My Favourite Room: Inside an American magnate’s Copper Coast dream home — ‘This will be my final resting place’

In 1996, wealthy American Jim Thompson saw a period house in Waterford that intrigued him. Sixteen years later, he found himself the proud owner and he and his wife, Sally, have transformed it

Sally and Jim Thompson in the main drawing room. Like the rest of the house, it’s wonderfully decorated in interesting colours. Sally, along with two of her cousins, is responsible for the decor. The fireplace is one of many already in the house, though they had been told this one would never work. "Now, they all do," says Jim. Photo: Tony Gavin

Mary O'Sullivan

Fáilte Ireland has had great success in rebranding certain areas in the country in the last few years — the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East spring to mind. Another is the Copper Coast around Waterford. It’s a romantic, alluring title, but not everyone realises that it gets its name from the fact that, back in the early 1800s, we had thriving copper mines and many locals earned their living working there.

Latest NewsMore