South Tipperary Heritage Plan 2012-2016 - The Heritage Council

South 

Tipperary 

Heritage Plan 

2012-2016

“Heritage is not so much a thing of the past 

but of the present and the future.” 

— Michael Starrett 

Chief Executive, the Heritage Council

South Tipperary Heritage Plan 

2012-2016 

Text compiled and edited by Jane-Anne Cleary, Labhaoise McKenna, 

Mieke Muyllaert and Barry O’Reilly 

in association with the South Tipperary Heritage Forum 

Produced by Labhaoise McKenna, Heritage Officer, South Tipperary County Council

© 2012 South Tipperary County Council 

This publication is available from: 

The Heritage Officer 

South Tipperary County Council 

County Hall, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary 

Phone: 052 6134650 

Email: labhaoise.mckenna@southtippcoco.ie 

Web: www.southtippheritage.ie 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in 

a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written 

permission in writing of the publisher. 

Graphic Design by Connie Scanlon and print production by James Fraher, Bogfire 

www.bogfire.com 

This paper has been manufactured using special recycled fibres; the virgin fibres 

have come from sustainably managed forests; air emissions of sulphur, CO2 and 

water pollution have been limited during production. 

Captions 

Inside front cover and small title page: 

Medieval celebrations along Clonmel Town Wall during Festival Cluain Meala. 

Photograph by John Crowley 

Frontispiece: 

Marlfield Church. Photograph by Danny Scully 

Title page: 

Cashel horse taken on Holy Cross Road. Photograph by Brendan Fennessey 

Inside back cover: 

Hot Horse shoeing at Channon’s Forge, Clonmel. Photograph by John D Kelly. 

Back cover: 

Medieval celebrations along Clonmel’s Town Wall as part of Festival Cluain Meala. 

Photograph by Joe Kenny 

Round bails around a ruin in Cashel. Photograph by Ruth Maher 

Sheep on Slievenamon. Photograph by Clare Lee 

Children enjoying pumpkin soup at the Aimsir Bia community Garden in Cashel. 

Photograph by Annie Dalton

CONTENTS 

Address from County Manager 6 

Address from Cathaoirleach 6 

Acknowledgements 7 

Our Heritage 8 

Why have a Heritage Plan? 8 

Community is key 8 

Creating the plan 9 

Aim of the plan 9 

Heritage Forum 9 

Setting the scene 9 

Archaeology 12 

Built Heritage 17 

Culture 24 

Nature 30 

The River Suir 34 

Actions 36 

Who is already taking action for our heritage 40 

Plan for success 42 

South Tipperary Heritage Forum Members 44 

Community Feedback 45

Address from the Cathaoirleach, 

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald 

South Tipperary is renowned for its rich heritage. We have everything from iconic sites such 

as the Rock of Cashel and Ormonde Castle to hidden gems such as Athassal Abbey and 

Fethard Walled Town. Our landscape is shaped by the River Suir, Golden Vale and extensive 

mountain ranges – Galtees, Knockmealdowns and Comeraghs. Slievenamon stands alone and 

has become a symbol for our county with many stories, legends and folklore attached to it. 

South Tipperary County Council is very proud of our heritage here in South Tipperary. 

We have many local festivals and events throughout the year to celebrate what we have on 

our doorstep. There are events such as Festival Cluain Meala and Fethard Medieval Festival 

celebrating our Walled Towns. We have the Clonmel Agricultural Show and the Glen of 

Aherlow Walking Festival celebrating our natural heritage. There is no end to celebratory 

events over the summer months to remind us of what a wonderful place we live in. 

The South Tipperary County Museum is one of our many cultural assets where we have 

seen enormous growth in its community inclusive programming. The award winning Heritage 

in Schools Project has seen huge advancements year on year. We also have a purpose built 

archive facility in Carraigeen where people can access their local archives. 

Our heritage is our ‘sense of place’ – what makes us unique in South Tipperary. We are 

known nationally through our sporting endeavours and internationally through song ‘Its a 

Long Way to Tipperary’. We hope to bring more people to Tipperary to appreciate what we 

have here – our heritage, our county, our home. I hope you will work alongside the local 

authority to deliver this worthwhile plan to protect, conserve and celebrate our heritage 

for the years to come. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Heritage Forum and in particular to 

Labhaoise McKenna and Jane Anne Cleary for all their help and support in preparing this 

plan and in the delivery of all of our heritage projects. I also want to thank the Cultural 

Team who work tirelessly to enhance our awareness of heritage. 

Address from the County Manager, 

Billy McEvoy 

It is a pleasure to join with the Cathaoirleach of South Tipperary County Council in welcoming 

our second County Heritage Plan. The formulation of this plan has come at a time where 

there is a need for some positivity in the local community. Heritage projects provide an 

opportunity for people to come together and work together for the sake of community. We 

have a very strong heritage in the community in South Tipperary and I hope this plan will 

act as a guide and manual to point groups and individuals in the right direction for further 

information or in how to get involved in local projects. The plan will be realised through 

community partnership working alongside the local authority and other government agencies. 

This plan has come about through an extensive community participation process 

over the past few years. I would like to thank all those who took part in public meetings, 

seminars and workshops in particular the Elected Members, Heritage Forum and members 

of the public. I would also like to congratulate all those involved in the production of this 

Heritage Plan as it is a feast for the eyes and showcases the rich built, cultural and natural 

heritage of this county. The manual approach is a very useful way to engage people and to 

provide the guidance and support required to deliver heritage projects. 

I am very pleased that South Tipperary County Council has approved this plan and I 

would like to extend the support of the local authority for its implementation. I wish every 

success to those who help to deliver this plan at a government, agency and local level. In 

particular I would like to pay tribute to our Heritage Officer, Labhaoise McKenna and other 

members of the Cultural Team for their excellent work and significant contribution they have 

made to this plan and the ongoing appreciation of heritage in South Tipperary. 

6

Acknowledgements 

South Tipperary County Council wishes to thank all those who made contributions to this 

plan, through participating in workshops or sending in submissions, comments and photographs. 

We would particularly like to thank Jane-Anne Cleary who compiled the initial 

draft document and who has worked continually on bringing the plan to fruition. Thanks 

are also due to the South Tipperary Heritage Forum who have helped make this plan – in 

particular Barry O’ Reilly, Mieke Muyllaert and Mary Guinan-Darmody who have written 

sections or edited versions of the plan. All the Heritage Forum members have participated 

in the creation and delivery of the plan and we are very grateful for their continued support. 

All the images for this plan have been donated free of charge and thanks are due to all 

those who have contributed images, in particular, Marie McMahon of the County Museum, 

local authority staff and the NIAH. Thanks also to Michael Coady who has given permission 

to publish his poem ‘Friars’ Rock’. 

Thanks are also due to our Heritage Officer, Labhaoise McKenna who undertook the 

public participation workshops, facilitated the Heritage Forum action workshops and oversaw 

the delivery and production of the plan. 

South Tipperary County Council would like to thank the Heritage Council for their 

support and funding of County Heritage Plan projects to date in the county. 

For further information on the South Tipperary Heritage Plan and heritage projects 

in the county please contact the Heritage Officer at South Tipperary County Council, 

County Hall, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Email: heritage@southtippcoco.ie; Tel 0526134650; 

www.southtippheritage.ie 

Lady Blessingtons Bath, Kitty Collins, South Tipperary County Museum Collection 

‘Our heritage is our “sense of place” – what makes us unique in South Tipperary’. 

‘Heritage projects provide an opportunity for people to come together 

and work together for the sake of community’. 

