Waterford invests €20m in crystal comeback

GLASS TOURISM:THE AUTHORITIES IN Waterford have announced ambitious plans to preserve and revive the city's tradition of fine glass-making.

The southeast suffered a major economic blow earlier this year with the closure of Waterford Crystal. In addition to the devastating loss of jobs in a company that once employed 3,000 people, the region also lost its leading tourism attraction. The famous factory at Kilbarry was one of Ireland’s top-10 fee-charging destinations, with more than 300,000 visitors a year.

This week, Waterford City Council announced that it is to invest €20 million and create 100 new jobs developing “a major new visitor centre, manufacturing and retail outlet for Waterford Crystal”. The site, at the old ESB offices on the historic Mall, will be renovated and ready to open in time for next summer’s tourist season. The council said that the new jobs will be split “roughly equally between manufacturing and retail/tourism”.

The council is still involved in negotiations over the operation of the planned new facility with WWRD Holdings, the company that now owns the Waterford Crystal brand.

However, a council spokesman said that, “while confident of the company’s commitment, in the event of the failure of negotiations, the council is determined to deliver the project in any case”.

Initial funding for the scheme has already been secured from the European Regional Development Fund.

The mayor of Waterford, Cllr John Halligan, recalled the “huge psychological blow earlier this year when manufacturing ceased at Waterford Crystal”, and he said it is now “vital” for the city to “salvage what it could from the “painful chapter” and to reinvigorate Waterford as a tourist spot. He added: “Waterford is not about to roll over and die in the face of the recession”, but would “emerge stronger and with a more vibrant city centre.”

Michael Walsh, the city manager, said the new facility will be “a tremendous opportunity to kick-start Waterford’s fightback” and to “copper- fasten the city centre’s primacy as an attractive location for visitors.”