Reginald's Tower

Reginald's Tower, sometimes also known as Dundory Tower, stands in the city of Waterford, in County Waterford in Ireland.

The city of Waterford was founded by Vikings in the 9th or 10th century. Their walled town had a triangular shape as it was situated at the confluence of a, now disappeared, stream and the River Suir.

Reginald's Tower was built at the tip of that city wall by the Anglo-Normans after their conquest of Waterford, sometime during the 12th century. It is also famous for being the location of the wedding in 1171 of Richard de Clare, the 2nd Earl of Pembroke, and Aoife, daughter of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster. It occasionally served as a royal castle, and was visited by King John in 1210, who ordered new coins to be struck there. Richard II visited the tower in 1394 and again in 1399. He used the tower to store his munitions.

In 1495, the tower’s cannons successfully deterred the forces of Perkin Warbeck, the pretender to the throne of Henry VII.

In 1649, Waterford was unsuccessfully besieged by the army of the English parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell. They returned in 1650, and this time they were successful. A cannonball, visible high up the wall on the north side of the building, is lodged firmly in the wall, and is reputed to be from this siege. In 1690, following his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne, James II of England is said to have climbed to the top of the tower to take a last look at his lost kingdom before embarking for exile in France.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the tower was used to store munitions. In the early 19th century it functioned as a prison.

Reginald's Tower houses a museum which can be visited. Sadly enough this was closed due to renovations when I came by. A nice tower in a nice historic city. 

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