7

OUR HERITAGE 

From the majesty of the Galtee mountains, to the medieval remains of the walled 

towns; from the surge of the Suir to the sounds of ‘Slievenamon’ at the hurling match 

on Sunday, our heritage surrounds us, it gives us a sense of place and a sense of pride 

unique to any other. The word ‘Heritage’ embraces our history, our inheritance, our 

landscape both natural and built, and our culture. It defines us as a community and 

gives us our individual identity. Our heritage is not a fixed thing; we need to protect 

and conserve while welcoming responsible change and development to ensure the 

heritage of future generations. 

Red-tailed bumble bee. 

Photograph by Kevin Collins 

WHY HAVE A HERITAGE PLAN? 

The National Heritage plan sets out the necessity for each locality to have an 

individual heritage plan that outlines heritage important to them, actions they intend 

to implement and guidelines on how progress will be monitored. The Heritage 

Plan is not a policy document but it does draw and build on information provided 

in the County Development Plan. The plan fulfils local, national and international 

obligations and outlines actions to benefit and promote our heritage over a specific 

timeframe. The Heritage Plan is first and foremost for everybody and can be used 

in a number of ways. The Plan showcases the exclusive and unique heritage that 

South Tipperary has to offer, fascinating ruins to be visited, grand designs to be 

appreciated, breath-taking landscapes to be witnessed, folklore and festivals to 

be enjoyed and stories to be uncovered. People can also use the Plan to see how 

they as individuals or as groups can get involved in projects outlined in the Plan. 

The Plan can be used as a manual by heritage interest groups seeking support and 

funding for local projects. 

COMMUNITY IS KEY 

As our heritage is such an important and valuable asset, we need to become aware 

and educated on all aspects of it. For responsible development and change to occur 

we need to strike the correct balance between development and conservation. To 

meet this challenge, we must make informed decisions and educate and make ourselves 

aware of the value heritage has, and understand the role it plays in our lives. 

It is important for the whole community to get involved and immersed in our heritage 

as it enhances all of our lives. A partnership between a broad-base of contributors 

including local authorities, government and the Heritage Forum is essential but the 

success of the plan is dependent on local people getting involved. 

Marie and Harry McMahon at the Medieval 

Banquet during Festival Cluain Meala 

Hunstsman at Tullamain. 

Photograph by Clare Lee. 

8 

Taking part in ‘Place to Bee’ biodiversity cafe in Clonmel

CREATING THE PLAN 

Extensive workshops were held to ensure that the community were engaged and 

involved and together with the Heritage Forum and Heritage Officer the Plan was 

created. This Heritage Plan builds on the heritage plan 2004-2008. The objectives 

of the plan are realistic and practical and reflect the current economic climate. The 

actions are clearly set out and implementation within a specified time-frame will 

ensure progress and positive results. 

AIM OF THE PLAN 

The aim of this plan is to: develop and enhance awareness and appreciation of the 

heritage of South Tipperary through the joint participation and work of both the 

Heritage forum and local community; highlight and promote heritage and conservation; 

and through best practice protect and conserve the unique heritage that makes 

South Tipperary such a special place to live and that gives us our proud identity. 

HERITAGE FORUM 

The South Tipperary Heritage Forum is a group of people, both individuals and those 

representing different agencies who have come together to support the role of the 

Heritage Officer in the county. There are representatives from national government 

departments, local authorities, NGOs and local specialist interest groups. A full list 

of members is on page 44. 

H e r i ta g e : 

Archaeology 

Architecture 

Nature 

Culture 

SETTING THE SCENE 

Tipperary or Tiobraid Arann means the ‘Well of Ara’. The county is divided into 

two administrative areas for local government purposes but will be rejoined in 2014, 

at which time this Plan may be reviewed. South Tipperary covers an area of about 

2,257 km and has a population of 83,221 and growing. ‘The Golden Vale’, a large 

strip of fertile land, stretches across the county in the basin of the River Suir. The 

Galtee and Knockmealdown mountains dominate the landscape to the west and 

south and Slievenamon rises in the east watching over the county. Tipperary has a 

rich heritage and lives up to its title of ‘The Premier County’. For the purposes of the 

Plan, heritage has been divided up into four sections: Archaeological, Architectural, 

Natural and Cultural Heritage. In reality it is the combination of all four and the 

relationship the community has with them that make heritage so valuable and 

beneficial in all our lives. 

Man and his dog soaking up the medieval 

atmosphere during Festival Cluain Meala 

In Medieval Dress during 

Festival Cluain Meala 

9 

Members of the Heritage Forum working in the Suir River Cafe

ADOPT A MONUMENT/Greenspace 

In 2010, South Tipperary County Council 

started an ‘Adopt a Monument’ project. 

The idea of the project is to offer support 

and advice to community groups who 

want to take on heritage projects that 

deal with the key themes of conservation, 

access improvement, and interpretation. 

Five sites have been involved in the pilot 

project to date: Tipperary Hills, Cashel 

Town Walls, Inch Field in Cahir, Fethard 

Town Hall/Tholsel and The Grange 

Monument. The different groups cover 

a variety of aspects of heritage including 

nature, buildings and monuments. Each 

group takes its own unique approach but 

they all have the same goals – to look after 

their site and to help others to use, enjoy, 

and learn about it. In the future it may be 

possible to extend this project to other 

community groups. 

The groups are to provide guidelines / 

manual for their site in conjunction with 

the Heritage Forum in order to: 

n keep an eye on monuments/green 

spaces and monitor their condition / 

upkeep and to get involved in site 

maintenance where appropriate; 

n do research into the lesser-known 

monuments / potential projects; 

n help to produce leaflets / 

interpretation about the site 

n help to promote sites, where 

appropriate; 

n devise monument trails in different 

parts of the county, especially round 

some of the lesser-known publically 

accessible monuments; 

n provide an enhanced visitor 

experience / lead guided walks round 

the sites. 

For updates and further details see 

www.southtippheritage.ie. 

Cahir Castle. 

Photograph by Damian Lizun 

Fethard Town Hall / Tholsel. 


10

Slievenamon Bog 

has been designated 

as a Natural 

Heritage Area 

protected under 

Irish law. 

There is a prominent 

and modern 

landmark near 

Killusty — a White 

Cross erected in the 

Holy Year 1950. 

Slievenamon, Sliabh 

na mBan, means the 

mountain of the 

women and the name 

is believed to have 

come from an Irish 

legend in which 

Fionn Mac Cumhail 

chose his bride by 

holding a race up 

the mountain — the 

first woman to the 

top won his hand in 

marriage! 

Slievenamon 

Alone, all alone, by the wave-washed strand 

All alone in the crowded hall 

The hall it is gay and the waves they are grand 

But my heart is not there at all, 

It flies far away, by night and by day 

To the times and the joys that are gone 

But I never can forget the sweet maiden I met 

In the valley of Slievenamon. 

It was not the grace of her queenly air 

Nor the cheeks of the roses glow 

Her soft dark eyes or her curly hair, 

Nor was it her lily white brow. 

‘Twas the soul of truth and of melting ruth, 

And a smile like the summer’s day. 

That stole my heart away on that bright summer’s day 

In the valley of sweet Slievenamon. 

In the festive ball and the wave-washed shore 

My restless spirit cries - 

‘My land, oh my land, shall I never see you more, 

My country will you never uprise’. 

By night and by day I will ever, ever pray, 

As darkly my life it rolls on, 

To see our flag unrolled and my true love unfold 

In the valley near Slievenamon. 

— Charles Kickham 

There are a number 

of archaeological 

ruins on the 

mountain, e.g., the 

ancient burial cairn 

at the summit which 

is said to mark the 

entrance to the 

Celtic Underworld. 

After word of a 

secret ‘War of 

Independence’ 

meeting in 

Ninemilehouse was 

rumbled, it was 

moved to the summit 

of Slievenamon. 

The mountain is 

used for farming, 

forestry, hill-walking, 

pilgrimages and 

welcomes locals 

and tourists alike to 

celebrate its unique 

beauty. 

