Things to Do in Tipperary

The Ultimate Tipperary Road Trip: A Loop from Ardfinnan

One loop of roughly 130 km links the county's castles, its cave, its mountains and its river towns, and brings you back to the Suir by evening.

The southern half of County Tipperary is made for a circular drive. A castle on an island in the Suir, a limestone cave, a valley between two mountain ranges, a rock crowned with medieval ruins and the county town all lie within about 30 minutes of each other. The loop below starts and ends at Ardfinnan and runs to roughly 130 km, about two and a half hours at the wheel on our road estimates, so give it a full day or split it across two. Distances are approximate; check a live map before you set out.

The route at a glance

Ardfinnan sits on the R665, with Cahir about 10 km away by the R670 and Clonmel 14 km (Wikipedia). The other legs are our own estimates from road routing, so treat them as a guide and not a promise.

Stop 1: Ardfinnan, then Cahir

Start with the bridge. Ardfinnan’s medieval multi-arch bridge carries the road over the Suir below the Anglo-Norman castle, which is a private home but looks best from the water. Then take the R670 north. About 2 km south of Cahir, you pass the Swiss Cottage, a cottage orné built in the early 1800s for the 1st Earl of Glengall. Interior tours are small (maximum 12) and first come, first served (Heritage Ireland).

In Cahir, Cahir Castle is on its island in the Suir. The OPW lists an audiovisual presentation, an exhibition and guided tours, plus a river walk, and notes that film-makers have used it for Excalibur and The Tudors (Heritage Ireland). Allow a good hour. More in the Cahir and Swiss Cottage day-trip guide.

Stop 2: Mitchelstown Cave

Head south-west from Cahir to Burncourt. Michael Condon found the cave by accident on 3 May 1833, while quarrying limestone, and in 1972 it became the first cave in Ireland developed for the public (Wikipedia). Tír na nÓg is the largest cavern; the Tower of Babel is a calcite column. Entry is by advance booking only, so telephone first (official site). Leave a gap in the day for your slot. Wet-weather bonus: it is underground.

Stop 3: Glen of Aherlow

Drive north to the glen, a valley about 13 km long between Slievenamuck and the Galtee Mountains (Wikipedia). The Christ the King statue, built in 1950 on Slievenamuck, is the landmark and the trailhead for a network of walks. If you want legs-stretching without a full hike, choose a short loop from the car park and stop for a snack in a village such as Galbally or Lisvarrinane.

Stop 4: Rock of Cashel

From the glen it is around 20 minutes to Cashel. The Rock is a group of medieval buildings on a limestone outcrop: round tower, high cross, Romanesque chapel, Gothic cathedral and tower house. The only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland are in Cormac’s Chapel, which is visited by guided tour only. Most visits take 1 to 1.5 hours. The site is exposed and can close at short notice in bad weather (Heritage Ireland), so phone ahead if the forecast is poor. Cashel itself is a town of 4,805 (2022 census) with its former Church of Ireland archbishop’s palace reopened as a hotel in 2022 (Wikipedia).

Stop 5: Clonmel, then home

Finish in the county town. The Main Guard, a former courthouse on Sarsfield Street built by the Duke of Ormond, has a restored arcade and a free exhibition space (Heritage Ireland). Clonmel is also where Cromwell’s siege ended in May 1650 and where Laurence Sterne, author of Tristram Shandy, was born (Wikipedia). From here it is about 14 km back to Ardfinnan.

Variations

• Short version (half day): Ardfinnan, Swiss Cottage, Cahir Castle, back by the R670.
• Two-day version: overnight at Ardfinnan after Mitchelstown and the glen, then Cashel and Clonmel on day two. See a weekend in Tipperary.
• Add the hills: the Knockmealdown Mountains run along the Tipperary-Waterford border south of Ardfinnan, with the pass known as the Vee (Wikipedia). Pack a map and waterproofs; weather turns quickly on high ground.
• Wet day: swap the glen for indoor stops; see what to do in Tipperary when it rains.

Why start in Ardfinnan

The loop is circular, so any town works, but Ardfinnan puts you at the centre of it, on a historic crossing of the Suir. See the castle guide and the bridge before you leave. For more places, browse the Tipperary castles and Tipperary attractions hubs.

Opening hours and prices change. Check heritageireland.ie and each attraction’s own site before you travel.