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Photographs rarely do justice to the beauty of Waterford . In the south , grand hills rise gradually from coast and valley, their slopes cloaked with plantations of fir trees. The smoothly sculpted coastline is one of bold dimensions with low cliffs giving views over large, open bays. The mountains in the north rise gently above the prettiness of their wooded valleys, offering long walks with stupendous views over the plains of Tipperary. Central to the county, Waterford's river valleys are luxuriant and fertile, the finest being that of the Blackwater , which rolls through rich farmland with a real majesty. Here, it's easy to see why the county was so attractive to foreign invaders - Viking, Norman and English. The influence of wealthy colonists is clear, their opulence reflected in the remains of elegant, cultivated estates. The county of Waterford and it's namesake city and port developed quite separately. Waterford city was initially a Viking settlement that became a Norman stronghold and thrived as an independent city-state with a major share of Ireland's European trade. While the city prospered as a mercantile centre, the surrounding county lived off farming and fishing, retaining much of its Celtic identity. The Vikings and Normans were not the first newcomers to leave their mark: the area of Old Parish around Ardmore gets its name as the arrival point of St Declan in the first half of the fifth century, supposedly the very first of Ireland's proselytizing Christians, preceding St Patrick. The region's early Christian foundations became influential across the country, the most important being that at Lismore , founded in 636. It flourished first as a centre of ecclesiastical learning, and later as a secular power rivalling that of Waterford city itself. Today the distinctions between urban and rural remain marked. Alongside thriving, modern Waterford city, pockets of ancient cultures and histories survive, such as the tiny Irish-speaking community of Ring and the historic ecclesiastical foundations of Ardmore and Lismore . An air of prosperity pervades the county as a whole, in farmland enriched by centuries of cultivation and in the renewed commercial importance of the historic port of Waterford city. The coast offers sandy beaches , a handful of quaint fishing harbours and some great seascapes. It's easily accessible, too - notably good main roads serve city and county, good for long-distance cycling .
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