Another step in the ongoing restoration of Waterford's historic towers and walls was marked last week with the opening of a permanent exhibition at Reginald's Tower on the quay.
A commemorative plaque was unveiled in the tower by the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Martin Cullen. According to the Office of Public Works, the tower is the oldest defensive urban structure in Ireland.
The exhibition highlights the part played by the tower in some of the most critical events in Irish history. Items on display include Viking dress pins, arrowheads fired by Strongbow's army in August 1170 and medieval coins minted at the behest of King John. A mint was established in the tower in 1463 by order of the Irish Parliament.
Restoration work on the tower began in 1994 when Waterford Corporation began removing the plaster render on the interior walls. This revealed features such as fireplaces, concealed doorways and alcoves. A joint conservation and restoration project was subsequently undertaken by Duchas, the State heritage body, and the corporation, which involved the restoration of floors and the repair of original features.
Mr Cullen said Reginald's Tower was a symbol of Waterford's past and a physical embodiment of the city's "long and noble history". There was a danger, however, that after 1,100 years the tower's significance could be taken for granted and the exhibition was an excellent way of addressing this, he said.