On Monday, 8th July the House of Waterford Crystal welcomed The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny to their impressive manufacturing facility and Retail Experience in Waterford City. The Taoiseach saw first hand the intricate process of producing hand-crafted high-end pieces using traditional methods to create beautiful crystal for their most discerning customers. Since re-opening in June 2010, the highly skilled craftsmen produce over 60,000 pieces of Waterford Crystal per year.
The Taoiseach was particularly interested in the processes used in manufacturing the Irish Open Trophy – presented to Paul Casey at Carton House last month. This prompted his interest in visiting the manufacturing facility, located in the heart of Waterford’s Viking Triangle. Related to Vikings, Dermot Barlow, Manufacturing Director at the House of Waterford Crystal’s facility was keen to show off a specially commissioned Crystal Viking Ship sculpted by Michael Murphy – the ship took two and half months to complete .
The Taoiseach also spent some time discussing the craft and design with the staff, he was keen to understand the scale of the Waterford Brand across the globe – products manufactured both at the House of Waterford Crystal and in partner facilities in Europe.
