Things to do in County Tipperary
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Cahir Castle
Cahir's awesome castle is feudal fantasy in a big way, with a river-island site with moat, rocky foundations, massive walls, turrets and towers, defences and dungeons. Founded by Conor O'Brien in 1142. this castle is one of Ireland's largest. It was passed to the Butler family in 1375. In 1599 it lost the arms race of its day when the Earl of Essex used cannons to shatter the walls, an event explained with a huge model.
The castle was surrendered to Cromwell in 1650 without a struggle; its future usefulness may have discouraged the usual Cromwellian 'deconstruction' – it is largely intact and still formidable. It was restored in the 1840s and again in the 1960s when it…
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Cashel Heritage Town Centre Museum
Located in the town hall next to the tourist office; displays include a scale model of Cashel in the 1640s.
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Catalpa
Accomplished Italian cooking at what many locals consider to be Clonmel's best restaurant ranges from classic antipasti platters and pizzas to mains like veal escalopes with Parma ham and mozzarella in sage and marsala sauce.
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County Courthouse
South of Parnell St you'll spot the refurbished County Courthouse, designed by Richard Morrison in 1802. It was here that the Young Irelanders of 1848, including Thomas Francis Meagher, were tried and sentenced to transportation to Australia.
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Farmers Market
Cahir's farmers market attracts the region's best food vendors.
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Franciscan Friary
West along Mitchell St (past the town hall with its statue commemorating the 1798 Rising) and south down Abbey St is the Franciscan friary. Inside, near the door, is a 1533 Butler tomb depicting a knight and his lady. There's some fine modern stained glass, especially in St Anthony's Chapel to the north.
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Kearney's Castle Hotel
Although it looks like a grand old castle (part of the building does comprise a medieval fortified tower), inside it's dungeon- dark and modernised, but there's a good range of meat, fish and poultry dishes.
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Mikey Ryan's
Local gathering spot.
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Niamh's
This smart deli and cafe has a wide range of appealing lunch options (gourmet burgers, pan-fried pork and lasagnes, plus creative sandwiches). Eat in the cafe or take your order away and head to the banks of the Suir.
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Other Medieval Sights
Fethard's main concentration of medieval remains (some of which have been incorporated into later buildings) are just south of the church at the end of Watergate St. Beside Castle Inn are the ruins of several fortified 17th-century tower houses. Just under the archway to the river bank and Watergate Bridge is a fine sheila-na-gig (a sexually explicit medieval depiction of a woman) embedded in the wall to your left. You can stroll along the river bank, provided the resident geese are feeling friendly. From here, the backs of the Abbey St houses, although much added to and knocked about in places, once again display the pleasing irregularities of typical medieval building…
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Sean Tierney
Wander the warren of rooms and floors of this narrow old pub until you find a spot that's just right. The ground-level bar is always alive with craic.
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Bishops Buttery Restaurant
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Carraig Hotel Restaurant
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Cathedral
This 13th-century Gothic structure overshadows the other ruins. Entry is through a small porch facing the Hall of the Vicars Choral. The cathedral's western location is formed by the Arch-bishop's Residence, a 15th-century, four-storey castle that had its great hall built over the nave. Soaring above the centre of the cathedral is a huge square tower with a turret on the southwestern corner. Scattered throughout are monuments, panels from 16th-century altar tombs and coats of arms. If you have binoculars, look for the numerous stone heads on capitals and corbels high above the ground.
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Danny Ryan Music
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Excel Heritage Centre Cafe
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Farmers Market
Carrick-on-Suir's farmers market is held next to the tourist office, reached by a narrow laneway off Main St.
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Kickham House
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Round Tower
On the northeastern corner of the cathedral is an 11th- or 12th-century round tower, the earliest building on the Rock of Cashel. It's 28m tall and the doorway is 3.5m above the ground – per-haps for structural rather than defensive reasons.
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Coachman
Traditional pub on Parnell St (near Nelson St).
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Book Nook
Has a good selection of local-interest, general and travel books.
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Phil Carroll
Near Nelson St, this diminutive place is Clonmel's most atmospheric old boozer.
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Farmers Market
Cahir’s farmers market attracts the region’s best food vendors.
reviewed
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Sophie’s Bookshop
Cute; has a good selection of general and travel books, as well as books of local interest.
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Farmers Market
The local farmers market is held weekly in the Heritage Centre yard, off of Main St.
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