Ardmore () is a seaside resort and fishing village in County Waterford, Ireland, not far from Youghal on the south coast of Ireland. It has a permanent population of around 430, that increases in the tourist season. It is believed to be the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland. According to tradition, Saint Declan lived in the region in the early 5th century, 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 the Michelin-starred restaurant, The House, at the Cliff House Hotel. History Ecclesiastical history At the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111, recognition was given to the Diocese of Ardmore, reputedly founded by Saint Declan, one of the Munster saints said to have preceded Saint Patrick in bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was regarded as a patron saint of the Déisi of East Munster. A bishop of Ardmore swore fealty to Henry II of England at Cashel, as a suffragan of its archbishop, in 1171. The last reference to an independent bishop of Ardmore dates to 1210, when Innocent III listed it as one of Cashel's eleven suffragan dioceses. No longer a residential bishopric, Árd Mór is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see. The parish, now called that of 'Ardmore and Grange', is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. St. Paul's, an old Church of Ireland church in the village, is part of the parish of Youghal. Ecclesiastical ruins On a hill above the village is a well-preserved 30-m-high, 12th-century round tower and the ruins of a cathedral dating from the 12th and 13th centuries with an adjacent 8th-century oratory. One of the outer walls of the cathedral features some stone carvings retrieved from an earlier 9th-century building. The carvings include a very early image of a harp, images of Adam and Eve in the garden and a representation of "Solomon's judgement". The cathedral also contains two Ogham stones, which rest in small alcoves. Some elements of the original structure can still be seen within the building. The present Church of Ireland church is close to this complex. Maritime history Within the last few decades, Ardmore has lost its status as a fishing village as fishing laws became more restrictive. Harbour development remains unfunded and larger fishing vessels are unable to