Slievenamon stands 721m high, an iconic landmark in Tipperary. 

It is a place where many aspects of our heritage are found together, 

a place where people work, live and visit. Its distinctive shape makes it 

instantly recognisable and a worthy emblem of South Tipperary. 

Slievnamon and Landscape from the air 

11

ARCHAEOLOGY 

When we think of heritage, we often think of the 

past. Archaeologists are people who try to find out 

how we lived long ago, from the Mesolithic era c. 

7000BC-4000BC to the Post Medieval era c.1600 

AD- c.1750AD. Archaeology includes sites, like ‘raths’ 

or ‘ring forts’; remains such as old skeletons found in 

ancient burial grounds, and artefacts like flint arrowheads. 

Sometimes findings can be accidental such as the 

‘Derrynaflan Hoard’, and sometimes they are discovered 

during planned surveys, such as the excavations at the 

site of the Cashel bypass. Occasionally these finds 

are valuable, like a gold hoard, but usually their true 

value lies in the stories they reveal about how our 

ancestors lived - what they ate, where they lived and 

what they believed. South Tipperary has a vast range of 

archaeology from various parts of history which reveal 

our heritage through the ages and the evolution and 

development of our county. Monuments and ruins are 

dotted around the county and exhibitions from various 

periods in South Tipperary’s rich history can be seen in 

the County Museum in Clonmel. 

n Two flint 

blades found 

on Cashel 

Bypass 

excavations 

represent the earliest 

evidence for human 

activity in South 

Tipperary c.7000BC. 

‘In the 

Shadow of 

the Galtees’ 

– An NRA 

publication 

n Sherds of pottery and a stone axe head 

were discovered at Monadreela during the 

Cashel Bypass excavations. 

n Signs of settlement can be seen in 

Hughes’ Lot, a rectilinear enclosure 

surrounding a roundhouse that has been 

dated to the Late Bronze Age or Iron Age. 

n A human bone with cut marks suggestive 

of battle wounds were found on the site of 

a ringfort in Hughes’ Lot East in Cashel. 

Round House Landscapes of the River Suir 

Mesolithic 

(7000-4000BC) 

Bronze Age (2500-500BC) 

Ringfort 

7000-4000BC 4000-2500BC 2500-500BC 400AD-900AD 

Neolithic (4000-2500BC) 

Early Medieval (400AD-900AD) 

n Passage tombs 

at Shrough on 

Slievnamuck, 

south of 

Tipperary Town. 

Cist Grave 

n Cremation Cemetery 

where over 20 burials 

(including one in a stone ‘cist’ 

or box-like structure) were 

discovered on the Cashel 

Bypass excavations. 

Ahenny Cross 

n Christianity was introduced to South 

Tipperary. 

n High Crosses at Ahenny. 

n The Derrynaflan Chalice, part of the 

Derrynaflan Hoard, was discovered in 

1980 by Michael Webb. 

n Two previously unrecorded ring-forts 

were discovered in Hughes’ Lot. The 

larger site (c.50m in diameter) consisted 

of a double ditched enclosure with 

evidence for structures in the interior. 

The Office of Public Works is responsible for the National Monuments that are open to the public On the first 

Wednesday of every month there is free admission to the fee paying sites: The Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle and Swiss 

Cottage. Their other sites – the Ormond Castle (Tudor Manor House), The Main Guard and the War House – are 

free throughout the open season. Check www.heritageireland.ie for up-to-date opening arrangements and information. 

12

Cashel Town Wall before conservation work funded 

under the Irish Walled Town Network 

Cashel Town Wall after conservation work funded 

under the Irish Walled Town Network 

n ‘Barrows’ or earthen mound 

burial monuments outside 

Emly and Lattin. 

Iron Age (500BC-400AD) 

n South Tipperary is best known 

for its rich medieval heritage. 

The walled towns of Fethard, 

Cashel, Carrick-on-Suir and 

Clonmel are the best examples of 

this period. 

n The Anglo-Norman population 

built these walls around the 

13th Century. The native Irish 

were ‘contained’ outside of the 

walls, but were let in for trading 

during the day. Street-names 

like ‘Irishtown’ in Clonmel are a 

reminder of these restrictions. 

n A famous ‘sheela na gig’ can be 

seen inserted into one of the 

Fethard Walls. 

n Important sites from this era 

include the Holy Trinity Church 

in Fethard, The Rock of Cashel, 

Kilcooley Abbey, Athassel 

Abbey near Golden, Cahir 

Castle, and Ormond Castle. 

Medieval (1169-1600 AD) 

Davin Boat Exhibition at 

South Tipperary Museum 

Davin Boat 

n The Davin Boat holds 

a special place in local 

history. Maurice Davin 

from Deerpark, Carrickon-Suir 

who helped found 

the G.A.A., was also a 

champion rower. He won 

many regattas in a 38ft 

rowing boat which he built 

himself. In 2006 it was 

donated to the County 

Museum by Davin’s grandnephew 

Pat Walsh. The 

boat underwent analysis 

and conservation work. 

The boat is said to be a 

unique example of mid-late 

19th century lap stroke 

construction and is today 

on display in the County 

Museum. 

Modern 

500BC-400AD 850AD-1169AD 1169-1600 AD 1600-1750 present day 

Viking (850AD-1169AD) 

n A hoard of Viking Hack Silver was discovered 

in a ringfort in Kilmacomma, Clonmel near 

the banks of the River Suir which is on display 

in the County Museum. Further downstream a 

large Hiberno – Norse trading site was found 

on the banks of the River Suir at Woodstown. 

St Patrick’s Well, Michael 

Burke. Courtesy of South 

Tipperary County Museum 

Post Medieval (1600-1750) 

Cromwell in Clonmel. 

n The Siege of Clonmel took place in April – May 

1650. During the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland 

8000 of Cromwell’s men besieged the town. 2000 

Irish led by Hugh Dubh O’ Neill defended the town 

and killed around 2000 of Cromwell’s ferocious army, 

their largest loss in one day. 

n St. Patrick’s Well is the site of the ruins of a 17th 

Century chapel. The remains of an altar tomb of 

Nicholas White can be found inside the ruins. There 

is an early Christian cross in the centre well and the 

water is said to have healing powers. This historic 

site makes for a picutresque and tranquil setting for 

pilgrims and tourists alike. 

13

ESSENTIAL DOS AND 

DON’TS OF GRAVEYARD 

CARE AND CONSERVATION 

Do 

n Contact your local Heritage Officer 

before you begin 

n Check ownership and legal status of 

graveyard/seek owner’s permission 

n Plan a programme of work and begin 

with the least difficult tasks 

n Retain healthy trees – favour native 

species 

n Maintain existing pathways 

GRAVEYARDS - A WINDOW ON THE PAST 

Graveyards are an integral part of the local community they 

are a final resting place for those who have gone before us and 

can be a tranquil and powerful place to remember our loved 

ones. Graveyards are also an important feature of the historic 

landscape and frequently provide clues to understanding our past. 

Graveyards have decorative ironwork, mature trees and ornate 

sometimes ancient gravestones. They are of archaeological and 

architectural interest and serve as wildlife habitats and as stores 

of local genealogy, sculpture and art. Reading inscriptions on 

gravestones gives a unique insight into the person buried and the 

times they lived in e.g. famine, conflict, and epidemics. A visit to 

a graveyard steeps us in local heritage and immediately connects 

with the past. It is for these reasons that careful consideration 

should be shown when conserving and managing our graveyards. 

