Housed in a stunning modern structure that incorporates several medieval buildings and part of the city wall in its basement (all on display), this museum documents Waterford's medieval history in glowing detail. The highlights of the collection are the extraordinary 15th-century cloth-of-gold church vestments, made from silk woven in Florence and embroidered in Bruges around 1460. Hidden beneath Christ Church Cathedral and forgotten for 123 years, they are a rare survivor and one of the great treasures of medieval Europe.
Other outstanding exhibits include the Great Parchment Book of Waterford, an original document that records in fascinating detail what medieval life was like, including cases of petty crime and the impact of the plague, and a ceremonial sword and two maces gifted to the city by England's Edward IV in 1462.