The Viking Triangle

Just one square mile in area, The Viking Triangle is a portion of Waterford`s city center, bordered to the north by Merchants Quay and Parade Quay and to the south by Lombard Street, as it is known as one crosses John`s River. The Viking Triangle is the core of Waterford, and it is at this location that the Vikings founded a permanent settlement in 914. As a result, Waterford lays claim to being Ireland`s oldest city.

Among the sights available for viewing in The Viking Triangle are Reginald`s Tower, situated on a spot of land where The Quays curve into The Mall; the Theatre Royal; the French Church; and the three Waterford Treasures Museums (`Treasures of Viking Waterford` at Reginald`s Tower, `Treasures of Medieval Waterford` at its own dedicated museum, and `Treasures of Georgian Waterford` at Bishop`s Palace). Although the House of Waterford Crystal is located outside the former Viking city walls, for tour purposes you may find that it is grouped with other Viking Triangle sights because it is so close by.

As a result of the focus on tourism in The Viking Triangle, what few housing options there are in this area are all rentals, signifying a transient population. In fact, very few people own property in this district at all.

Summerhill

West of The Viking Triangle and east of the Rice Bridge sits the neighborhood of Summerhill. A few sights can be seen there, such as the Beach Tower and the Clock Tower on the Quays, close to the roundabout. This neighborhood is bordered to the south by Lower Yellow Road, and the further you get into the suburb, you will notice many working- and middle-class houses, as well as shopping (grocery retailers SuperValu and Aldi are situated out this way) and accommodations (look toward the Quays for the highest number of offerings).

Slievekeale

Much like the neighborhood of Summerhill, Slievekeale is also an area of town where the middle classes of Waterford live. As far as sights go, only The Double Tower, in the northeastern section of Slievekeale, will take you here, but if you have the chance, take a ride into this neighborhood and see how Waterford really lives. The majority of houses are either detached homes or row-houses (popular in many cities in the British Isles). The College Street Campus of the Waterford Institute of Technology is located in Slievekeale, as is Walsh Park, where Waterford`s Gaelic football team plays its games.

Ballytruckle

This neighborhood is located south of John`s River, just due south of The Viking Triangle. The People`s Park is the major attraction in this neighborhood, which is filled with green spaces. Many of the smaller green spaces can be found near schools and serve as sports pitches and parks for the schoolchildren. Many of the schools in Ballytruckle are private, meaning it isn`t a requirement for parents to live in Ballytruckle to benefit from the area`s great schools. The few housing developments that do exist in this area are almost all detached single-family homes.

Ferrybank

Approximately 10 percent of the population of Waterford City lives across the banks of the River Suir in a neighborhood called Ferrybank. The border with County Kilkenny separates Ferrybank from other adjacent towns. In some cases the dividing boundary comes where one least expects it (for example, Ferrybank`s secondary school is located just across the border in County Kilkenny).

The hub of social life in Ferrybank revolves around a popular main drag (Fountain Street), where many bars, restaurants and shops are located. Detached single-family houses, some quite large, fan out in directions north, west and east from the area around Fountain Street.