It is the ninth most populous settlement on the island of Ireland. As of
226-817: A Bachelor of Arts in 1629, and entered the Middle Temple the same year. On the outbreak of the First English Civil War he joined the parliamentary army, fighting at the Battle of Edgehill in October 1642 and the Battle of Gainsborough in July 1643. He was made deputy-governor of the Isle of Ely by Oliver Cromwell , and served under the Earl of Manchester in the Yorkshire campaign and at
339-552: A famine in Ireland by the end of the year. Ireton returned to Limerick in June 1651 and besieged the city for five months until it surrendered in October 1651. At the same time, parliamentarian forces conducted the Siege of Galway , and Ireton rode to inspect the command of Charles Coote , who was blockading that city. The physical strain of his command took hold on Ireton and he fell ill. After
452-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
565-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
678-560: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
791-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
904-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
1017-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
1130-523: A great sadness into Cromwell" and he was considered a great loss to the Commonwealth of England . There are various anecdotes about his demise from Irish ecclesiastical and English Royalist sources. Thus, Ireton's death has been depicted as divine retribution for the hanging of Bishop O'Brien, who prior to his death had called upon Ireton to answer at God's judgment seat for the New Model Army 's massacres;
1243-843: A museum and gallery. Christian churches in Waterford include the Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity , the former Franciscan friary of French Church , St Saviour's (Dominican) Church and Priory on Bridge Street, and St Patrick's Catholic Church on Jenkin's Lane, which is one of the earliest surviving post-Reformation churches in Ireland. Church of Ireland places of worship include Christ Church Cathedral and Saint Olave's Church on Peter Street (a Medieval church). Methodist churches include St Patrick’s Methodist Church and Waterford Methodist Church. Other Christian denominations include Waterford Baptist Church, Anchor Baptist Church,
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#17328372584741356-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
1469-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
1582-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
1695-488: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
1808-491: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
1921-584: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
2034-685: Is a street theatre company based in Waterford. It produces the Spraoi festival and has participated regularly in the Waterford and Dublin St. Patrick's day parades. In January 2005 the company staged "Awakening", a production which marked the opening of the Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture program. Waterford Youth Arts (WYA), formerly known as Waterford Youth Drama, was established in August 1985. The Theatre Royal Waterford dates back to 1785. There are four public libraries in
2147-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
2260-609: Is an Ireton Street in Belfast , Northern Ireland, which runs parallel to a Cromwell Road. Also, an Ireton Road is in Colchester . This adjoins Honywood Road, named after Sir Thomas Honywood , who led the Essex forces at the Siege of Colchester under the command of Thomas Fairfax . An Ireton Avenue exists in Walton-on-Thames as well as 'Ireton's House ' on the high street. 'Ireton's House'
2373-560: Is based in Ardkeen, along with sister station WLR FM. The Waterford News & Star is based on Gladstone Street in Waterford City. It covers Waterford city and county. It is now published in tabloid format. The Munster Express has its office on the Quay in Waterford City and covers stories from across the city and county. It switched to tabloid format in 2011. Local free sheets include
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#17328372584742486-606: Is built over Lady's Gate, part of the medieval city walls of the city. Waterford Film For All (WFFA) is a non-profit film society, operating primarily from the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) campus, whose aim is to offer an alternative to the cineplex experience in Waterford. The Waterford Collection of Art, formerly known as the Waterford Municipal Art Collection, is one of the oldest municipal collections of art in Ireland. Originally founded as
2599-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
2712-554: Is known for Waterford Crystal , a legacy of the city's former glass-making industry. Glass, or crystal, was manufactured in the city from 1783 until early 2009 when the factory there was shut down after the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc. A new Waterford Crystal visitor centre in the Viking Quarter, under new owners, opened in June 2010, after the intervention of Waterford City Council and Waterford Chamber of Commerce, and resumed production. Waterford's oldest public house (pub)
