“It’s a long way to Tipperary,” as the famous World War I song goes, but that’s no reason to miss out on the great fun and wonders the Munster county has in store.
Here are our top five places to visit in County Tipperary.
The Rock of Cashel
After the Cliffs of Moher, the Rock of Cashel is one of the most iconic images of Ireland – a spectacular complex of medieval buildings upon a limestone outcropping in Tipperary’s Golden Vale. The Rock of Cashel is steeped in mythology. Legend has it that it formed when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave in Devil’s Bit, the nearby mountain. Prior to the Norman Invasion of Ireland, it was the seat of the Kings of Munster.
Most of the buildings that survive today date to the 12th and 13th centuries, in particular the round tower, which dates from 1100, Cormac’s Chapel, the chapel of King Cormac Mac Carthaigh, which was consecrated in 1134, and the Cathedral, which was finished in 1270. Stunning examples of Celtic art are also contained within.
The Rock of Cashel is open year-round, and guided tours are available. Some parts may be off-limit due to ongoing preservation work.
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St. Patrick’s Holy Well, Clonmel
St. Patrick’s Holy Well, Clonmel.
Just outside the town of Clonmel sits St. Patrick’s Well, one of the most famous and largest holy wells in all of Ireland. Legend has it that St. Patrick himself stopped there to bathe or even perform baptisms, and today the well remains a site of pilgrimage and historic interest, as well as of exceptional beauty. It sits at the bottom of winding steps in a small glen, with a holy well and an ancient stone cross, which sits in the middle of a small island in the middle of a pond, dating to the fifth century.
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Mitchelstown Caves
Mitchelstown Caves.
Mitchelstown Caves in Co Tipperary were discovered in 1833 by Michael Condon, a local farmer. Condon was breaking stones for his house when he lost a crowbar in a crack. He found the cave while trying to locate his tool by digging along the crack.
The caves are considered some of the most spectacular caves in Ireland and are amongst the finest limestone caves in Europe. Tours are conducted daily through almost half a mile of this cave, which includes three massive caverns.
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The Glen of Aherlow
The Glen of Aherlow.
Once a historic pass between Limerick and Tipperary, the Glen of Aherlow is now one of Ireland’s top holiday destinations. The glen follows the River Aherlow from the Galtee Mountains to the ridge of Slievenamuck, in the western part of Tipperary. The glen offers hiking paths, cycling trails, fishing, picnic areas and scenic viewpoints, the most famous of which is the Statue of Christ the King, who blesses “the Glen and all who pass by.”
There are also a number of prehistoric and early Christian sites throughout the glen, including St Pecaun’s Holy Well, St Berrihert’s Well & Kyle, and St Sedna’s Well in Clonbeg Churchyard.
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Did we leave out any of your favorite places in County Tipperary? Let us know in the comment section, below.
* Originally published in 2016. Updated in 2024.
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