Ardfinnan Castle

Where Is Ardfinnan? Location, Roads and How to Get There

Ardfinnan is a Suir-side village in south Tipperary, between Cahir and Clonmel and a short drive from the Cork to Dublin motorway.

Ardfinnan is a village in south County Tipperary, on the River Suir and the R665, about 10 km from Cahir and 14 km from Clonmel. It had 978 residents at the 2022 census. The Knockmealdown Mountains rise to its south, and it is best known for Ardfinnan Castle on a rock above the river, seen from the old stone bridge.

Where Ardfinnan sits on the map

Ardfinnan lies on the southern side of the Golden Vale, in the Suir valley, at 55 m above sea level. Going upriver (west) brings you to Cahir, and downriver (east) to Clonmel, the county’s largest town (18,369 at the 2022 census). To the south, across the foothills, is County Waterford. Wikipedia’s coordinates are 52°18′35″N 7°53′07″W. For what the name means, see What Does Ardfinnan Mean?.

The roads

The R665 runs from Mitchelstown to Clonmel through Ballyporeen, Clogheen and Ardfinnan. It meets the M8 at Kilshanny, the R668 at Clogheen and, at Ardfinnan, the R670 and the Suir crossing. Historically it was part of the route between Dublin and Cork, and a turnpike road. The R670 links the village to Cahir, and Cahir is where most visitors leave the M8, which passes west of the town with access at junctions 10 and 11. The N24 (Limerick to Waterford) bypasses Cahir to the north and east, and runs on to Clonmel.

Distances and drive times

These are road figures built from published ones, and the exact distance depends on your route and where you start. Use a route planner for the day.

Public transport

• Bus: Bus Éireann route 245 stops in Ardfinnan, five times a day each way on weekdays and three at weekends, linking Clonmel, Mitchelstown, Fermoy and Cork. The 245X serves Dublin and Cork via Cahir.
• Train: Ardfinnan has no station. Cahir is on the Waterford to Limerick Junction line (unstaffed, no ticket office, per Visit Cahir) and Clonmel also has a station. Neither has a Sunday service. Cahir is about 10 km away.
• Airports: The pages we checked do not give airport times, so we won’t state any. Cork, Dublin, Shannon and Waterford are the usual choices; use the TFI journey planner or a map to compare, then continue by car or bus.

What to do when you arrive

Park in the village and walk to the bridge. The castle is a private home, so the bridge is the viewing point: is Ardfinnan Castle open to the public?. The bridge now has a one-way traffic-light system, in place since the end of 2015, so be careful. For longer trips see Day Trips from Ardfinnan, Walks Around Ardfinnan and Things to Do Near Ardfinnan.

FAQ-style quick answers

Which county is Ardfinnan in? Tipperary, in the province of Munster.

Is Ardfinnan near Cahir? Yes, 10 km.

Is it on the Cork to Dublin road? Not directly. The M8 passes at Cahir and Kilshanny; the R665 through the village was once part of the older route.

Who founded the village? Tradition credits Saint Finnian (Fíonán Lobhar) in the 6th century with an abbey here; see Saint Finnan and early Christian Ardfinnan.