2825-446: Is located outside the old 'Viking Triangle'. T & H Doolan's, of 31/32 George's Street, has acted as a licensed premises since the 18th century but the premises is believed to be closer to five hundred years in age. The pub's structure includes one of the original city walls, almost 1,000 years old, which can be viewed in the lounge area of the building. Waterford is the main city of Ireland's South-East Region . Historically Waterford
2938-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
3051-630: Is sometimes believed, was responsible for the executions of Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle at Colchester . After the rejection by the King of the last offers of the army, Ireton zealously supported bringing him to trial. He wrote the Army's statement about the regicide—the Remonstrance of the Army—with Hugh Peters . He was active in the choice to purge rather than re-elect Parliament and supported
3164-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
3277-434: Is triangular in shape, with its apex at Reginald's Tower. Though once the site of a thriving Viking settlement, the city centre subsequently shifted to the west, and it is now a quieter area with narrow streets, medieval architecture, and civic spaces. In the 15th century, the city was enlarged with the building of an outer wall on the west side. Today Waterford retains more of its city walls than any other city in Ireland with
3390-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
3503-448: The 2022 census , 60,079 people lived in the city and its suburbs. Historically the site of a Viking settlement, Waterford's medieval defensive walls and fortifications include the 13th or 14th century Reginald's Tower . The medieval city was attacked several times, and earned the motto Urbs Intacta Manet ('The Untaken City'), after repelling one such 15th century siege. Waterford is known for its former glassmaking industry, including at
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3616-612: The Barrow join the River Suir is known in Irish as Cumar na dTrí Uisce ("The confluence of the three waters"). Waterford Port has been one of Ireland's major ports for over a millennium. In the 19th century, shipbuilding was a major industry. The owners of the Neptune Shipyard, the Malcomson family , built and operated the largest fleet of iron steamers in the world between the mid-1850s and
3729-765: The Citibank resided here. Waterford Co-op and Avonmore Co-op have merged to form Glanbia plc. The M9 motorway , which was completed on 9 September 2010, connects the city to Dublin . The N24 road connects the city to Limerick city. The N25 road connects the city to Cork city . The route traverses the River Suir via the River Suir Bridge . This cable-stayed bridge is the longest single bridge span in Ireland at 230m. The route continues eastwards to Rosslare Harbour . Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
3842-665: The Hibernica Dominicana claims that on his death bed, Ireton was "privately muttering to himself, 'I never gave the aid of my counsel towards the murder of that bishop; never, never; it was the council of war did it… I wish I had never seen this popish bishop'." Meanwhile, the memoirs of English Cavalier officer Philip Warwick allege that, in his delirious state, Ireton's last words were, "Blood! blood! I must have more blood!" At Ireton's funeral, in Westminster Abbey , John Watson and others wore new tabards that replaced
3955-557: The Mayor of Waterford was established in 1377. A mayor is elected by the councillors from the three electoral areas of the Metropolitan District of Waterford every year, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual may serve. Mary O'Halloran, who was mayor from 2007 to 2008, was the first woman to hold the post. For the elections to Dáil Éireann , the city is part of the 4-seat constituency of Waterford , which includes
4068-619: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
4181-461: The Waterford Crystal factory, with decorative glass being manufactured in the city from 1783 until early 2009 when the factory closed following the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood plc . The Waterford Crystal visitor centre was opened, in the city's Viking Quarter, in 2010 and resumed production under new ownership. As of the 21st century, Waterford is the county town of County Waterford and
4294-479: The Waterford Mail (which comes out on Thursdays and has an office on O'Connell Street) and Waterford Today (an advertising-supported free newspaper which is published on Wednesdays and has an office on Mayors Walk). The city of Waterford consists of several cultural quarters, the oldest of which is known as Viking Triangle . This is the part of the city surrounded by the original tenth-century fortifications and
4407-582: The pro-Parnell faction of the party, defeated David Sheehy in 1891. In July 1922, Waterford was the scene of fighting between Irish Free State and Irish Republican troops during the Irish Civil War . See Annals of Inisfallen (AI) Following the Local Government Reform Act 2014 , Waterford City and County Council is the local government authority for the city and county. The authority came into operation on 1 June 2014. Prior to this
