- Irish:
- Tiobraid Árann (“House of the Well of Ara”)
Tipperary
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Where is County Tipperary located?
County Tipperary is a geographic county in the province of Munster, in south-central Ireland. It is situated between the Rivers Shannon and Suir and is bordered by several other counties: Offaly and Laoighis to the north, Kilkenny to the east, Waterford and Cork to the south, and Limerick, Clare, and Galway to the west.
Administratively, the geographic county is divided into North and South Ridings, known as North Tipperary and South Tipperary, respectively. The county seats are located in Nenagh for North Tipperary and Clonmel for South Tipperary.
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What is the county town (main town) of Tipperary?
The geographic county of Tipperary in Ireland is divided into two administrative areas: North Tipperary and South Tipperary. The county towns, or seats, for each of these are Nenagh and Clonmel, respectively.
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What famous rivers or lakes are found in Tipperary?
County Tipperary in Ireland features several well-known bodies of water. Lough Derg, situated on the border with counties Galway and Clare, stretches 24 miles in length and has many islands. The River Suir flows through the lowlands of County Tipperary, passing through Thurles and near the Knockmealdown Mountains. It winds around the Comeragh Mountains before joining the Rivers Barrow and Nore and entering Waterford Harbour. The Rivers Tar and Anner are tributaries of the River Suir and are located in the south of Tipperary.
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What historical landmarks are found in Tipperary?
Tipperary in south-central Ireland has several historical landmarks. The Rock of Cashel, located in the town of Cashel, is one of Ireland's most significant archeological sites, featuring medieval ruins on a limestone outcrop that was once the stronghold of the kings of Munster. In Tipperary, the outline of a castle erected by Prince John (later King John), and a chancel arch from a 13th-century Augustinian abbey can still be seen. In Thurles, the ruins of the Abbey of Holy Cross, originally a Benedictine monastery and later transferred to the Cistercians around 1182, are well-preserved.
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How is Tipperary divided for local government purposes?
For local government administration, the geographic county of Tipperary is divided into two administrative areas: North Tipperary and South Tipperary. Each has its own county council and a county manager. The county towns (seats) for these ridings are Nenagh in the north and Clonmel in the south. Important policy decisions are made by the elected councils, while administration is the responsibility of the county manager, who usually consults with council members.
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What role has Tipperary played in Irish culture and history?
Tipperary, a geographic county in south-central Ireland, has a rich history and culture. Prince John, later King of England, gave land in southern Tipperary to Philip de Worcester in 1185 and land in northern Tipperary to Theobald Walter. Walter was then made chief butler of Ireland, which started the Butler family's fortune. In 1328, Edward III made Tipperary a county palatine in favor of the earls of Ormonde, who were part of the Butler family. The Rock of Cashel, the seat of the kings of Munster, is one of Ireland's most important archeological sites. A monument exists for the Manchester Martyrs, who were executed in 1867 for killing a police sergeant while trying to rescue two Fenian prisoners.
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Tipperary, geographic county in the province of Munster, south-central Ireland, occupying a broad strip of country between the Rivers Shannon and Suir. It is bounded by Counties Offaly and Laoighis (north), Kilkenny (east), Waterford and Cork (south), and Limerick, Clare, and Galway (west). The geographic county is now divided administratively into a North and a South Riding (called North Tipperary and South Tipperary), with the county towns (seats) at Nenagh and Clonmel, respectively; each riding has a county manager.
Physically, the geographic county may be divided into five main areas, each aligned northeast-southwest, as follows:
- (1) To the east of Lough (Lake) Derg is a lowland, with Nenagh as its main town. An extension of the Irish central lowland, it has many medium-sized farms (50 acres [20 hectares]) that concentrate on raising stock for sale and some crops, mainly oats and potatoes. At the lower end of Lough Derg, the Arra Mountains rise to 1,517 feet (462 metres).
- (2) The second area is a mass of hills, extending from the Limerick border and including Keeper Hill (2,277 feet [694 metres]) and Silvermines Mountain (1,607 feet [490 metres]) and running northeastward to the Devilsbit (1,577 feet [481 metres]) and the Roscrea gap; the hill belt is 20 miles (30 km) wide in the south. There are some tiny villages in the farmed valleys, the agriculture of which is similar to that of the surrounding lowlands.
- (3) East of these uplands is a corridor 15 miles (25 km) wide through which runs the main railway between Dublin and Cork. There is a covering of glacial drift, and peat bogs appear between Cashel and Thurles in the Golden Vale and in the upper River Suir valley. Cattle production dominates the local economies. Dairying is prominent near Tipperary town.
- (4) The Slieveardagh ridge comprises a number of hills around Fethard and Cashel and extends northward to the Nore Valley. The region, which has some coal seams, is farmed extensively.
- (5) The extreme south of the county consists mainly of the middle Suir lowlands and those of its tributaries, the Rivers Tar and Anner. All this lowland is well farmed, with medium-sized and large farms; dairying is the main resource. Around this lowland are four ranges—of mountains, the Galtees, the Knockmealdown, the Comeraghs, and Slievenaman.
In the north, Nenagh, Templemore, and Thurles are urban districts. In the south, Clonmel is a municipal borough, while Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, and Tipperary are urban districts. Much of the county’s industry is based on the processing of agricultural products. Dairying is important, and the main agricultural products include oats and potatoes. Anthracite coal used to be mined in the county, but mining is now limited to small quantities of lead, zinc, and copper.
England’s Prince (later King) John gave land in 1185 in southern Tipperary to Philip de Worcester and in northern Tipperary to Theobald Walter, who was created chief butler (or botiller) of Ireland; thus were founded the fortunes of the Butler family. In 1328 Edward III made Tipperary a county palatine in favour of the earls of Ormonde, the title of the Butler family, and throughout the late Middle Ages the earls of Ormonde were in the forefront of Irish politics. With the impeachment of the second duke in 1715, the palatine jurisdiction of Tipperary, the last of its kind in Ireland, was abolished. The Rock of Cashel, the seat of the kings of Munster, with its limestone outcrop and medieval ruins, is among the most important archaeological sites in Ireland. Area North Tipperary, 790 square miles (2,046 square km); South Tipperary, 871 square miles (2,258 square km). Pop. North Tipperary, (2006) 66,023; (2011) 70,322; South Tipperary, (2006) 83,221; (2011) 88,432.