Local communities are participating in conservation projects in 

conjunction with the County Council. Currently the Council 

provides and maintains 116 burial grounds around the County and 

supports the voluntary burial grounds committees who look after 

these burial grounds by providing annual maintenance grants and 

also amenity grants. 

n Keep boundary walls, banks and 

hedges 

n Keep any architectural and sculptural 

fragments, record their position and 

report to the National Monuments 

Service and National Museum of 

Ireland 

Don’ts 

n Start without professional advice and 

a clear plan 

n Demolish or remove anything from 

the site without the permission of the 

National Monuments Service 

Kilcooley Graveyard. Photograph by Labhaoise McKenna 

n Use machinery to clear or level the site 

n Burn vegetation or use total spectrum 

weedkiller 

n Plant wild plants, or uproot ivy or 

trees, 

n Use wire brushes or sandblasters 

n Move gravestones without 

archaeological advice or supervision 

Graveyard Care and Conservation Seminar. Photograph by Labhaoise McKenna 

PLACENAMES 

Place names can tell us a lot about where we live and are an excellent 

reflection of heritage from the past. History, culture, topography 

and language of an area are often exhibited in a place-name. South 

Tipperary has a vast range of place-names, each one depicting a 

story of that area. 

14

Can you guess the modern names of these well-known places? 

THE MEADOW 

OF HONEY 

THE KINGDOM 

OF FISHERMEN 

A D 

B 

The Stone 

Fortress of 

Munster 

THE HIGH 

WOOD 

E 

C 

FIONAIN’S 

HEIGHT 

THE ROCK 

OF THE SUIR 

F 

Original photograph © Joe Ryan / ryanfoto.com 

Answers: A. Clonmel, Cluain Meala; B. Cashel, Caiseal; C. Ardfinnan, Ard Fhíonáin; 

D. Cahir, Cathair Dhún Iascaigh; E. Fethard, Fiodh Ard; F. Carrick-On-Suir, Carraig na Siúire 

Irish Walled Town Network 

The Irish Walled Town Network (IWTN) was 

established by the Heritage Council in 2005 

to unite and co-ordinate the strategic efforts of 

Local Authorities involved in the management 

and conservation of historic walled towns in 

Ireland. There are 27 towns in the network 

and this number is growing. Cashel, Clonmel 

and Fethard are all part of the network and 

there is scope for Carrick-on-Suir to join in 

the future. Membership of the network means 

that towns can generate funding for capital 

projects and festival events annually. 

www.heritagecouncil.ie/irish_walled_towns/ 

Tour of Clonmel Town Walls. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

15

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED? 

Project 

Fulacht Fia Photographic survey 

Field name/Place name survey 

Graveyard Clean-up schemes 

Cameras at the ready! Fulachtaí fia are best seen and photographed 

in freshly ploughed fields in spring or autumn. Contact the Museum 

for information and help with your survey. Always ask land owners 

permission for access to land. 

You can add to the archaeological and historical record of your place by 

recording local place names which may or may not be mapped already. 

The Museum can help you locate places on a map and your information 

may be recorded for future generations to discover! 

Consult the Council for advice and support in setting up your own or 

joining an existing care and conservation group. 

Resources 

Who What Contact 

n Find a listed monument 

The National Monuments Service 

The National Inventory 

of Buildings of Ireland 

The Heritage Council 

Your Local Library 

The National Roads Authority 

n Find a historic graveyard that 

predates 1700AD 

n If you find something of 

archaeological significance 

n Find a graveyard/church built 

after 1700AD 

n Guidelines for care and conservation 

of graveyards 

n Funding for heritage projects 

n Books and papers available 

on local archaeology 

n Books and information available 

about excavations carried out. 

www.archaeology.ie 

www.buildingsofireland.ie 

www.heritagecouncil.ie/heritage 

www.tipperarylibraries.ie 

www.nra.ie 

School children enjoying the Heritage in Schools Project in South 


The Bridge in Golden. Photograph by Aidan Finn 

16

BUILT HERITAGE 

Ormond Castle 

‘Built Heritage’ simply means the buildings and other 

structures created by people, whether wealthy, in the 

case of the builders of country houses (‘Big Houses’), or 

less so, in the case of vernacular (traditional) buildings 

or, indeed, the majority of everyday buildings of town 

and countryside. The house you live in, the school you 

study in, the library you visit, the building you work 

in, the bridge you cross over, the streets you shop on, 

the restaurants you eat in or the church you pray in, are 

often good examples of built heritage. All buildings and 

structures, whether of intrinsic architectural interest or 

not, are important to their owners, occupants and users. 

Built heritage tells the story of society: the changing 

lifestyle of a community over time. This heritage 

enriches all our lives and thus it is important to develop 

an appreciation for it and, indeed, to conserve what is of 

value from our past. We should also embrace new design 

as this is also part of the changing story and some of 

today’s buildings will become tomorrow’s built heritage. 

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage 

(NIAH), which identifies and records the architectural 

heritage of the State, surveyed South Tipperary in 

2005 and the results are featured on the website, www. 

buildingsofireland.ie. Most of the buildings and other 

structures presented are Protected Structures and any 

changes or additions to such structures require a planning 

application. These applications are dealt with by South 

Tipperary County Council, often in conjunction with 

advice from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the 

Gaeltacht. The South Tipperary Development Plan 

contains a list of Protected Structures, their location 

and a brief description. 

17

Go 

Roads 

On 6th July 1815 the first Bianconi two-wheeled 

horse-drawn cart went into service, travelling between 

Clonmel and Cahir, and later incorporating 

many other routes. Thus the first integrated 

transport system was introduced to Ireland. It 

paved the way for the future, and the routes travelled 

influenced the routes networks used today. 

The busy main road between Cahir and Clonmel 

is now known, fittingly, as the Bianconi Drive. 

River 

The River Suir was important for access and 

transport throughout the history of settlement in 

the region. The River Suir Navigation Company, 

formed in 1836-41, and the deepening of the 

river west of Carrick, meant that larger vessels 

could dock at Clonmel. The quaysides at both 

places remain and a fine series of stone and metal 

bridges graces the river. 

Railways 

After completion of the Waterford to Limerick 

railway in 1854, river traffic diminished, the 

barge service between Clonmel and Carrick ceasing 

in 1920. The railway stations in Clonmel, 

Cahir and Limerick Junction are all quite grand 

pieces of architecture. The smaller stations in 

Tipperary Town and Carrick, and disused stations 

at Fethard, Dundrum, and elsewhere are 

also worthy heritage structures. 

Bianconi Coach. Courtesy of the National Library 

River Suir at Ardmayle Village. Photograph by Joe Boland 

Railway Station in Clonmel. Photgraph by Danny Scully 

Cahir Castle 

Bolton Library, Cashel 

18

19 

The Rock of Cashel

Work 

Industry 

South Tipperary was a hub for industrial and commercial 

development. In the late eighteenth, nineteenth and 

early twentieth centuries most major industries were 

located along the River Suir. Goods needed for everyday 

life were processed or produced along the Suir, such as 

grain, flax, wool, metal and leather. Though not in use 

some of these mills and warehouses are imposing and 

unique structures along the now quiet quaysides. 

The Quakers, also known as The Society of 

Friends, were responsible for the development of many 

industries in Tipperary in the eighteenth and nineteenth 

centuries. 

Shop-fronts 

Carefully designed and well constructed shopfronts are 

important features of buildings and make streetscapes 

attractive and appealing. Many timber constructed 

shopfronts from the late nineteenth and early twentienth 

centuries are good examples of timber and metal craft, 

often supplemented by coloured glazing. Some of 

the more modern, and Art Deco shopfronts from the 

mid-twentieth century can be seen throughout the 

county. Shopfronts are frequently subject to pressures 

for alteration and replacement to meet changing 

commercial needs. A balance is needed between the 

need for change and the protection of this architectural 

and craft heritage. 