4520-508: The second Battle of Newbury , afterward supporting Cromwell in his accusations of incompetency against the Earl. On the night before the Battle of Naseby , in June 1645, Ireton succeeded in surprising the Royalist army and captured many prisoners. The next day, on the suggestion of Cromwell, he was made commissary-general and appointed to the command of the left wing, with Cromwell himself commanding
4633-641: The siege of Oxford he married Bridget Cromwell , eldest daughter of Oliver Cromwell. The marriage brought Ireton's career into parallel with Cromwell's. Ireton was initially a moderate. At the Putney Debates , he opposed extremism, disliked the views of the Republicans and the Levellers , which he considered impractical and dangerous to the foundations of society, and wished to retain a constitutional monarchy of King, Lords , and Commons . He argued for these in
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4746-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
4859-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
4972-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
5085-563: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
5198-605: The English Parliament to publish lenient surrender terms for Irish Catholics, to end their resistance, but this was refused. His first action after the refusal was to mount a counter-guerrilla expedition into the Wicklow Mountains early in June 1650, to secure his lines of supply for the Siege of Waterford in south-east Ireland. Ireton then blockaded Waterford into surrender by August 1650. Ireton systematically constructed trenches to bring his siege guns within range of
5311-463: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
5424-536: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
5537-558: The King until his actions made him unpopular. Ireton finally became convinced of the hopelessness of dealing with King Charles, and after the King's flight to the Isle of Wight , treated his further proposals with coldness and urged the parliament to establish an administration without him. Ireton served under Thomas Fairfax in the Second Civil War in the campaigns in Kent and Essex , although Fairfax, as Lord General, and not Ireton as
5650-605: The Protestant Reformation, Waterford remained a Catholic city and participated in the confederation of Kilkenny – an independent Catholic government from 1642 to 1649. This was ended abruptly by Oliver Cromwell , who brought the country back under English rule ; his son-in-law Henry Ireton finally took Waterford in 1650 after a two major sieges . In 1690, during the Williamite War , the Jacobite Irish Army
5763-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
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#17328372584745876-437: The Waterford Art Museum in 1939, the collection now comprises over 500 works of art including works by: Paul Henry , Jack B. Yeats , Mainie Jellett , Louis Le Brocquy , Letitia Hamilton , Dermod O’Brien , Evie Hone , Mary Swanzy , Charles Lamb , Hilda Roberts , Seán Keating , and George Russell (aka. AE). Greyfriars Church, a disused Methodist church, was purchased by Waterford Corporation in 1988 and refurbished into
5989-410: The Waterford Quaker Meeting House (Newtown Road), and the Russian Orthodox Parish of St Patrick. RTÉs southeastern studio is in the city. Waterford Local Radio (WLR FM) is available on 94.8FM on the Coast, 95.1FM in the County and on 97.5FM in Waterford City. WLR FM is Waterford's local radio station. Beat 102 103 is a regional youth radio station broadcasting across the South East of Ireland, it
6102-416: The Wide Streets Commission to extend the city southwards. It contains some of the city's finest Georgian architecture. The People's Park , Waterford's largest park, is located nearby. Once a historic market area, the city's Apple Market district is known for its nightlife culture and includes a number of bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Investment in the mid-2010s saw a portion of the area pedestrianised and
6215-428: The area reflect the fact that the area was where inhabitants of the medieval city practised archery. Ballybricken is an inner-city neighbourhood centred around Ballybricken hill, which was a large, open market-square. Today it has been converted into a green, civic space, but the Bull Post, where livestock was once bought and sold, still stands as a remnant of the hill's past. The Mall is a Georgian thoroughfare, built by
6328-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
6441-457: The capture of Limerick, Ireton had dignitaries of Limerick hanged for their defence of the city, including Alderman Thomas Stritch, Bishop Turlough O'Brien , and an English Royalist officer, Colonel Fennell. He also wanted the Irish commander, Hugh Dubh O'Neill hanged, but Edmund Ludlow cancelled the order after Ireton's death. Ireton fell ill of the plague that was raging through the town, and died on 26 November. His loss reportedly "struck
6554-404: The city after a desperate defence. In furtherance of the Norman invasion of Ireland , King Henry II of England landed at Waterford in 1171. Waterford and then Dublin were declared royal cities, with Dublin also declared the capital of Ireland. Reginald's Tower , built after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland on the site of an earlier fortification and retaining its Viking name, was one of
