Places to Visit in Ireland

Day Trips from Ardfinnan: 10 Easy Outings in Tipperary and Waterford

Ardfinnan puts a castle, a cave, a mountain pass and the Rock of Cashel inside one easy day's driving.

Ardfinnan is a small village on the River Suir with 978 people at the 2022 census, but it is well placed. Cahir is about 10 km away, Clonmel about 14 km, and the Knockmealdown Mountains stand over the village to the south. Everything below can be done as a half or full day from here. Distances marked “about” from Ardfinnan are the figures Wikipedia gives; others are rough, so check a map on the day.

Start by seeing the home castle: Ardfinnan Castle is a private house, best seen from the bridge (see is it open to the public?).

1. Cahir Castle (about 10 km)

The obvious first choice. Heritage Ireland calls Cahir Castle one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved castles, set on a rocky island in the Suir and a stronghold of the Butler family. It was considered almost impregnable until the Earl of Essex took it in 1599. There is an audiovisual show, guided tours and an exhibition. Read more in Cahir Castle.

2. The Swiss Cottage (about 12 km)

About 2 km south of Cahir off the R670, the Swiss Cottage is a cottage orné from the early 1800s built for Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Glengall. It is visited by guided tour only. Our Swiss Cottage guide has the detail, and the Cahir and Swiss Cottage combined day shows how to pair them.

3. Clonmel (about 14 km)

County Tipperary’s largest town sits in the Suir valley under the Comeragh Mountains. Look for the West Gate, the Main Guard and the Tipperary Museum of Hidden History. It is also where you pick up the Suir Blueway.

4. The Rock of Cashel (roughly 27 km via Cahir)

Cashel is about 17 km beyond Cahir, so allow roughly 27 km from Ardfinnan. The Rock is “the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland” according to Heritage Ireland: a round tower, Cormac’s Chapel with Ireland’s only surviving Romanesque frescoes (guided tour only), and a Gothic cathedral. Brian Boru was crowned King of Munster here. See Rock of Cashel.

5. Mitchelstown Cave

A show cave found by accident on 3 May 1833 when quarryman Michael Condon dropped his crowbar into a crevice. It is in County Tipperary, near Burncourt, and the official site points drivers to M8 exits 11 or 12. Tours are by booking. See Mitchelstown Cave.

6. The Vee and the Knockmealdowns

The Vee is a high pass on the R668 where the old mail coach road crosses the Knockmealdowns between Clogheen and Lismore. It is roughly 8.5 to 10 km south of Clogheen. The highest peak, Knockmealdown, stands at 794 m. Details in the Knockmealdowns and the Vee.

7. Lismore

Over the pass is Lismore, County Waterford, 12.5 to 15 km beyond the Vee. Lismore Castle is privately owned by the Devonshires, who open the gardens to the public. St Carthage’s Cathedral has been a place of worship since the 7th century. Like Ardfinnan, it is a castle town where the castle is a family home.

8. Glen of Aherlow

A wooded valley about 13 km long between Slievenamuck and the Galtee Mountains, with the Christ the King statue (built 1950) as a viewpoint and a network of trails. Allow roughly half an hour on from Cahir (an estimate). See Glen of Aherlow and the Galtee Mountains.

9. Burncourt Castle

A roofless gabled ruin near Clogheen, easy to fit between the Vee and home. See Burncourt Castle.

10. The Waterford Greenway

The 46 km Waterford Greenway, opened in March 2017, runs from Waterford city to Dungarvan with three viaducts, 11 bridges and a 400 m tunnel. It does not run through Lismore, so treat it as a separate outing from the Vee and Lismore day.

Combining them

• Castles day: Cahir Castle, Swiss Cottage, Cashel.
• Mountains day: Clogheen, the Vee, Lismore.
• Wet-weather day: Mitchelstown Cave, then Cahir.

For more ideas see Things to Do Near Ardfinnan, and for walking from the village there is a separate guide. Before you set out, check where Ardfinnan is and how to reach it. For opening hours and prices, always use heritageireland.ie or each attraction’s own site.