Lewis's Topographical Dictionary - Waterford City

The original foundation of the city is by some writers referred to the year 155; but its antiquity as a place of any importance cannot be traced beyond the year 853, when it is said to have been built by the DANES or Ostmen, under their leader, Sitiricus or Sitric.  The city, for that period, was a place of great strength, sur-rounded with walls; and the scattered notices of the colony which are still preserved, shew that the inhabit-ants maintained among themselves an independent and sovereign authority, and that they were for a long time the terror, if not the absolute masters, of a vast extent of country.  Up to the time of the English settlement, the colony strictly avoided all intimate connexion with the native inhabitants of the country, and preserved all its ancient customs, manners, and character, unchanged. In 893 it is recorded that Patrick, son of Ivor or Imar, King of the Danes of Waterford, was slain; and in 937, that the Danes of Waterford wasted all the county of Meath. According to the annals of Tigernach, Imar, King of Waterford, laid waste the county of Kildare; and in 995 succeeded Anlaffe in the occupation of Dublin: he died in the year 1000, and was succeeded, in 1003, by his son Reginald, who built the celebrated tower known by his name, corruptly called Reynold's and now the Ring Tower. This tower was erected in 1003, and is said to be the oldest-in Ireland: in 1171 it was held as a fortress by Strongbow; in 1463 a mint was established in it by Edward IV. and recently, in 1819, it was rebuilt and formed into a police barrack. Another Imar of Waterford is recorded to have been slain, in 1022, by the King of Ossory, and to have been succeeded by a second Reginald, styled by the Irish O'Hiver, who in the same year was killed by Sitric II. In 1038, Cumana, King of the Danes of Waterford, was killed by the people of Upper Ossory, or, as is otherwise stated, by the treachery of his own subjects; and in the same year the city was burnt by Dermot Mac-mel Membo, King of Leinster.  It was also burnt in 1087, by the people of Dublin.  The Danes of the place having, in 1096, embraced the Christian religion, and elected Malchus, a Benedictine monk who had been for some time at Winchester, for their bishop; sent a letter to Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, to request his con-secration, which was granted; and Malchus, on his return, assisted in the erection of a cathedral, which was dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and is now called Christ Church. It appears that, about this time, there was a mint, a silver coin having been found with the inscription "Wadter" on the reverse, and attributed to one of the Danish kings.