Things to Do Near Ardfinnan: The Suir Valley and the Knockmealdowns
Ardfinnan sits on the Suir with a castle, a mountain range and three of Tipperary's best-known sights all within easy reach.
Ardfinnan is a village of fewer than a thousand people (978 at the 2022 census) on the River Suir and the R665. It is also a very good base. Within a short drive there is a thirteenth-century castle on a river island, a Regency “cottage”, a limestone cave, a mountain pass and one of the most important medieval sites in Ireland.
Distances below are the ones we can source: Cahir is about 10 km from Ardfinnan by the R670, and Clonmel about 14 km (Wikipedia). For the rest, check a map for the day you travel.
In Ardfinnan itself
Start at home. The 14-arch bridge, begun soon after the castle was finished, still carries the road over the Suir, and the ford it replaced was an important waypoint for pilgrims. The Anglo-Norman castle above it was built in 1185, according to Wikipedia, by Prince John; it is a private home and not open to the public, but it is best seen from the bridge and the riverbank. Read the full story in who built Ardfinnan Castle.
The Suir here is fishing water. Ardfinnan Anglers hold licensed rights to roughly 15 km of bank, with brown trout and salmon, so anglers should enquire locally about permits. The old Ardfinnan Woollen Mills, which employed up to 300 people at their peak and closed in 1973, are part of the village’s story too.
Cahir Castle
The obvious first stop. Cahir Castle stands on a rocky island in the Suir and dates to the thirteenth century, the stronghold of the Butler family. It was considered almost impregnable, and still fell to the Earl of Essex in 1599, when heavy artillery was used against it for the first time. Much of the original structure survives, including the keep, the moat and the curtain walls, and there is an audio-visual show and guided tours. Film-makers have used it for Excalibur and The Tudors.
It is open year round on seasonal hours. Check heritageireland.ie for the current times and prices before you set out. Our day-trip guide covers how to combine it with the Swiss Cottage.
The Swiss Cottage
About 2 km south of Cahir, off the R670 Ardfinnan road, which means you can pass it on the way. It is a cottage orné, a deliberately picturesque country cottage, built in the early 1800s for Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Glengall, and designed (the owner “managed to persuade” the Regency architect John Nash, says the OPW). It has a thatched roof, a spiral staircase and decorated rooms. The interior is by guided tour only, first come first served, with a maximum of 12 people per tour, and there is no indoor photography. Details: Heritage Ireland.
Mitchelstown Cave
Michael Condon found this cave by accident on 3 May 1833 while quarrying limestone, and visitors have been going underground ever since. It lies at Burncourt, Co. Tipperary, just across the border from Mitchelstown in Co. Cork. Its chambers include Tír na Nóg, the largest cavern, and the column called the Tower of Babel. The cave’s own site says entry is by booking, so ring ahead, and says it is about twenty minutes from the Rock of Cashel. See mitchelstowncave.com.
The Vee and the Knockmealdown Mountains
South of Ardfinnan, the Knockmealdowns run east to west along the Tipperary–Waterford border. The highest point, Knockmealdown, is 794 m, in County Waterford. The Vee is a high pass where the old mail-coach road ran from Lismore to Clogheen. The range breeds red grouse and hen harriers, so keep dogs on leads in the nesting season and stay on paths. (Wikipedia)
Weather changes quickly on the high ground. Take a map, proper boots and a waterproof, even on a bright morning.
The Rock of Cashel
Further north, but worth the drive. The Rock is a limestone outcrop crowned with a round tower, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral and a fifteenth-century tower house. It was a seat of the kings of Munster, and Brian Boru was proclaimed King of Munster here in the late tenth century; he became High King of Ireland only in 1002. Cormac’s Chapel holds the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland, and is visited by guided tour only, with limited tickets sold on site. Allow one to one and a half hours; the site is exposed and may close at short notice in bad weather. Hours and prices: heritageireland.ie.
Clonmel
The county town, with 18,369 residents in 2022 and a very different feel from the villages. The name is Cluain Meala, “honey meadow”. In May 1650 the town was besieged by Oliver Cromwell, whose assault on the breach was repelled by the garrison under Hugh Dubh O’Neill before they slipped away at night; the mayor, John White, then surrendered on good terms. Laurence Sterne, the author of Tristram Shandy, was born here in 1713. Look for the Main Guard, a former civic building, and the West Gate, a nineteenth-century reconstruction. (Wikipedia)
Putting a day together
- Castle day: Ardfinnan bridge in the morning, the Swiss Cottage on the road to Cahir, then Cahir Castle.
- Hills day: the Vee and the Knockmealdowns, with lunch in a village on the way back.
- Underground and above: Mitchelstown Cave, then the Rock of Cashel the same afternoon, remembering the cave needs booking.
For a wider view of the island, see our shortlist of amazing places to visit in Ireland, or browse the castles of Ireland.
Prices and hours change. Always check the official site before travelling.
