Christmas Events - 2026
Victorian Christmas
Times: Monday-Friday: 10:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday: 10:00am – 5:00 pm, Sunday/Bank Hols: 11:00am – 5:00pm
Location: The Bishop’s Palace, The Mall, X91 E279
Adult: €10.00 – Children aged 16 years and under enjoy free admission.
Join our ever-industrious head Housekeeper, Mrs. Rickards for a festive spin on our ‘Splendour & Scandal Tour,’ as she flutters about the grand rooms, fussing over every last detail in preparation for the Bishop’s distinguished guests.
As you wander through the elegantly adorned halls, you’ll hear the curious origins of some of our most cherished Christmas traditions, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of Waterford’s Georgian Bishop’s Palace. The decorations themselves—lovingly handmade—add to the warmth and whimsy of the season.
And if you’re sharp of ear, you may catch the occasional whispered snippet of local gossip, a playful hint of society’s secrets fluttering through the candlelit rooms—just the sort of thing Mrs. Rickards might delight in sharing, if you’re lucky.
Calligraphy Workshop
Date: Tuesday, 8th December and Thursday, 10th December
Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm
Location: The Bishop’s Palace, The Mall, X91 E279
Price: €10.00 per person
This Christmas, join Rosemary Ryan, Keeper, Bishop’s Palace, for a festive calligraphy workshop inspired by historic manuscripts, letters and decorative traditions. Participants will learn basic calligraphy techniques while creating personalised Christmas cards, gift tags and festive keepsakes.
Suitable for beginners and those with some experience, this hands-on workshop combines creativity, history and seasonal inspiration in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.
Pens and materials supplied
The Christmas Family – An Evening With Julian Walton
Date: 17th December, 2026
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Garden Room, Medieval Museum, X91 K10E
Price: €5 per person
Join eminent local historian, Julian Walton to explore a family aptly named for the season – The Christmas Family of Whitfield Court.
For two hundred years, from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-nineteenth, the Christmases were one of the most prominent families in Waterford city and environs, dominating in politics, administration and landowning. The lecture will recount their arrival during the Cromwellian period, their role in urban life, their building of a mansion at Whitfield (now destroyed) and the later Whitfield Court, their dramatic fall from power, and their departure to foreign parts.
Tickets are in support of the Museum & Conservation Fund.
Children’s Christmas Trail
Date: 13th November – 24th December, 2026
Time: November/December Monday to Friday 9:15am – 6:00pm/5:00pm, Saturday 9:30am – 6:00pm/5:00pm, Sunday/Bank Holiday 11:00am – 6:00pm/5:00pm.
Location: Medieval Museum
Price: Included in Freedom Pass ticket
Discover the origins of our Christmas traditions by joining us this festive season at Waterford Treasures for a fun day out for all the family!
Visit Waterford’s award winning museums to solve the Christmas clues and complete the trail – there may even by a special prize at the end.
The Trail begins at the Medieval Musuem. Available for children of all ages with purchase of a Freedom Pass.
Children under 16 go free but must be accompanied by a paying adult.