Cooney’s Bar Conservation Project 

South Tipperary County Museum in Clonmel received 

a grant from the Heritage Council under the Heritage 

Management Scheme 2010 for the conservation of one 

of the most remarkable examples of a local, traditional 

Irish shopfront. It formerly embellished the front of 

the Main Guard. 

Mill on Stetches Island. 

Photograph by Ruth Maher 

John Ahearne from Tickinor and who lived above 

the shop standing outside Cooney’s 

Cooney’s Shopfront after conservation work 

undertaken by South Tipperary County Museum 

Boer War Memorial 

at Kickham Barracks. 

Photograph courtesy of 

NIAH 

Kickham Barracks, Clonmel. Photograph by 

Sonja Reidy 

Military Barracks 

Kickham Barracks Clonmel was built in 1780 in response to the threat posed 

to the authorities by the Irish volunteers. It was added to in 1876 and again 

in 1945. There is a fine bronze memorial to the Boer War. In recent years 

it housed the 12th Infantry Battalion until its closure in March 2012 when 

thousands lined the streets of Clonmel for the final march out. 

The Tipperary Barracks located in Tipperary Town was built between 1874 

and 1878 and were one of the most ornate to be built in Ireland during the 

imperial regime. Constructed of limestone, the barracks featured high ceilings 

and many French windows giving a feeling of light and space to the interior. 

20

Play 

Attractions/Landmarks 

The Main Guard, Clonmel, is a National Monument. It was apparently 

built to a design by Christopher Wren for James Butler, Duke of 

Ormond, in 1675, to serve as the ‘Palatinate’ courthouse for the county. 

The original ‘loggia’, or open arcade, to the front of the building has 

sandstone columns and round arches. 

The Cashel Palace was designed by Edward Lovett Pearce for 

Archbishop Timothy Godwin and built in 1730-35. It is a Palladianstyle 

building forming a group with the school and gate lodge to 

the forecourt facing onto Main Street. The gardens to the rear have 

specimen trees, including mulberry trees which are unusual in Ireland. 

It is reputed that the first pint of Guinness was brewed in the grounds 

and the descendants of the original hop plants survive in the grounds 

of the hotel. 

Restaurant 

Chez Hans is a restaurant built in the former Methodist Church in 

Cashel. It is a Gothic Revival style building that was originally a public 

lecture hall, built in 1861. It was later used as a synod hall for the Church 

of Ireland diocese. It makes a notable contribution to the streetscape. 

Public House 

Built c.1870 M. Ryan’s pub adds decorative interest to the main street 

in Cashel. It has fine render pediments, an interesting shopfront and 

timber sliding sash windows. 

The Thatch public house in Cloneen was built c.1800. It is unusual 

in being a two-storey thatched building. It in good repair, having been 

conserved recently. 

Built 1840, Keating’s public house in Ballylooby retains much of its 

original character. It is a distinctive building in the locality 

The Main Guard during a polelathing 

competition at Festival 

Cluain Meala 

Cashel Palace Hotel 

Chez Hans, Cashel 

Ryan’s Bar, Cashel 

The Thatch, Cloneen 

Live 

Keatings Public House, 

Ballylooby 

Churches 

Churches are often the most architecturally impressive buildings in any 

district, urban or rural. Their apparently timeless designs and artistic 

detail make them social and artistic focal points that greatly enrich 

the built heritage of their locality and often of the county as a whole. 

Saint Michael’s Catholic church in Tipperary Town is a nationally 

important example of the work of the key church architect, J.J. 

Murphy. Built in the mid-late nineteenth century and added to in the 

early twentieth, it stands dramatically in the townscape. Its position 

particularly enhances the surrounding residential streets. 

Saint Mary’s Church of Ireland church at Dundrum is an impressive, 

richly embellished structure and was probably designed by the 

renowned church architects, Well and Gillespie. Its warm sandstone, 

undulating porch and tower projections, carved sandstone decorative 

St. Michael’s Church, 

Tipperary Town 

St. Mary’s Church, Dundrum 

21 

Except for top, all photographs courtesy of NIAH

detailing and stained-glass openings make this a striking building in 

the village. Set back from the street, the character of the site and the 

church building remain largely unaltered since the mid-nineteenth 

century. 

Houses 

There are some eighty or so thatched buildings in South Tipperary, 

many of which are listed as Protected Structures. Thatched houses 

serve as a window to the past in the middle of the modern world, and 

give us an insight to where and how our ancestors lived. 

The Swiss Cottage, near Cahir, is a rare and interesting example 

of an intact ‘cottage orné’ and was built in 1810 for Richard Butler, 

Earl of Glengall, and his wife Emily. It was designed by the renowned 

architect John Nash and was inspired by nature, with a curved thatch 

roof. Such houses were intermittently used by the local gentry as a 

‘fantasy house’ where they played at being peasants and entertained 

their guests. 

The country houses (‘Big Houses’) seen around the county were 

mainly built between the mid-seventeenth and mid-nineteenth 

centuries by English colonisers. They chose or were granted the 

best lands in the region and the demesnes were at the centre of large 

agricultural enterprises. Examples include Killaghy Castle (c.1825 but 

added to a medieval towerhouse of c.1550), Dundrum House (c.1730 

and c.1890), Kilcooleyabbey (1764 and 1842) and Knocklofty House 

(c.1790-1810). 

Streets 

The street architecture of Tipperary Town displays a quality of design 

and decorative detail that is very rare outside the cities. Such features as 

columns between upper floor window openings, arcaded ground floor 

shopfronts and sophisticated render details are very evident on Main 

Street and Davis Street in particular. Tipperary is an unusually intact 

urban environment which has retained the vast majority of its public, 

institutional and commercial buildings. It also has many interesting 

terraces of houses. Its excellence as a particularly intact nineteenthcentury 

market town makes Tipperary Town a rare gem. (A selection 

of Tipperary Town architectural images are featured on page 46.) 

Anne Street in Clonmel is a beautiful example of Georgian design 

and a striking example of our built heritage. The houses have roundheaded 

door openings. It was built in 1820 by Thomas and John 

Tinsley for Charles Riall and is reputedly named after his wife Anne. 

The Anglo-Norman town of Cashel was laid out in the 13th 

Century and still exhibits its original medieval street pattern consisting 

of a main street with narrow lanes running off at right angles. Narrow 

plots of land stretched from behind the large houses fronting the main 

street back to the medieval town walls. 

Jails 

The large jail complex that stood at Emmet St., Clonmel, was begun 

in the eighteenth century and had an average of 340 prisoners. The 

gallows that once stood opposite the main gate (built in the nineteenth 

century and still standing) was used for public executions. Some 

notable patriots including Austin Stack and William Smith O’ Brien 

were imprisoned in Clonmel Jail and the place was used as a borstal 

until 1956. Most of the surrounding walls survive today. 

22 

Thatcher at work at Festival Cluain Meala 

Swiss Cottage, Cahir 

Ballingarane House. Photograph by Brian Burke 

Anne Street, Clonmel 

Emmet Street Jail. Photograph courtesy of NIAH


Project 

Photographic Survey 

Documentary Research 

Document a year in the life of a local building – recording renovation, demise or 

replacement. Choose a building in your community. Photograph this building from the 

same spot every month for a year. 

Choose a monument or building in your area and research its history. Find out what 

it was used for, visit your local library gather pictures and stories and share what you 

have learned. 

RESOURCES 


The Planning Section of the Council 

The National Inventory of Architectural 

Heritage 

The Department of Environment, 

Community and Local Government 

Your Local Library 

The Fame of Tipperary Group 

Department of Arts, Heritage and the 

Gaeltacht 

n Current lists of Protected Structures and 

their locations. 

n Queries on Protected Structures. 

n Survey of buildings of architectural 

significance 

n Advice on grants for Thatch 

n Books and information about local 

architecture 

n Information about the Military History 

of South Tipperary 

n Information on Access to buildings 

n Advice, mainly to planning authorities, 

on matters relating to the built heritage. 

www.southtippcoco.ie 


www.environ.ie 

www.tipperarylibraries.ie 

http://homepage.eircom. 

net/~tipperaryfame/ 

www.ahg.gov.ie 

ARRANGE THESE STRUCTURES FROM EARLIEST TO LATEST! 