6667-401: The city and county of Waterford. For elections to the European Parliament , the county is part of the South constituency. The city is situated at the head of Waterford Harbour ( Loch Dá Chaoch or Cuan Phort Láirge ). The River Suir , which flows through Waterford City, has provided a basis for the city's long maritime history. The place downriver from Waterford where the Nore and
6780-474: The city had its own local council, Waterford City Council . The new council is the result of a merger of Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council . The council has 32 representatives (councillors) who are elected from six local electoral areas . The city itself forms three of the electoral areas – which when combined form the Metropolitan District of Waterford City – and returns a total of 18 councillors to Waterford City and County Council. The office of
6893-525: The city, all operated by Waterford City and County Council : Central Library, in Lady Lane; Ardkeen Library, in the Ardkeen shopping centre on the Dunmore Road; Carrickphierish Library in Gracedieu, and Brown's Road Library, on Paddy Brown's Road. Waterford Council operates eight further library branches through the county. Central Library, or Waterford City Library , opened in 1905. It was the first of many Irish libraries funded by businessman Andrew Carnegie and renovated in 2004 for its centenary. The library
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#17328372584747006-439: The city, was home to a very successful co-operative . The farmers of the area benefited from the sale of their produce (mostly butter and milk ) to the co-op. In 1964, all of the co-ops in Waterford amalgamated to become Waterford Co-op. This led to the construction of a cheese factory on a greenfield site opposite the general store, and Kilmeadan cheese was to become one of the most recognised and successful Cheddar brands in
7119-445: The conquest of the country. This he proceeded to do, becoming noted as much by the savagery of his methods as for his military skill. By the middle of 1650, Ireton and his commanders faced two problems. One was the capture of the remaining cities held by the Irish Confederate and Royalists forces. The other was an escalating guerrilla war in the countryside as Irish fighters called tories attacked his supply lines. Ireton appealed to
7232-530: The early 19th century, declining to just over 20,000 at the end of the 19th, then rising steadily to over 40,000 during the 20th century. By the time of the 2016 census , Waterford city and suburbs had a population of 53,504 and the broader metropolitan area a population of 59,854. Theatre companies in Waterford include the Red Kettle, Spraoi and Waterford Youth Arts companies. Red Kettle is a professional theatre company, founded by Waterford playwright Jim Nolan , that regularly performs in Garter Lane Theatre. Spraoi
7345-664: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
7458-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
7571-407: The exception of Derry , whose walls were built much later. Tours of Waterford's city walls are conducted daily. The Quay, once termed by historian Mark Girouard as 'the noblest quay in Europe', is a mile long from Grattan Quay to Adelphi Quay, though Adelphi Quay is now a residential area. Near Reginald's Tower is the William Vincent Wallace Plaza, a monument and amenity built around the time of
7684-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
7797-403: The first in Ireland to use mortar in its construction. Throughout the medieval period, Waterford was Ireland's second city after Dublin. In the 15th century, Waterford repelled sieges by two pretenders to the English throne: Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck . As a result, King Henry VII gave the city its motto: Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia ("Waterford remains an untouched city"). After
7910-420: The installation of a large outdoor roofing section. Ferrybank, in County Waterford , is Waterford's only suburb north of the river. It contains a village centre of its own. In April 2003, a site combining a fifth-century Iron Age and ninth-century Viking settlement was discovered at Woodstown near the city, which appears to have been a Viking town that predates all such settlements in Ireland. Waterford
8023-498: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
8136-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
8249-472: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
8362-468: The late 1860s, including five trans-Atlantic passenger liners. The climate of Waterford is, like the rest of Ireland, classified as a maritime temperate climate ( Cfb ) according to the Köppen climate classification system. It is mild and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. The counties in the Waterford area are often referred to as the 'Sunny Southeast'. The warmest months of
8475-456: The local government authority is Waterford City and County Council . The name 'Waterford' comes from Old Norse Veðrafjǫrðr ' ram (wether) fjord '. The Irish name is Port Láirge , meaning "Lárag's port". Viking raiders first established a settlement near Waterford in 853. It and all the other longphorts were vacated c. 902 , the Vikings having been driven out by
