Castles of Tipperary

Cahir Castle, Co. Tipperary: Ireland's Great Fortress on the Suir

A thirteenth-century Butler stronghold on a rocky island in the Suir, one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Ireland.

Cahir Castle is a medieval fortress on a rocky island in the River Suir, in the middle of Cahir town in County Tipperary. The Office of Public Works (OPW) manages it through Heritage Ireland, which calls it one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved castles. It was the stronghold of the Butler family, who held it from 1375 until 1961, and it is open to visitors with guided tours, an exhibition and an audiovisual show.

An island fortress

The name comes from the Irish cathair, a stone fort, and the castle stands on or near an earlier fort of that kind. Wikipedia dates its foundation to 1142, under Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond, and Heritage Ireland says it was built in the thirteenth century as the Butlers’ stronghold. In practice the sources point to a long building history: the castle was enlarged and remodelled between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, and it is built in two parts, the street side being roughly two centuries older than the side that now houses the audiovisual show.

Heritage Ireland says its design was “at the cutting edge” of defensive castle building when it went up. The island setting, with the river on every side, explains why.

The Butlers

In 1375 the castle was granted to James Butler, newly created Earl of Ormond, in return for loyalty to Edward III. The Butlers kept it for nearly six centuries. By the end of the eighteenth century it had fallen into ruin. Wikipedia records that the Great Hall was partly rebuilt in 1840 and that the castle was partly restored in the 1840s. After the last Butler-Charteris resident died in 1961, the estate was broken up and the state acquired the castle. It was declared a National Monument in 1964, and the OPW restored it and opened it to the public in 1971.

Sieges

Cahir was thought impregnable, and its record in war is a good summary of how Irish castle warfare changed.

• 1599. The Earl of Essex took it after a three-day siege. Heritage Ireland notes that heavy artillery was used against it for the first time. Travel Extra reports that a culverin ball from the siege is still lodged in the north-east tower.
• 1647. It surrendered to Murrough O’Brien, Lord Inchiquin, after his victory at the Battle of Knocknanauss.
• 1650. It surrendered to Oliver Cromwell without a shot fired.

What to see inside

• The portcullis. Frommer’s describes original gateways with a portcullis still intact, and Travel Extra says it still works, with its mechanism visible to visitors.
• The keep and towers. Guided tours cover the keep, spiral staircases, dungeons and towers.
• The Great Hall, restored and furnished, with the antlers of a giant Irish deer.
• The audiovisual show, a 15-minute film giving an overview of the castle’s history.

The castle has also had a screen career, appearing in Excalibur (1981), The Tudors, The Green Knight (2019) and The Last Duel (2020).

Visiting

The address is Castle Street, Cahir, E21 P652. Admission, seasonal opening hours and online booking are on the official Heritage Ireland page for Cahir Castle, and you should check there before you travel, since times change through the year. Wear sturdy footwear: Heritage Ireland warns of uneven walkways and a handrail to hold in places. Bus groups must pre-book.

From Ardfinnan

Cahir Castle is about 10 km, or roughly 15 minutes by road, from Ardfinnan, itself a Norman castle on the Suir worth seeing from the village bridge. The two make a natural pair. Ardfinnan is a private home you admire from outside; Cahir is the one you can walk through. For a longer day see Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage and our overview of the castles of Tipperary.