A. Fethard Town Hall 

B. D.W. Parke, Clonmel C. Old Bridge, Carrick-On-Suir 

D. Phone Box, Grange 

E. St. John the 

Baptist, Cashel 

F. Quinlans pub, Cullen Village G. Dundrum House, Dundrum 

B. 1840; F. 1915; D. 1950. 

G. c.1730; E. 1784- 1812; 

Answers: C. 1447; A. c1600; 

23

CULTURE 

Every community has an individual cultural identity. 

The people of Tipperary have a sense of pride of place, 

our distinctive identity coming from our cultural heritage 

through the ages. Our culture links us to our native 

land and illustrates to visitors who we are and where we 

have come from. Our cultural heritage is our archives, 

museums and libraries, but it is also made up of more 

subtle qualities, intricate to all our lives, such as sport, 

language, folklore, food, crafts, traditions and music. 

Sport 

Food 

Craft 

The granary 

Cahir, Cot 

building, basket making 

in Carrick, Ironworks 

and blacksmithing 

in Clonmel, 

Rushworks, and 

willow beds in 

Fethard. 

G.A.A., Tennis, 

Cycling, Athletics 

Music 

Tipperary Food Producers Network, 

farmers markets. 

The Clancy Brothers, 

Frank Patterson, 

Gemma Hayes, Des 

Dillion, Rattle the 

Boards, Charles 

Equine 

3rd largest 

producer of 

thoroughbred foals in 

the world employs 2,600 

people directly. 

Kickhams’ 

Slievenamon and 

Jack Judges’ 

It’s a long way 

to Tipperary. 

Folklore 

Fionn Mac Cumhails 

race to the top of 

Slievenamon. ‘Are you 

a witch, are you a fairy 

or are you the wife of 

Michael Cleary?’, Lady 

Blessington’s Bath 

in the River Suir in 

commemoration 

of one of South 

Tipperary’s 

most 

vivacious 

characters. 

Cultural 

Centres 

Tipperary Excel, Brú 

Ború, Carrick-on-Suir 

Heritage Centre. 

Historical 

Journal 

Records and distributes the 

history, heritage and folklore 

of County Tipperary since 

1987. 

Museums 

Exhibitions and local history 

Literature 

Laurence Sterne born 

1713 in Clonmel. 

Farming 

Dairy farming and 

the Golden Vale. 

Archives 

Information on 

local history 

and land 

River Suir 

Education 

Themed educational 

resource 

packs for schools 

24

FESTIVALS 

Themed events and festivals are a great way of bringing a community 

together to celebrate their common heritage. There are already 

several festivals that take place across the county every year that 

have proved extremely successful. 

Fethard Medieval Festival 

Festival recreates medieval life, sharing 

food, drink, craft, music and stories 

around the medieval town walls. 

Festival Cluain Meala 

Promotes local food, farming and craft 

and celebrates our history with themed 

events at the Medieval Walls. 

Fethard Medieval Festival 2011. 


Taking part in a Hot Horse shoeing 

competition. Photograph by John D. Kelly 

Tipperary Hills Appreciation Day. 

Photograph by Labhaoise McKenna 

Food and Farming during Festival Cluain 

Meala. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

Band in Medieval Dress at Medieval Banquet 

in Clonmel. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

A group gathers at the Tipperary Hills 

Appreciation Day. Photograph by 

Labhaoise McKenna 

The Main Guard is the Backdrop to 

Festival Cluain Meala. Photograph by 

John Crowley 

Bee 4 Biodiversity Event, Clonmel 

Channons Forge Event 

Hot Horseshoeing competition held 

annually in Clonmel. 

Tipperary Hills Appreciation Day- 

Celebrates the natural, historical and 

cultural heritage of the Hills and their 

role in the heritage of Tipperary town. 

Cashel Arts Festival 

A ten day festival of music, dance, visual 

art, theatre, comedy, talks, poetry and 

street performance. 

Kickham Country Weekend 

This annual weekend event celebrating 

culture and history takes place in 

Mullinahone. 

The Clancy Brother’s Festival in 

Carrick-On-Suir 

Celebrates art and music and is 

based around the music of the renowned 

Clancy Brothers, natives of 

Carrick- On- Suir. 

Clonmel Junction Festival 

Celebrates both local and international 

music and theatre. 

Glen of Aherlow Walking Festival 

An annual event held in June where 

locals/tourists can enjoy guided walks 

through the Glen of Aherlow and the 

Galtee Mountains. 

Clonmel Agricultural Show 

Showcases farm animals, arts and crafts, 

local food and a donkey derby! 

Raising the Medieval Tapestry in Fethard. 


Fethard Medieval Festival. Photograph by 

Joe Kenny 

25 

Cashel Walled Town event 

An annual Medieval celebration takes 

place in the town with archaeological 

and biodiversity events.

SPORT - THE SPIRIT OF TIPPERARY 

Sports Exhibition at South Tipperary Museum 

Running along the tow path 

Golf has always had a following 

as an amateur game and in recent 

decades many new courses were 

built in old Demense properties 

around Tipperary, developing a 

new attraction point for locals and 

tourists alike. In the professional 

game Arthur Pierse played the 

Walker Cup at Hoylake in 1983 

and participated in the Home 

International matches from 1976 to 

1988, playing 63 matches. 

Dr Pat O’ Callaghan was born in 

Cork but moved to Clonmel in 1928 

to set up his own medical practice 

where he lived until 1991. He was 

the first person from an Independent 

Ireland to win an Olympic gold 

medal and is regarded as one of 

Ireland’s greatest ever athletes. He 

won gold medals at the Amsterdam 

Olympics in 1928 and Los Angeles 

in 1932 for Hammer Throwing. 

Gaelic Football 

Dr Pat O’ 

Callaghan. 

Sean Kelly 

Lena Rice 

Lena Rice born in Marlhill, New Inn 

in 1866, played at the Cahir Lawn 

Tennis Courts and went on to win 

Wimbledon Tennis Championship 

in 1890. She is still the only Irish 

woman to win a singles title at 

Wimbledon. 

In 1904 Tom Kiely of Carrick-on- 

Suir won an Olympic gold medal in 

St. Louis, Missouri for the decathlon 

but refused to collect the medal 

under the British flag. 

The River is used for recreational 

activities including boating, angling 

and rowing. The Clonmel Rowing 

Club has participated in the Henley 

Royal Regatta. The Workmen’s 

Boatclub has been an important 

institution in Clonmel since 1883. 

There is a beautiful river walk 

running for miles from Clonmel to 

Kilsheelan. 

The Sport of Kings has always held a 

special place in Tipperary Heritage. 

Whether its flat or national hunt 

racing Limerick Junction, Tipperary 

and Powerstown Park, Clonmel 

have plenty to offer and welcome 

thousands of patrons at each meet. 

Canoeing on the River Suir 

Angling on the River Suir 

Hill walking 

in the Galtees 

26 

St. Louis Olympic 

Gold Medal won 

by T. F. Kiely 

Sean Kelly of Carrick-on-Suir raced 

in the Tour de France several times 

and finished 12 races of 15 and was 

the Points Jersey winner in ‘82, ‘83, 

‘85, and ‘89. He is one of the finest 

classics riders of all time, winning 

nine monument classics, and 193 

professional races in total. 

Hurling has a long history in 

Tipperary. Michael Cusack, Maurice 

Davin and others founded the GAA 

in Hayes Hotel in Thurles in 1884. 