8588-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
8701-468: The millennium that commemorates the Waterford-born composer. John Roberts Square is a pedestrianised area that is one of the focal points of Waterford's modern-day commercial centre. It was named after the Waterford architect, John Roberts , and was formed from the junction of Barronstrand Street, Broad Street and George's Street. It is often referred to locally as Red Square, due to the red paving that
8814-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
8927-629: The native Irish. The Vikings re-established themselves in Ireland at Waterford in 914, led at first by Ottir Iarla (Jarl Ottar) until 917, and after that by Ragnall ua Ímair and the Uí Ímair dynasty, and built what would be Ireland's first city. Among the most prominent rulers of Waterford was Ivar of Waterford . In 1167, Diarmait Mac Murchada , the deposed King of Leinster , failed in an attempt to take Waterford. He returned in 1170 with Cambro-Norman mercenaries under Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (known as Strongbow); together they besieged and took
9040-455: The negotiations of the army with Parliament, and in the conferences with the King, Charles I , being the person chiefly entrusted with the drawing up of the army proposals, including the manifesto called "The Heads of the Proposals", which also proposed a constitutional monarchy. He tried to prevent the breach between the army and parliament, but when it happened, he supported the negotiations with
9153-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
9266-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
9379-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
9492-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
9605-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
9718-432: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
9831-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
9944-586: The right. The wing under Ireton was completely broken by the impetuous charge of Prince Rupert , and Ireton was wounded and taken prisoner, but Cromwell charged and successfully routed the Royalists, freeing prisoners including Ireton. Ireton was at the siege of Bristol in September 1645, and took part in the subsequent campaign that succeeded in overthrowing the royal cause. On 30 October 1645, Ireton entered parliament as member for Appleby . On 15 June 1646, during
10057-508: The royal arms with the new arms of the Commonwealth . By his wife, Bridget Cromwell, Ireton left one son, Henry Ireton ( circa 1652–1711), and four daughters, one of whom, Bridget Bendish (she married Thomas Bendish in 1670) is said to have compromised herself in the Rye House Plot of 1683, as did Henry. Ireton's widow Bridget afterward married General Charles Fleetwood . Another daughter, Elizabeth, married Thomas Polhill; their son
10170-496: The second Leveller Agreement of the People . He sat on the King's trial and was one of the commissioners who signed the death warrant. Ireton's regiment was chosen by lot to accompany Cromwell in his Irish campaign . Ireton arrived in Dublin two days after Cromwell on 17 August 1649, with 77 ships full of troops and supplies. Ireton was appointed major-general and after the conquest of
10283-431: The south of Ireland, Lord President of Munster . He went over with John Cook with a brief to reform the law of Ireland, to anglicise it, and to make it a model for a new settlement of English law. In May 1650, Cromwell was recalled to England to command a Parliamentary force preparing to invade Scotland , and Ireton assumed command of the New Model Army in Ireland with the title and powers of Lord Deputy to complete
10396-658: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
10509-409: The walls and stationed a parliamentary fleet off the city to prevent it being supplied. Thomas Preston surrendered Waterford after a three-month siege. Ireton then advanced to Limerick by October, but had to call off the siege due to cold and bad weather. Early in 1651, Ireton ordered that areas harbouring the guerrillas should be systematically stripped of food – a scorched-earth policy that caused
10622-479: The way. This version of Ireton is ready to denounce the King and plunge England into civil war before Cromwell becomes convinced that this is a necessary step. In the film, Cromwell and he are also among the five members whom Charles I attempts to arrest on the eve of the war (when in fact they were not), and after the King is executed, is upbraided by Cromwell as being too ambitious. The film makes no mention of Ireton's marriage to Cromwell's daughter, Bridget. Ireton
10735-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
10848-510: The world, winning gold and bronze medals in the World Cheese Awards in London in 2005. The Irish economic recession from 2008 onwards has had a major negative impact on Waterford's economy. A number of multinational companies have closed, including Waterford Crystal (which subsequently reopened) and Talk Talk, which has led to a high level of unemployment. Until 2013 the hedge fund office of
