County Waterford Contae Phort Láirge
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Motto: Déisi oc Declán co Bráth (Irish) "May the Déise remain with Declan forever" |
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Country | Ireland | |
Province | Munster | |
Dáil Éireann | Waterford | |
EU Parliament | South | |
County town | Waterford | |
Government | ||
• Type | City and County Council | |
Area | ||
• Total | 1,857 km2 (717 sq mi) | |
Area rank | 20th | |
Population (2011) | 113,795 | |
• Rank | 20th | |
• Density | 61/km2 (160/sq mi) | |
Vehicle index mark code |
W (since 2014) WD (1987–2013) |
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Website | www |
County Waterford (Irish: Contae Phort Láirge; the English name comes from Old Norse Vedrafjörður) is a county in the South-East Region of Ireland, in the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Waterford, which is derived from the Old Norse name Veðrafjǫrðr or Vedrarfjord. There is an Irish-speaking area, Gaeltacht na nDéise, in the south-west of the county. Waterford City and County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county at large, including the city, is 113,795 according to the 2011 census.
County Waterford has two mountain ranges, the Knockmealdown Mountains and the Comeragh Mountains. The highest point in the county is Knockmealdown, at 794m. It also has many rivers, including Ireland's third longest river, the River Suir (184 km); and Ireland's fourth longest river, the Munster Blackwater (168 km). There are over 30 beaches along Waterford's volcanic coast line. A large stretch of this coastline, known as the Copper Coast has been designated as a UNESCO Geopark, a place of great geological importance. The area around Ring (An Rinn) is a Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking area.