Today South Tipperary is home to 

a wealth of talented players in both 

hurling and football. 

Photographs courtesy of South Tipperary 

County Museum and Sports Partnership

27 

All Ireland Senior Hurling Final 2010. 

Tipperary vs Kilkenny. Photograph John D Kelly

YOUR CULTURAL TEAM 

South Tipperary County Museum 

The Museum 

South Tipperary County Museum, located in Clonmel, invites the visitor 

to experience the cultural richness and pride of our county. Its gallery 

is currently being redeveloped and will feature a River Suir exhibition 

with artefacts from social history, natural history, archaeology, geology, 

biodiversity, social and townscape photography, sports and industrial 

collections. It houses many rare objects including an Art Collection, 

Maurice Davin’s rowing boat - ‘An Cruiscín’, Mick Hogan’s jersey, the 

beautifully embellished Sisters of Charity Tabernacle and more. 

Contact the Curator; Marie McMahon 

museum@southtippcoco.ie 

Heritage Council Staff at a’ Bee 4 Biodiversity’ 

Event in Clonmel 

Heritage 

The South Tipperary Heritage Office is located in County Hall, Clonmel. 

The role of the Heritage Office is to raise awareness and promote 

heritage and biodiversity in South Tipperary. Information on past and 

current heritage projects can be seen online at www.southtippheritage. 

ie The website also has information on general heritage related material 

and upcoming community heritage events. River Suir heritage survey 

data can be viewed on http://podcasting.ie/riversuir. The Heritage Officer 

also provides advice to community groups undertaking heritage and 

wildlife related projects. 

Contact the Heritage Officer; Labhaoise McKenna 

heritage@southtippcoco.ie 

Arts 

South Tipperary County Council Art Service aims to encourage the 

promotion and provision of local, national and international arts, across 

all art forms, to all sectors of society across the county. The Service 

provides arts information and advice, arts programming and arts grants 

for the community of South Tipperary. 

Set Dancing 

Contact the Arts Office; Sally O’ Leary 

sally.oleary@southtippcoco.ie 

Archives 

South Tipperary County Archives is located at the Carrigeen Business 

Park Clonmel. It is a custom built archive centre with secure environmentally 

controlled storage for non current records as well as archives. 

There is a public reading room where members of the public can access 

the collections and access to holdings is available by appointment. As 

well as housing the local authority archives, it actively collects material 

relating to South Tipperary. The Archivist is happy to provide advice 

to members of the public in relation to the storage and safekeeping of 

their own collections. 

Archives 

Contact the Archivist; Róisín O’ Grady 

roisin.ogrady@southtippcoco.ie 

28

RESOURCES 


Heritage Office 

n Information on heritage and 

biodiversity 

www.southtippheritage.ie 

South Tipperary Museum n Information on exhibits www.southtippcoco.ie/en/museum 

Brú Ború Cultural Centre 

Carrick-On-Suir Heritage Centre 

Tipperary Excel Arts and Culture 

n Information about arts, culture 

and events in the locality 

n Tourist and Heritage Office with 

information of local attractions 

and events 

n Information about arts, culture 

and events in the locality 

www.bruboru.ie 

www.carrickonsuir.ie/heritage ?? 

www.tipperaryexcel.com 

Archives n Archival collections roisin.ogrady@southtippcoco.ie 

Arts Office n Information on arts www.southtipparts.ie 

Tipperary Historical Society and 

Tipperary Libraries 

Tipperary Food Producers Network 

The Craft Granary, Cahir 

n Information about the society 

and the historical journals. Also 

journals are available to read at 

your local library. 

n Information and promotion of 

food produced in the County and 

where it is available 

n Information about craft and 

craftspeople from the region 

showcasing at the Granary 

www.tipperarylibraries.ie/ths/ 

www.tipperaryfoodproducers.com 

www.craftgranary.com 

Increasing Access 

& Participation 

in Cultural Activities. 

Promoting and supporting the 

implementation of pioneering 

programmes of best practice in the 

areas of Arts, Heritage, Archives, 

Crafts, Sports, Recreation, 

Museum and Biodiversity. 

ARTS 

MUSEUM 

ARCHIVES 

HERITAGE 

29

NATURE 

Often when we think of heritage, we think of buildings, monuments, old objects and traditional culture – we may 

not realise that the wildlife and nature we find in the county is also part of our local heritage. From the native trees 

in the hedgerows planted by our ancestors, to the unusual plants growing wild on the top of the Galtees, the South 

Tipperary landscape is part of our identity and sense of place. 

Another word for nature is ‘biodiversity’, which means the whole 

variety of plants, animals and birds and other creatures, and the 

rivers, fields, green spaces, mountains, woods, towns and other 

habitats that they live in and share with us. However, you don’t 

have to go to the top of the mountains or depths of the woods 

to find nature, it is everywhere we look – in a window box, in 

your garden, or in the park. South Tipperary County Council 

Heritage Office runs a ‘B 4 Biodiversity’ campaign alongside 

the South Tipp Biodiversity Action Plan to raise awareness 

about biodiversity. 

Before people first started to clear land for farming in the 

Neolithic, Ireland was almost completely covered in thick, 

wild woodland. We now have very little true ‘wilderness’ left 

– practically all of our landscape has been affected 

by human hands at some point. Despite 

this huge influence, most of 

the native plants and animals 

that arrived here after the last 

ice age are still to be found. 

Emly 

Emly 

Wildlife 

Garden 


Hills 

Hollyford 

Hills 


Dundrum 

Woods 

Ardmayle 

Dundrum 

River Suir 

Cashel 

Aimsir 

Bia Community 

Garden 

Emly wildlife garden 

Cahir 

Park Yew 

Woodlands 

Just as we treasure the other aspects of our 

heritage, we need to learn about and look after our 

natural heritage, so that we can pass it on to the 

next generation. But more than that – nature needs 

to be looked after so it can keep providing us with 

the resources we need. A good example of this is the 

bee. Many people now realise that bees are starting 

to disappear. This is a problem for us because without bees we cannot 

produce a lot of the food we eat – bees pollinate many of our food 

crops (including apples for cider!). Ireland has 101 different species of 

bee, but three of these have become extinct and more than half the rest 

are disappearing fast. This is because we are changing their habitat, for 

example by spraying ‘weeds’, removing hedges, reseeding old grassland in 

fields and gardens or planting wildflower meadows with non-native varieties 

that the bees can’t use. Without the variety of native wild plants and habitats 

the bees need to survive, they will disappear. 

30 

Galtee 

Mountains 

Cahir 

Knockmealdowns

Kilcooley 

Biodiversity Day at Lough 

Doire Bhile 

River Suir 

Holy Cross 

Lough 

Doire Bhile 

Kilcooley Lake 

Killenaule 

Ballingarry 

King’s River 

Companion Planting 

in community garden. 

Photograph by Aimsir Bia 

Fethard 

Mullinahone 

Slievenamon. Photograph by Jane-Anne Cleary 

Slievenamon 

Slate 

Quarries 

Aimsir Bia Community 

Garden, Cashel. 

Photograph by Aimsir Bia River Suir at Kilsheelan Kilsheelan 

village walks 

Marlfield 

Lake & Glenbawn 

Wood 

Clonmel 

Carrick 

River Suir 

Kilsheelan 

Carrick-on-Suir 

Barn Owl. Photograph by John Lusby 

Ardfinnan 

Foals and Mares. Photograph by Ruth Maher 

Newcastle 

Glenbawn Woods 

31


Project 

Unwanted aliens! 

Description 

Find out about non-native plants and animals that are invading our county, 

how to recognise them and where to send in details if you find them, on 

www.invasivespeciesireland.com 

Habitat photo survey 

Take a photo of the same spot every month for a year and compare how the 

habitats change with the seasons, and the different plants, animals and birds that 

can be seen over the months. It could be a garden, hedgerow, field, woodland, 

park, river . . . 