10961-471: The year are June, July and August with average daytime temperatures of around 17 – 22 degrees. Rainfall is evenly distributed year-round; however, the period from late October to late January is considerably wetter and duller than the rest of the year. With a 2022 population of 60,079, Waterford is the fifth most populous city in the state and the 32nd most populous area of local government. The population of Waterford grew from 1,555 in 1653 to around 28,000 in
11074-461: Was David Polhill . On 30 January 1661, following the Restoration of the English monarchy of 1660, Charles II had Ireton's corpse exhumed from Westminster and mutilated in a posthumous execution , along with those of Cromwell and John Bradshaw , in retribution for signing his father's death warrant. The date was symbolic, being the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I. A blue plaque
11187-509: Was forced to surrender Waterford in the wake of the Battle of the Boyne . The 18th century was a period of huge prosperity for Waterford. Many of the city's architecturally notable buildings appeared during this time. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of the Cavalry Barracks at the end of the 18th century. In the early 19th century, Waterford City
11300-675: Was affixed to Ireton's birthplace at Church Lane in Attenborough, on 22 June 2011, by the Beeston and District Local History Society with the following text: "General Henry Ireton lawyer, confederate and son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell born here 1611 died Limerick 1651". The town of Ireton, Iowa , United States was named after Henry Ireton. Ireton Avenue in Beeston near to Attenborough is named after General Ireton. Ireton Road in Market Harborough
11413-678: Was also named after Henry Ireton, while Ireton's Way is now a very straight part of the A142 between Ely and Chatteris, built by Ireton when he was commanding East Anglian forces as a causeway across the flooded Fens around the River Ouse to rush troops and supplies over when resisting Royalist attack from Lincolnshire and the Midlands. Ireton Street in Walton, Liverpool sits off County Road (A59) in between (William) Lenthall Street and (John) Hampden Street. There
11526-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
11639-675: Was an English general in the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , and a son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell . He died of disease outside Limerick in November 1651. Ireton was the eldest son of German Ireton of Attenborough, Nottinghamshire , and was baptised in St Mary's Church on 3 November 1611. He became a gentleman commoner of Trinity College, Oxford , in 1626, graduated with
11752-413: Was an important trading port which brought much prosperity to the city throughout the city's eventful history. Throughout its history, Waterford Crystal provided employment to thousands in the city and surrounding areas. Waterford Port is Ireland's closest deep-water port to mainland Europe, handling approximately 12% of Ireland's external trade by value. Waterford's most famous export, Waterford Crystal ,
11865-677: Was deemed vulnerable and the British government erected three Martello towers on the Hook Peninsula to reinforce the existing Fort at Duncannon . During the 19th century, industries such as glass making and ship building thrived in the city. The city was represented in the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1891 to 1918 by John Redmond MP , leader (from January 1900) of the Irish Parliamentary Party . Redmond, then leader of
11978-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
12091-547: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Henry Ireton Henry Ireton (baptised 3 November 1611; died 26 November 1651)
12204-415: Was gifted to Henry Ireton by Oliver Cromwell after the marriage to Bridget Cromwell . His portrait continues to hang in the dining hall of Trinity College, Oxford. In the 1970 film Cromwell , Michael Jayston plays Ireton as a subtle but well-meaning manipulator who hates Charles I and pushes Cromwell into actions, which Cromwell at first considers neither desirable nor possible, but then pursues all
12317-640: Was manufactured in the city from 1783 to 1851, 1947 to 2009 and again from 2010 to the present day. Places, where Waterford Crystal can be seen, include New York City, where Waterford Crystal made the 2,668 crystals for the New Year's Eve Ball that is dropped each year in Times Square ; Westminster Abbey ; Windsor Castle ; and the Kennedy Center ( Washington, DC ). Agriculture played an important part in Waterford's economic history. Kilmeadan , about 5 km from
12430-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
12543-678: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
12656-491: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
12769-554: Was used when the area was first pedestrianised. A short distance to the east of John Roberts Square is Arundel Square, which the City Square shopping centre opens onto. Ballybricken, in the west, just outside the city walls, is thought to have been Waterford's Irishtown, a type of settlement that often formed outside Irish cities to house the Vikings and Irish that had been expelled during the Norman invasion of Ireland . Modern street names in
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