page_title: Ardmore, County Waterford
section_title: Features
hierarchical_section_title: Ardmore, County Waterford / Features
caption_attribution_description: English: Ardmore Peninsula
context_page_description: Ardmore is a seaside resort and fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland, not far from Youghal on the south coast of Ireland, with a permanent population of around 430, that increases in the tourist season. It is believed to be the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland. Saint Declan lived in the region at some time in the period 350–450 AD and Christianised the area before the coming of Saint Patrick.
  In September 2014, Ardmore was included on a shortlist of Ireland's top tourist towns composed by Fáilte Ireland. It is home to Ireland's only hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant: The House at the Cliff House Hotel.
context_section_description: The village includes two hotels, a number of pubs and restaurants, a seasonal petrol station, a pier and slipway, and one  store. There are also one or two sports clubs and a primary school. It boasts a mile-long beach, commonly termed the Main Beach, and several other beaches, such as Goat Island, Ballyquin, the Curragh, and Whiting Bay. Ardmore is a popular seaside resort, but has had difficulty maintaining its Blue Flag beach status due to an outdated sewage system (early works on updating the system commenced 2006) and modern farming practices which result in run-off from fields and subsequently into the bay, especially at the village end of the beach. Paradoxically, the absence of an adequate modern sewerage system has slowed down the pace of housing development in Ardmore compared with some other seaside villages in the southeast thus preserving much of its charm. In 2006 a new hotel opened, replacing the older Cliff Hotel."12 Irish hotels to visit before you die". Independent.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  In 1992 this village was the overall winner of the Irish Tidy Towns Competition.
  There is a cliff path beginning near the Cliff House Hotel and ending back in the main street. The walk, which has marker posts erected along the route, passes an old remodelled Coastguard Station, St Declan's Cell and Holy Well, a ruined church, the wreck of the Samson, an abandoned coast guard lookout from 1939/45 and another, much older, lookout tower. Further along there is another well with stone canopy, known as Fr. O'Donnells Well. The monastic complex is atop the hill above the village.
caption: The Ardmore Peninsula
exif: {"Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS5 Windows"}