The sailing boats have returned to the heart of Viking Waterford. As the city's new marina was opened at the weekend on the South Quays, in the shadow of Reginald's Tower, a great maritime tradition was recalled. Since the cattle boats and other large-scale portal activity were removed from the South Quays, Waterford Corporation has been planning a range of new waterbased leisure activities to revitalise the quays.
The 40-berth marina fulfills the need for mooring facilities within the city where visiting yachts and other pleasure craft can tie up. These boats will come, not only from the sea, but from the inland waterways to which the Three Sisters - the rivers Nore, Suir and Barrow - provide access.
The £200,000 marina project was made possible by the co-operation of the Harbour Commissioners and with grant assistance under the Operational Programme for Urban and Rural Development.
It consists of floating pontoons fixed to a line of concrete piles and connected by a gangway to Adelphi Quay, where the neighbouring "hotel alternative" Adelphi Wharf Suites offers short-term lets to yacht crews who feel in need of modern laundry, bathroom and kitchen facilities.
The regeneration of the quays is one of the key strategic objectives in the corporation's urban renewal programme. It has commissioned a major report, to be delivered by the end of the year, on the redevelopment of the entire extensive river frontage in the city centre.
One related issue - the planning permission granted to Bus Eireann for a new bus terminus on Merchants Quay - remains a matter of controversy and will be determined by the Planning Appeals Board, and possibly in the High Court.
But multiple aspects of the corporation's action plan to develop an attractive maritime area have been making progress.
The Granary project, in which an imposing six-storey stone warehouse is being converted into a major new heritage centre and tourist attraction, is well advanced.
A programme of mature tree planting along the quays is starting. Bit by bit, amenity areas are being created along the waterside, and the aim is to encourage a mixture of residential accommodation, hotel accommodation, shops and restaurants - along the lines of Dublin's Temple Bar area.
"We want to create an arts and cultural quarter, and to do that you need a critical mass," says senior planner, Stephen Blair. The decline of the city centre population in recent decades has already been reversed, partly because of the number of new apartments: about 600 people have come to live in the city centre in the last three years.
The centre has also gained about £70 million of development investment under the Designated Areas Scheme which is about to end. From next month on, a new scheme will require local authorities to prepare an integrated area plan, which Waterford will draw up by next year.
Restoration and conservation work has been carried out in various parts of the Viking and Medieval city. The ancient city walls are being restored, section by section, as finances permit.
One important but costly ambition of the municipal authority is to tackle the much-needed improvement of the John's River, which meanders through much of the southern part of the city. This project, on its own, has the potential for a massive transformation of the urban environment.
At present, the river is heavily silted with mud deposits which seriously detract from its amenity value and act as a deterrent to the area being redeveloped. The corporation has undertaken a complete study of the the river and the feasibility of solutions such as a possible weir or sill across the river mouth are being examined.
Meanwhile, the city centre regeneration initiative has created some modest gems of architectural restoration. A neglected 19th century residential court in New Street, consisting of two small terraces of three houses each, facing each other across a narrow laneway, has been strikingly transformed.
This redevelopment was undertaken jointly by the corporation and the Waterford City Enterprise Board, which now has its offices there. The basic fabric and distinctive stonework was restored and preserved as it had been when the houses were domestic dwellings.
But the major regeneration initiative has centred on Waterford's famous "Stony Steps" and South Quays area, with financial assistance provided by the EU. The plan is to develop the area as a thriving commercial, residential, crafts and tourism district, making it a compelling focus for visitors.
Work will continue on this plan to the end of the decade. Repaving has been undertaken in several streets and open spaces, cables and wires have been relocated underground, and new street furniture has been added. The corporation would like to create an attractive "pedestrianised spine" through the centre of the city.
It is also trying to introduce more colour into the streetscapes. In the past, Mr Blair admitted, Waterford has not had a tradition of the strong use of colour in vernacular architecture. Sponsorship of a paint company has been secured, and the "colour campaign" will focus initially on trying to implement a harmonious colour scheme along the quays.
A key aspect of the forward-looking urban renewal plan is the deliberate involvement of the community and of business interests. "We're hoping that we can enter joint venture schemes with private developers," said the Town Clerk, Terry O'Sullivan.
The range and variety of renewal projects in Waterford has been acknowledged internationally. The full impact on the city's character will be realised as the different projects are linked and integrated.
Last weekend's marina opening was an important stage in the drive to enhance the commercial and social life of the South Quays, and Waterford may be unique, among Irish cities at least, in having such a facility so close to its commercial and cultural centre.