Reginald's Tower is the oldest
urban civic building in Ireland and Waterford's best known edifice. The Vikings built a tower on this site
as a defense against the native Irish from outside the city walls. When
the city fell to the Normans in 1170 A.D.the tower was occupied by
Strongbow who used it as a prison. It was here that the last Viking king
of the city was executed. Prince John established a mint here in 1185
and there are numerous coins extant from the tower's use as a
mint. In 1463 coins were minted here, by order of the Irish
Parliament then meeting in the city, wth the words Civitas Waterford struck
on one side. Subsequently the tower saw service as a military stores and
a lock-up and later still as the residence of the city High Constable.
At present it has been magnificently restored and it now houses a small
museum devoted to the building itself and the city's
defences.
The tower is 54 feet high
and circular in design. It is 42½ feet in diameter and is surmounted by
a conical roof. A spiral staircase ascends within the thick walls -
these are 10 feet wide at the base, tapering to 7 feet above.
Reginald's Tower is the oldest
urban civic building in Ireland and Waterford's best known edifice. The Vikings built a tower on this site
as a defense against the native Irish from outside the city walls. When
the city fell to the Normans in 1170 A.D.the tower was occupied by
Strongbow who used it as a prison. It was here that the last Viking king
of the city was executed. Prince John established a mint here in 1185
and there are numerous coins extant from the tower's use as a
mint. In 1463 coins were minted here, by order of the Irish
Parliament then meeting in the city, wth the words Civitas Waterford struck
on one side. Subsequently the tower saw service as a military stores and
a lock-up and later still as the residence of the city High Constable.
At present it has been magnificently restored and it now houses a small
museum devoted to the building itself and the city's
defences.