Waterford City Hall, Waterford

Completed in 1783, Waterford City Hall was originally constructed as Assembly Rooms and Theatre Royal, designed by renowned Georgian architect John Roberts. Its grand, symmetrical nine-bay façade-complete with Ionic columns, rusticated stonework, and refined fenestration-embodies the stately Neoclassical style Roberts favored.

Stepping inside, visitors encounter the Long Room, Committee Room, and exquisitely appointed Council Chambers, all situated on the first floor. Among its most distinctive aspects is the cut-glass chandelier from Waterford Crystal. Intriguingly, a replica of that same chandelier graces Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Over its long history, City Hall has welcomed many notable events and figures: reformer Frederick Douglass delivered an anti-slavery speech in the Long Room in 1845, and the building once hosted meetings supporting the Protestant Colonisation Society of Ireland in 1831. By 1870, part of the building was adapted into the Theatre Royal, one of Ireland’s oldest surviving performing arts venues-retaining its historic horseshoe-shaped auditorium within the same structure.

Since 1813, the building has served as an administrative focal point, housing municipal offices for Waterford’s city governance. Its ongoing importance is recognized through recent conservation efforts, ensuring both its historical character and public function endure for future generations.