Tipperary is a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland, with a population in 2016 of 4979. Although it gives its name to the county, it's never been the county town - since 1838 that role has been shared between Clonmel to the south and Nenagh to the north. Its Irish name Tiobraid Árann means "The Well of the Ara", i.e. the source of that river in the soggy fields west of the racecourse. The main reason to visit, apart from the races, is to explore the Glen of Aherlow which lies a few km south.

See County Tipperary for the story of the British music hall song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".

Get in

Trains run every couple of hours from Dublin Heuston via Kildare, Portlaoise and Thurles to 1 Limerick Junction (90 min), which is 3 km northeast of Tipperary town. They continue south to Mallow and Cork, while connecting trains head west to Limerick.

2 Tipperary railway station is 300 m south of town centre. It has a connecting train to the Junction twice a day. The axe has long hovered over this branch service, and in summer 2020 no trains are running.

Expressway Bus 55 runs daily every two hours from Limerick city to Limerick Junction and Tipperary, continuing to Cahir, Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford. The bus between Tipperary and Cashel is axed.

Get around

To the racecourse it's a five minute walk from the railway station or a 40 minute walk from town.

You need wheels to explore the Glen of Aherlow.

See

The Manchester Martyrs

• Kickham Monument midway along Main St commemorates Charles Kickham (1828-1882), the poet, writer, orator and founder-member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. He was born at Mullinahone near Fethard, County Tipperary; he lived mostly in Dublin whenever he wasn't on the run or in jail.
• 1 The Maid of Erin Statue on Main St commemorates the three Manchester Martyrs, publicly hanged in Salford, England in 1867 for shooting dead a policeman while rescuing two Fenians from a police van. They had not fired the fatal shot, but they were part of an armed mob of 30-40 men that ambushed the van. Five men were sentenced to death, but one of them was a US citizen and had his sentence commuted. Another was pardoned when the witness testimony against him was shown to be blatantly false. The same testimony had convicted the others, but in a climate of anti-Irish hysteria, an example had to be made. William Philip Allen, Michael Larkin, and Michael O'Brien were those hung, and their unfair trial and botched execution greatly swelled support for the Irish Republican cause.
• 2 Aherlow is the tiny village at the heart of Glen Aherlow. This scenic valley descends 20 km from Galbally in the west to Bansha (on N24) to the east: by car or bike follow R663. Its north side is formed by the wooded ridge of Slievenamuck, with R664 climbing over from Tipperary via viewpoints and the Christ the King statue. Its south side is the Galtee Mountains, with Galtymore the highest point. Near Aherlow village is Clonbeg Church, with St Sedna's Holy Well.
• 3 St Berrihert's Kyle in the glen is a stone enclosure crowded with ancient slabs, carvings and crosses, though the enclosing wall is modern. The nearby holy well was reputed to heal scalds and burns.
• 4 Galtymore is one you might be content to view from a distance. A Munro of 918 m (3011 ft), it doesn't demand technical skills, but the ascent is one long slog, often steep and muddy. The usual approach is from the south, see Cahir. Trails from the Glen of Aherlow are even longer.
• 5 Moor Abbey is the ruin of a 13th century Franciscan friary. It's on the boundary with County Limerick just east of the village of Galbally.
• See Cashel for Athassel Priory and the stump of Golden Castle, along N74 east of Tipperary.

Do

• 1 Tipperary Racecourse, Limerick Junction (Next to Limerick Junction railway station), ☏ +353 062 51357, info@tipperaryraces.ie. This course hosts both flat racing and National Hunt (jumps) April-Oct. The biggest meeting is "Super Sunday" on the first Sunday in October. Adult from €10. (updated Jul 2020)
• Ballykisteen Golf Club is 500 m northwest of the racecourse.
• 2 Tipperary Golf Course is 1.5 km south of town.

Buy

• Lidl is the main store in town, east end of Main St. It's open M-Sa 08:00-22:00, Su 09:00-21:00.

Eat

• Apart from those that are just takeaway, town centre has Sohos Asian Street Food, Flanagan's Lane (formerly Brazil), Dragon Inn, Shamrog's Bistro, River View, Prime 74, Crystal Palace and Ziafat Tandoori.

Drink

• Town centre pubs are Kickham House, Kiely's Lounge Bar, Lowry's, Maid of Erin and O'Brien's.

Sleep

• 1 Ach na Sheen Guest House, Clonmel Rd, Tipperary E34 YT18, ☏ +353 62 51298. Welcoming well-run B&B in town centre. No dogs. B&B double €90. (updated Jul 2020)
• Casey's and Emmett House are B&Bs on Main Street.
• The Bit & Bridle Inn opposite the racecourse has rooms.
• 2 Kilshane House, Tipperary E34 C674 (N24 five km east of town), ☏ +353 62 82444. Grand mansion built in 1822 with four large bedrooms, and conservatory built 1860 with 12 standard-size rooms. It's often booked for wedding parties. (updated Jul 2020)
• 3 Ballyglass Country House is an excellent mid-range B&B along R664 towards the hills.
• 4 Bansha Castle built 1760 is available for self-catering lets, 7 bedrooms, sleeps 14-16.

Connect

There's a good mobile and 4G signal in town from all three carriers. As of July 2020, there are dead spots along the outer roads especially to Cashel, and 5G has not yet reached this area.

Go next

• Cashel is a must-see for the Rock and nearby religious sites.
• Cahir has a river island castle and the playful Swiss Cottage.
• Waterford is an interesting port with a mix of old and new.
• Limerick is a lively miniature Dublin.