Shannon is the largest independent Waterford retailer in the U.S.

For centuries the Irish have been supreme artists in glass. It is one of the great traditions in the realm of art, a tradition founded on patient and meticulous hand craftsmanship. But the skill of Irish hands is only part of the story - there is also an uncanny power in those hands to impart something magical to glass. And in all of Ireland, no hands have been more patient, more meticulous, or more blessed with the elusive powers of art than the hands of Waterford crystal's craftsmen.

When the brothers George and William Penrose founded the Waterford Glass House in 1783, they made a bold promise - to make Waterford crystal in "as fine a quality as any in Europe… in the most elegant style."