The Waterford Crystal Factory: History, The Tour + 2024 Info

The Waterford Crystal Factory tour offers an immersive experience of one of Ireland’s most famous exports, with a heritage dating back to 1783.

The tour (book tickets here), which is one of the more popular things to do in Waterford, transports visitors back in time on a journey through the mastery of glassmaking.

Waterford City is synonymous with the crystal making industry that bears its name. From the 18th century, glass-making brought huge prosperity and employment to this historic port city.

Some quick need-to-knows before doing the Waterford Crystal Factory tour

Although a visit to the Waterford Crystal Factory is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. Location

The House of Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre is right across from the Viking Triangle, a historic area of the city with many museums, churches and attractions. The original Waterford Factory was on the edge of the city near the Cork Road (note: it closed in 2009).

2. A whole lot of history

The story of Waterford Crystal began in 1783 when brothers George and William Penrose joined forces with renowned glassmaker John Hill. They developed the technique of polishing glass to create stunning crystal products which quickly became known all over the world.

3. The tour

Guided tours of Waterford Crystal Factory last 1-hour and must be pre-booked (buy your ticket here). The tour takes you behind the scenes to see the mould-making, glass-blowing, sculpting, cutting and engraving processes.

4. Tour times

The best way to to tackle the Waterford Crystal tour is by booking a timed ticket. If you prefer, you can purchase an Open Ticket online (you’ll be allocated a tour time on arrival). Tours run:

• Jan + Feb: Mon – Fri: 10am – 3:00pm
• Mar: Mon – Sun: 9:30am – 3:00pm
• Apr to Oct: Mon – Sun: 9:30am – 4:15pm
• Nov + Dec: Mon – Fri: 9:30am – 3:00pm

Things you’ll see on the House of Waterford Crystal tour

One of the reasons that the House of Waterford Crystal tour is so popular is that it’s packed with things to see.

Over the course of a 1-hour tour, you’ll visit everywhere from the Mould Room and the Blowing Department to the Cutting Department and more.

1. The Mould Room

The first stop on the guided tour is in the Mould Room where you learn the ancient art of mould-making. These moulds are used to shape the crystal in a technique that has remained unchanged for centuries.

2. The Blowing Department

The Blowing Platform provides a bird’s eye view of the skilled craftsmen who blow the crystal into shape. See them picking up huge portions of red hot liquid crystal from the 1,400°C furnace on the end of a long blowing pole and then blow the molten crystal into a hollow form that is shaped externally using the wooden moulds.

3. The Inspection

At each stage of the crystal-making process, the crystal items are scrutinized. They must be perfect to pass the standards on which the reputation of Waterford Crystal rests. Altogether there are six different inspections at each stage of the crystal-making process.

4. The Hand Marking

The crystal vases, glasses and other objects are marked with a geometric grid. This helps the Master cutter as they hand-cut the pattern into the crystal. These guidelines are a simple way to ensure precision, size and accuracy.

5. The Cutting Department

When the crystal products reach the cutting room, they are covered in the marking grid but each Master Cutter hand cuts the design from memory. The patterns are not marked onto the glass. Not surprisingly, master cutters must serve an 8-year apprenticeship. They use their skill and dexterity to apply the exact pressure to hand-cut the pattern into the glass without breaking it.

6. Sculpting

Not all Waterford Crystal products are blown. Trophies and other solid crystal objects, for example, must be hand-cut. They are sculpted from a solid block of crystal. It’s fascinating to watch them work in such fine detail, creating the finest shapes and figures using their super-sharp sculpting wheels.

7. Engraving

Finally, the tour reaches the engraving room where you can get up-close to the artisans as they complete this bespoke process. At the House of Waterford Crystal, a process called Intaglio is used. Using copper wheels, these artisans trace fine designs onto commissioned trophies or create limited edition pieces. Many designs take several days to complete, depending on the detail and complexity of the design.

The history of Waterford Crystal

Glass-making has been a traditional Irish craft for centuries but it was in 1783 that Waterford Crystal was born.

Brothers George and William Penrose founded the company, promising to create the finest and most elegant crystal in Europe…

Working with renowned glassmaker John Hill, they used their knowledge of minerals to produce the highest quality glass and then polished it to create stunning crystal products.

King George ordered a set of Waterford Crystal glasses and it became acclaimed by Dublin Society and further afield.

Alas, crippling new taxes on glass forced the factory to close in 1851, just after they exhibited at the London Exhibition (hosted in Crystal Palace) to universal acclaim.

Post WW2 Developments

Waterford Crystal lay idle until 1947 when Neil Griffin and Charles Bacik opened a small factory in the Ballytruckle area of Waterford

They brought in experienced European glass-makers, took over the earlier designs and created their first crystal line, Lismore. It remains the best-selling crystal design in the world.

Soon Waterford Crystal had reclaimed its prestigious place in the world of glass.

It used famous designers such as Jasper Conran to create signature collections and eventually became a subsidiary of the famous Wedgwood Pottery.

Modern-day Waterford Crystal

During the recession in 2009, it was forced into bankruptcy and closed. In 2015, Fiskars Corp. acquired the business, re-opened it and it continues to thrive.

Much of the crystal production is now done in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary and Germany.

However, the company still produces an impressive 750 tonnes of quality crystal onsite as part of the Visitor Centre Experience.

Waterford Crystal became a customary gift for royalty and heads of state. Today you can see stunning examples of Waterford Crystal in chandeliers in Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle and the Washington Center, DC.

The massive 3.7m diameter crystal ball that drops to mark the New Year in Times Square is another famous piece of Waterford Crystal. It is also used in trophies for the most prestigious sporting events.

Things to do near the Waterford Crystal Factory

One of the beauties of the House of Waterford Crystal is that it’s a short spin away from many of the best places to visit in Waterford.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the Waterford Factory tour:

1. Enjoy a post-tour feed: Many of the best Waterford restaurants and the oldest pubs in Waterford are a short stroll away
2. Explore Ireland’s oldest city: This port city dates back to the Vikings. Visit Reginald’s Tower, the Medieval Museum and the Bishops Palace
3. Cycle the Waterford Greenway: The Waterford Greenway is a 46km multi-use trail that takes you from the city to Dungarvan. The Copper Coast is also worth checking out

FAQs

I’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from whether the House of Waterford Crystal tour is worth doing to what there is to see inside.

In the section below, I’ve popped in the most FAQs that I’ve received. If you have a question that I haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.