What is Waterford?
[[Image:Waterford coa.png|thumb|90px|Coat of arms]] '''Waterford City''' is a [[city]] in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. The [[population]] in 2006 was nearly 50,000 people. It is the [[county town]] of [[County Waterford]]. Waterford is the fifth largest city in Ireland. It is also the oldest city in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hdkeane.com/2017/04/23/2-3-growth-in-population-of-waterford/|title=2.3% growth in population of Waterford|date=23 April 2017|access-date=24 June 2019|archive-date=24 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624113940/https://hdkeane.com/2017/04/23/2-3-growth-in-population-of-waterford/|url-status=dead}} HD Keane, Solicitors. Retrieved June 24 2019</ref> [[File:Waterford city at night - geograph.org.uk - 1034017.jpg|400px|thumb|right|Waterford Quay at night]] Waterford is home to the Waterford Crystal glass factory, which exports crystal all around the world. This glass factory has made many famous pieces, including the New Years Eve glass ball used in Times Square in New York. The factory closed in 2009 leading to over 1,500 job losses. The factory reopened again in the city centre in June 2010 and is now a popular tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/mar/13/waterford-sparkles/|title=Home of famous crystal embraces past, future with tourist center}} Mairead Flynn, Associated Press. March 13 2011</ref> Tourists also come to Waterford to visit the [[Waterford Viking Triangle]]. == History == The city was founded in 914 by the [[Viking]]s. The [[Norman]] King [[Henry II of England]] landed at Waterford in 1171. Waterford and then [[Dublin]] were made royal cities and in the [[Middle Ages]], Waterford was Ireland's second city after Dublin. As a result, King [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] gave the city its motto: ''Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia (Waterford remains the untaken city)''. After the Protestant Reformation, Waterford remained a [[Catholic]] city and participated in an independent Catholic government from 1642 to 1649. This w