Things to see and do in Tipperary

Things to see and do in Tipperary

Tipperary has loads to keep you busy, there are tons of things to see and do! Tipperary is located in the providence of Munster, Its located about 2 hours 30 minutes from Dublin.

Tipperary has some really cool old buildings and one of the most well known in Ireland. Tipperary is located in southern Ireland, the population of the county of Tipperary is just under 160,000 people. Its also known as the Premier county or just “Tipp” for short. Tipperary has a strong GAA history, Tipperary has had some really good hurling teams down through the years.

Tipperary has some lovely little towns and villages to check out, its a lovely part of the Emerald Isle! Tipp is steeped in history, The Rock of Cashel used to be the site where the old high kings of Munster were crowned, now that’s real history!

Check out my post on Celtic Symbols of Ireland Explained here!

Check out the Rock of Cashel

The famous Rock is a beautiful site to see. The Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland’s top attractions. The famous old castle features a number of old medieval buildings on its grounds.

There is a 12th century round tower, this is the oldest surviving building on the big rock. You can see the ruins of an old Romanesque church called Cormac’s Chapel, this old chapel is one of the best surviving building of Romanesque design in the whole of the Emerald Isle!

The Rock of Cashel is an important site in terms of Irish history, it was the ancient royal site for the High Kings of Munster, the history of the Rock dates back to the fourth and fifth centuries. The Rock has been associated with two iconic important figures in Irish history, the famous Saint Patrick and the great man himself Brian Boru!

Brian Boru was given the crown as High King at the Rock of Cashel in the year 990, he went on to unite Ireland for a period of time and battled the Vikings out of Ireland back in the day! You can walk around the Rock and check out the old buildings on the site and even try some sheep’s milk Tea and there is sheep’s milk coffee available from a foodie van right next to the Rock!!!

Pop around to Cahir Castle

Ireland is full of old castles and churches, Tipperary has some really cool old buildings to see. Cahir Castle is located on the River Suir in the centre of Cahir town in Tipperary.

This large imposing castle dates back to the 13th century, this super cool building was designed and built on the orders of Conor O Brien, it was a very defensive design, the castle seen many battles and sieges down through the centuries, you can go inside and check this huge building and grounds and learn about some medieval castles in Ireland.

Tickets are priced at 5.00 euros for adults and there is a family ticket for 13.00 euros available. There are some nice audiovisual displays to check out with loads of information about the castle and its long history.

See Lough Derg in Tipperary

The area of Lough Derg in Tipperary is a beautiful scenic paradise. There are heaps of activities to do in the Lough Derg region, there’s sub-aqua diving, water skiing, boating, golf, horse riding, fishing and angling and beautiful walking routes, one of them being the Lough Derg way.

Lough Derg is the largest lake on the River Shannon, its located between the counties of Tipperary, Galway and mighty Clare, it’s a true gem of Ireland with some beautiful areas to see. To be honest Lough Derg has it all and plenty to keep you busy! Iris unreal as we say in Ireland!

Check out the Galtee Mountains

The Galtee’s are a sight to see as we say in Ireland. These mountain ranges are huge, rugged, wild and wonderful. If you like hiking and walking you will love the Galtee mountains.

This super cool mountain range is the largest inland mountain range in the whole of Ireland. The highest part of the Galtee’s is 3,009 feet now that’s high up! The area has a number of beautiful lakes or lough’s as some people call them!

You will see lots of forestry land with loads of different tree species and cool plants like the rare arctic-alpine plants that grow on the Galtees. It’s just another cracker of a spot we have in Ireland to check out!!!!

Check out Ballyporeen the Ancestral Home of Ronald Regan

Ballyporeen is the ancestral home of former US President Ronald Regan, President Regan’s great grandfather was baptised in Ballyporeen in the year 1829. Ballyporeen is a small Irish village located around a 40-minute drive from Tipperary town.

The village is charming and has a few nice Irish pubs to check out. Ronald Regan visited Ballyporeen in1984 on his visit to Ireland, it definitely a cool little Irish village to check out!

Visit Mitchelstown Cave

Mitchelstown cave is located in Cahir in County Tipperary, the cave was discovered by accident in May 1833 by Michael Condon. The underground chambers turned out to be huge when Michael and two other men went exploring the cave.

Mitchelstown Cave is a cool attraction to visit, its full of interesting geological surroundings, and stalactites and stalagmites. There are footpaths installed in the cave to make it easy to get around, and the tours of the cave offer some very interesting information.

Nenagh Castle

This super cool old medieval castle is located in the town of Nenagh. Nenagh is a 55-minute drive from Tipperary town. This old Irish castle dates back to around the 1200s, its cool cylindrical design was part of a defensive fortress design.

The castle is built from limestone and its FREE to visit and there is a FREE tour to check out. The castle has four-storeys to check out with a total of 101 steps to the top, it was recently renovated. Nenagh castle opens from April to October each year, you have to pop in for a look!

Saint Patricks Well

Another cool site to check out while in Tipperary is Saint Patrick’s Well, this old holy well is located in Gortmore. Gortmore is a 30-minute drive from Tipperary town, this super cool well is steeped in history and legend.

The holy well has 600 gallons of water, legend has it that the famous man Saint Patrick wandered onto the site back in the day, the story goes that Saint Patrick threw a large staff which hit the pagans dark god of harvests and destroyed their altar which was at this famous site, now that’s some old Irish stories for you!

Its is believed this well is a place of magic, and you can hear echoes from songs of the ancient Celts from the water bubbles! Its is indeed a scared well and one to definitely check out while in Tipperary!

Larkin’s Bar and Restaurant

This retro thatched pub is located in a lovely part of Tipperary, this pub is located in the area of Garrykennedy. Garrykennedy has a lovely little harbour full of boats, its a really nice scenic spot! Larkin’s has a cool thatched roof, it has a real traditional Irish pub feel, the décor is really nice and the food is excellent.

You can sit out the front of the building on timber benches or there is a cool large beer garden out the back of the pub to enjoy. This is Irish pub is 300 years old, it’s in an area with loads of activities like boat rental, sailing, clay shooting and Portroe diving facility.

Larkin’s cater for large and small groups, tours, events and corporate groups and they can cater for weddings, the pub has some great Irish music sessions to check out, it’s a cracker of a pub in Tipperary to visit and sink a few pints!!!

Check out my post here on my Ireland Travel Guide here!

I hope you find this post useful, I welcome any questions or suggestions by email to info@all-things-ireland.com

Thanks

John Conway

All Things Ireland