We got to Waterford in time to take a tour of the factory. We parked several blocks away and walked to the factory in a light drizzle. The weather had been so nice for so long that we just ignored the “Irish Sunshine”. Waterford had been through some hard times in the last few years and most of the glassmaking has been outsourced to Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Germany. The factory in the city does mostly special commissions.
We have been to several glass making establishments in the United States, but were amazed by the additional artistic work done by the artisans here. The etching, sculpting, cutting, and other skilled steps are just amazing.