Tipperary

I

Introduction

Tipperary, county in the province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, flanked by Galway and Offaly to the north, Laois and Kilkenny to the east, Waterford and Cork to the south, and Limerick and Clare to the west. It has a total land area of 4,254 sq km (1,642 sq mi). It is the only county in Ireland that is divided into two administrative divisions, North Riding and South Riding.

II

Land and Resources

Tipperary is an agricultural county of rolling green fields and sweeps of open farmland, bordered to the north and north-east by mountains. The Golden Vale, a rich belt of farming country, is shared by both ridings. It is about 24 km (15 mi) wide and runs north-east to south-west, between Thurles in the north and Cashel in the south, and is a mixture of peat bogs and glacial drift. To the west near the Limerick border, and east of Lough Derg, is a belt of low-lying land, bordered to the south by the slatey heights of the Arra Mountains rising to 462 m (1,516 ft). In the south, the Knockmealdown Mountains form the boundary with Waterford. Groups of hills and mountains run north-east from the Limerick border. Keeper Hill rises to 694 m (2,277 ft), Silvermines, just south of Nenagh, to 489 m (1,604 ft), and Devil's Bit to 481 m (1,578 ft). The River Suir rises to the north of Templemore and flows through the county. The River Nore rises near Devil’s Bit, to the north-west of Templemore and flows through Laois and Kilkenny.

Farms vary in size; in the east and north they are medium-sized and used for livestock-raising and growing oats and potatoes. In the Golden Vale the farms are larger and mainly raise cattle for sale. Around the town of Tipperary (South Riding) dairy farming predominates; the county is a major producer of dairy products. In the North Riding peat is extensively worked, and anthracite, copper, lead, and zinc are mined.

Tipperary has a mild climate. The average annual January temperature is 5° C (41° F) and in July 16° C (61° F). The average annual rainfall is 1,000 mm (39 in) on lowlands, and more on the higher ground.

III

Population and Administration

Tipperary has a population of 132,762 (1991). Ninety-six per cent of the population is Roman Catholic. About 60 per cent of the population lives in rural areas.

Nenagh is the administrative seat for the North Riding. There are also town councils (formerly urban district councils) at Nenagh, Templemore, and Thurles. In the South Riding, Clonmel is the administrative centre; there are additional town councils at Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Clonmel, and Tipperary.

IV

Places of Interest

Nenagh is an important agricultural centre and has a 13th-century cathedral. Most of the towns in the North Riding are market towns serving the local rural community, with some manufacturing. Rosecrea, in the north, is an ancient monastery site, manufactures cloth, and has a brewery and distillery. It is also a walking and climbing centre. Templemore was used as a location in Lavengro by George Borrow and is the home to the training college for Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Síochána. Thurles, another market town and urban district centre, was settled in pre-Christian times. Today it manufactures peat briquettes. Thurles also has a Roman Catholic cathedral.

Clonmel is an ancient, riverside market town and a centre for local horse and dog breeding. Three writers are associated with Clonmel: George Borrow went to the Grammar School; Laurence Sterne, author of Tristram Shandy, was born there; and Anthony Trollope lived in Clonmel after his marriage. Tipperary town is a major railway hub—the most important in the country after Dublin—and a market and industrial town. Nearby are the ruins of a large medieval monastery. Cashel, another marketing and retail centre, is a base for visitors to one of Ireland’s most-visited sites, the Rock of Cashel, a 4th-century fortified religious community, which rises 91 m (300 ft) from the Golden Vale. It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Munster. The Bolton Collection of illuminated manuscripts is preserved in the town. Carrick-on-Suir is the site of the remains of a Gothic castle that is reputed to be the birthplace of Anne Boleyn.