Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Tipperary
5 places
1.St. Patrick's Well
One of Ireland's largest holy wells
A sheltered, tree-hung glen north of Clonmel where one of Ireland's largest holy wells wells up into a walled pool around an early Christian cross and a ruined church. Free to visit, and still a working pilgrimage site.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's largest holy wells
- Spring water that reportedly never freezes
- Early Christian cross on an island in the pool
2.Ormond Castle
Ireland's finest Elizabethan manor house, 1565
Grafted onto an older riverside castle, Ormond Castle is Ireland's finest Elizabethan manor house — built in 1565 by Thomas "Black Tom" Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, as a tribute to his cousin Queen Elizabeth I.
- Highlights
- A 33-metre Long Gallery with Tudor stucco plasterwork
- Portrait busts of Elizabeth I and Edward VI
- 40-minute guided tour of the state rooms and attic
3.Cahir Castle
A working portcullis in a 13th-century fortress
One of Ireland's largest and best-preserved castles, a 13th-century Butler stronghold on a rocky island in the River Suir that has doubled as a set for Excalibur and The Tudors.
- Highlights
- 13th-century island fortress of the Butler family
- One of Ireland's few working portcullises
- Great Hall with giant Irish deer antlers
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
4.Nenagh Castle
Climb 101 steps up a 13th-century round keep
A 13th-century cylindrical keep — widely called the finest of its kind — rising about 30 metres above the centre of Nenagh. Climb 101 stone steps for a 360-degree view across Tipperary to the Silvermines and Lough Derg.
- Highlights
- 101-step spiral stair to the roof
- 360-degree views over Nenagh and Lough Derg
- Free admission and free guided tours
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
5.Rock of Cashel
the most impressive medieval cluster in the country
A limestone outcrop rising above the Golden Vale, crowned with a round tower, a Romanesque chapel and a roofless Gothic cathedral. Seat of the kings of Munster and where Brian Boru was crowned High King in 978, it holds the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in the country.
- Highlights
- Cormac's Chapel and its 12th-century frescoes
- 28m round tower dating to around 1101
- Roofless 13th-century Gothic cathedral
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access