Editing Waterford (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Waterford}}
[[File:Waterford city at night - geograph.org.uk - 1034017.jpg|thumb|left|Waterford Quay at night]]

The name 'Waterford' comes {{etymology|non|Veðrafjǫrðr|[[Sheep|ram]] (wether) [[fjord]]}}.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} The Irish name is ''Port Láirge'', meaning "Lárag's port".<ref name=McEneaney>''Discover Waterford'', by Eamon McEneaney (2001). ({{ISBN|0-86278-656-8}})</ref>

[[Viking]] raiders first established a settlement near Waterford in 853. It and all the other [[longphort]]s were vacated {{circa|902}}, the Vikings having been driven out by the native Irish. The Vikings re-established themselves in Ireland at Waterford in 914, led at first by [[Ottir Iarla]] (Jarl Ottar) until 917, and after that by [[Ragnall ua Ímair]] and the [[Uí Ímair]] dynasty, and built what would be Ireland's first city. Among the most prominent [[rulers of Waterford]] was [[Ivar of Waterford]].

In 1167, [[Diarmait Mac Murchada]], the deposed [[Kings of Leinster|King of Leinster]], failed in an attempt to take Waterford. He returned in 1170 with [[Cambro-Norman]] mercenaries under [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke]] (known as Strongbow); together they besieged and took the city after a desperate defence. In furtherance of the [[Norman invasion of Ireland]], King [[Henry II of England]] landed at Waterford in 1171. Waterford and then [[Dublin]] were declared royal cities, with Dublin also declared the capital of Ireland.

[[Reginald's Tower]], built after the [[Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland]] on the site of an earlier fortification and retaining its Viking name, was one of the first in Ireland to use mortar in its construction.

Throughout the medieval period, Waterford was Ireland's second city after Dublin. In the 15th century, Waterford repelled sieges by two pretenders to the English throne: [[Lambert Simnel]] and [[Perkin Warbeck]]. As a result, King [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] gave the city its motto: ''Urbs Intacta Manet Waterfordia'' ("Waterford remains an untouched city").<ref name=waterfordcity />

After the Protestant Reformation, Waterford remained a [[Catholic]] city and participated in the [[Confederate Ireland|confederation of Kilkenny]] – an independent Catholic government from 1642 to 1649. This was ended abruptly by [[Oliver Cromwell]], who [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland|brought the country back under English rule]]; his son-in-law [[Henry Ireton]] finally took Waterford in 1650 after a [[Siege of Waterford|two major sieges]].<ref name="NewHistory">''A New History of Cromwell's Irish Campaign'', by Philip McKeiver (2007). ({{ISBN|978-0-9554663-0-4}})</ref><ref>Discover Waterford, by Eamon McEneaney (2001). ({{ISBN|0-86278-656-8}})</ref> In 1690, during the [[Williamite War]], the [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] [[Irish Army (Kingdom of Ireland)|Irish Army]] was [[Capture of Waterford|forced to surrender Waterford]] in the wake of the [[Battle of the Boyne]].

The 18th century was a period of huge prosperity for Waterford. Many of the city's architecturally notable buildings appeared during this time. A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of the [[Waterford Barracks|Cavalry Barracks]] at the end of the 18th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://waterfordvikingtriangle.com/assets/A3-Heritage-walk-map.pdf|title=Heritage Walk map|access-date=7 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208180034/http://waterfordvikingtriangle.com/assets/A3-Heritage-walk-map.pdf|archive-date=8 December 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In the early 19th century, Waterford City was deemed vulnerable and the British government erected three [[Martello tower]]s on the Hook Peninsula to reinforce the existing Fort at [[Duncannon]]. During the 19th century, industries such as glass making and ship building thrived in the city.

The city was represented in the [[Palace of Westminster|Parliament]] of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] from 1891 to 1918 by [[John Redmond]] [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]], leader (from January 1900) of the [[Irish Parliamentary Party]]. Redmond, then leader of the [[Charles Stuart Parnell|pro-Parnell]] faction of the party, defeated [[David Sheehy]] in 1891.{{fact|date=June 2024}}

In July 1922, Waterford was the scene of fighting between [[Irish Free State]] and [[Irish Republican]] troops during the [[Irish Civil War]].