Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [285]
But the real crowd-pleasers are iconic Cashel, and Cahir and its castle. In between, you’ll find delights along pretty much any country road you choose.
Return to beginning of chapter
TIPPERARY TOWN
pop 4600
Tipperary (Tiobrad Árann) has a storied name, largely due to the WWI song. And indeed, you may find it a long road to Tipperary as the N24 and a web of regional roads converge on the centre and traffic often moves at the same speed as the armies at the Somme. The town itself has few pretensions and there’s no need to detour here.
The tourist office ( 062-80520; Excel Heritage Centre, Mitchell St; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) is reached via St Michael’s St, a side street leading 200m off the northern side of Main St. There’s a car park alongside the heritage centre, which also has a small gallery, a movie theatre, a good genealogy centre ( 062-80552; 9.30am-4.40pm Mon-Fri) and internet access (per 10min €1).
Banks, ATMs, bureaux de change and all manner of shops can be found along Main St.
Midway along Main St, there’s a statue of Charles J Kickham (1828–82), a local novelist (author of Knocknagow, a novel about rural life) and Young Irelander. He spent four years in London’s Pentonville Prison in the 1860s for treason.
There’s a regular food market in and around the Excel Heritage Centre’s parking lot.
Tipp’s Sporting Pub ( 062-51716; 50 Main St; mains €7-15) is also known as the Kirkham House in honour of the local patriot. This old pub has carvery lunches that include smoked haddock and cod pie.
Tipperary Racecourse ( 062-51357; www.tipperaryraces.ie; Limerick Rd) is one of Ireland’s leading tracks. It’s 3km out of town and has regular meetings during the year; see the local press for details. The course is within walking distance of Limerick Junction station. On race days there are minibus pick-ups from Tipperary town; phone for details.
Getting There & Away
BUS
Most buses stop on Abbey St beside the river. Bus Éireann (www.buseireann.ie) runs up to eight buses daily on the Limerick (€7.50, 40 minutes) to Waterford route via Cahir and Clonmel. Bernard Kavanagh ( 062-51563; www.bkavcoaches.com) runs one service daily to Dublin via Cahir and Cashel (€7, 50 minutes). Buses leave from outside the Marian Hall at the northern end of St Michael’s St.
TRAIN
To get to the train station, head south along Bridge St. Tipperary is on the Waterford–Limerick Junction line. There are two daily services to Cahir (25 minutes), Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir, Waterford and Rosslare Harbour, and multiple connections to Cork, Kerry and Dublin from Limerick Junction ( 062-51406), barely 3km from Tipperary station along the Limerick road.
Getting Around
Springhouse Bicycle Hire ( 062-31329; gmrbailey@eircom.net; Kilshane; rental day/week €20/80) has bikes, can offer cycling advice for the region, and will pick up and drop off bikes at the bus and train stations. It has a small B&B and is located on the N24, just southeast of Tipperary.
Return to beginning of chapter
GLEN OF AHERLOW & GALTEE MOUNTAINS
South of Tipperary are the shapely Slievenamuck Hills and Galtee Mountains, separated by the broad, chequered valley of the Glen of Aherlow. A 25km scenic drive through the Glen is signposted from Tipperary town. At the eastern end of the Glen, between Tipperary and Cahir, is Bansha (An Bháinseach). The village marks the start of a 20km trip west to Galbally, an easy bike ride or scenic drive along the R663 that takes in the best of the county’s landscapes.
The R663 from Bansha and the R664 south from Tipperary converge at Newtown at the Coach Road Inn ( 062-56240), a fine old pub that’s popular with walkers and a good source of information on the area. Another good resource is the local visitor information website at www.aherlow.com, which lists rural B&Bs in the area.
The terrain through the region ranges from the lush riverbanks of the Aherlow to pine forests in the hills and windswept, rocky