Composting 

Composting your food and garden waste is a brilliant way to help nature and 

save money on your waste bill at the same time. Advice is available from the 

Environment section of South Tipperary County Council and from the Irish 

Peatland Conservaton Council www.ipcc.ie. 

RESOURCES 


The National Parks and Wildlife 

Service 

The Heritage Council 

Bird Watch Ireland- Tipperary 

Branch 

Information on our native wildlife and 

habitats, maps of nature conservation 

areas and local Wildlife Ranger contacts. 

Information and advice on our natural 

heritage and how to look after it. 

Local birdwatching events, records of 

birds in the county, liaise with council and 

local groups on wildlife enhancement. 

www.npws.ie 

www.heritagecouncil.ie 

www.birdwatchtipp.com 

Inland Fisheries Ireland 

Information on fish, rivers and their 

conservation, angling in the county, and 

environmental education relating to fish. 

www.fisheriesireland.ie 

South Tipperary Heritage Office South Tipperary Biodiversity Action Plan. www.southtippheritage.ie 

Fethard Medieval Festival 2011. 


32

River Suir Landscape. 

Photograph by John Crowley 

33

The River Suir 

The River Suir is 184 km (114miles) in length, rising on the eastern flanks of Benduff, 

north-west of Templemore. It flows through Thurles, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrickon-Suir, 

where it becomes tidal, before continuing to Waterford and the sea. 

River Suir. Photograph by Frank 

O’ Donoghue 

The New Bridge, Carrick-on-Suir 

Fishing on the River Suir. Photograph 

by Frank O’ Donoghue 

“The River Suir acts 

as a unifying force”. 

— Liam Ó’Duibhir 

Old Bridge and Abbey, Carrick-on- 

Suir. Photograph courtesy of South 


Trout. Photograph by Frank O’ 

Donoghue 

Heritage Survey 

A survey of natural, built, cultural and industrial heritage along 33km of the River 

Suir has been undertaken on behalf of South Tipperary County Council’s Heritage 

Office, partly funded by the Heritage Council. It covered the river and its banks 

from Tinhalla -downstream of Carrick-on-Suir, and upriver to Knocklofty Bridge - 

upstream of Clonmel. 

The survey highlighted the extent to which the River Suir has affected patterns 

of settlement, transport routes (both along and across the river), agriculture and 

industry. It also provided resources itself, for example water, sand, fish and osiers 

(willow). 

It has given us a better understanding of the heritage of the area. It is envisaged 

that further smaller surveys will continue as and when resources become available. 

Highlights from the survey and other areas of interest along the river can be viewed 

online www.southtippheritage.ie/riversuir. This interactive website focuses on places 

to which there is public access. Users can explore the website by theme or by place 

under the headings GO, PLAY, WORK and LIVE. 

Heritage Tourism 

The heritage tourism potential of the River Suir and its hinterland are being explored 

as part of an INTERREG IVC Waterways Forward project www.waterways-forward. 

eu. Our initial study area was the 26km former navigation channel and 20km 

associated tow path of the River Suir between Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel. There 

are short, medium and long term goals for the river: 

n promotion of existing walking routes along the river; 

n developing the tow path as a public amenity; 

n looking at the navigational potential of the river for shallow draught 

craft in the long term. 

Network of River Communities 

We are also looking at the whole river, especially towns and villages, in terms of 

heritage resources and promotion and in developing a network of communities along 

the River Suir’s path. Over 1,000 people came to our ‘Shared vision’ workshops held 

as part of the Suir River Cafe during Clonmel Junction Festival in 2011. This was 

where individuals and communities came together to build a vision for the River 

Suir and was facilitated by Lyn Mather and Kingston University. 

Our River Suir Community Action Plan will be available online summer 2012. 

Further River Suir projects will be undertaken as part of our INTERREG IVB project 

‘Green and Blue Futures’ focusing on networking communities along the river. Check 

www.southtippheritage.ie/riversuir for further details. 

Birdwatch walk on the River Suir Towpath 

between Carrick-On-Suir and Kilsheelan 

River Suir Clonmel. Photograph 

courtesy of South Tipperary County 

Museum 

34

The Friars’ Rock 

We come to rivers when we are young or old. 

— Derek Mahon, Waterfront 

The boulder deep midstream 

has never shown itself in air 

nor shifted since the glacier 

dropped it there 

twelve thousand years ago 

where in immeasurable 

course of flowing seasons, floods and tides, 

in human time when Joan of Arc 

was still a child, 

Franciscan monks arrived 

to build a salmon weir 

upstream of the rock 

and in their generations 

swimmers out beyond their depth 

on lost summer days 

stood up in mid-flow 

when they found footing 

as they still do 

on that hidden mark 

that’s settled there 

still bedded 

in the flow 

and rooted 

beyond time 

within the dreaming 

heads of all who’ve ever 

come and swam and gone 

or still live on 

beside the sister river. 

Michael Coady © 

Carrick Cots on Christmas Day 2010. Photograph by Michael Coady 

from Going by Water 

Gallery Press, 2009 

www.gallerypress.org 

35

ACTIONS 

Objective 1: Promote Awareness, Knowledge and Appreciation of the Heritage 

of South Tipperary. 

No. Action Lead 

Partners 

Other 

Partners 

Core 

Resources 

1 Work with schools on different 

aspects of heritage, including 

information packs, outings and 

competitions. 

Museum, Inland 

Fisheries Ireland, 

BirdWatch Ireland 

Heritage Officer, 

STCC Environment 

Section, Tipperary 

Libraries, Archives 

Green Schools/ An Taisce, 

Heritage in Schools/ 

Heritage Council 

2 Create information points at 

notable heritage sites, including 

archaeological monuments, built 

heritage and cultural features, and 

natural heritage sites. 

STCC, Museum, 

Archives, HO 

STDC, OPW, Failte 

Ireland, NPWS 

Local knowledge and 

photographs, archive 

material 

3 Support the campaign for World 

Heritage Site designation for the 

Rock of Cashel 

STCC, HO OPW In-house skills, Masterplan 

4 Provide training for people who 

live or work in or near important 

heritage features, including 

protected monuments, buildings 

and nature wildlife areas. 

STCC, HO 

NPWS, OPW, Sites 

and monuments, 

NBDC, Teagasc, 

NIAH, HC 

Current best practice 

guidance 

5 Hold community heritage seminars 

and events given by local experts 

for local people. Link with third 

level institutions to provide talks 

on subjects of interest to the local 

community. 

STCC, Tipperary 

Libraries, Heritage 

Forum, HO 

LIT Tipperary, 

local community 

groups, Tidy 

Towns, Burial 

committees, HC, 

IWTN 

Heritage Forum, 

community experts 

6 Continue to support festivals and 

events such as Heritage Week, 

Biodiversity Week, Tree Week, river 

events and walled town events, 

where local buildings, archaeology, 

craft, food, nature, sport, music and 

local history are exhibited. 

STCC, town 

councils, Museum, 


HO 

Schools, Heritage 

Council, IWTN, 

Tipperary Libraries, 

Archives 

Local groups and 

volunteers 

7 Support the implementation of the 

South Tipperary Biodiversity Action 

Plan. 

HO, STCC, 

Biodiversity Forum 

HC, HF, Community 

groups, Tidy Towns 

Biodiversity Forum, inhouse 

skills, Local groups 

Cahir Inch Field Biodiversity Day 

Rock of Cashel (from Bóthar na Marbh). 

Photograph by Michael Fanning 

36

Objective 2: Do New Research and Gather Existing Information on Heritage 

in South Tipperary 


Partners 

Other 

Partners 

Core 

Resources 

8 Hold community workshops to 

discuss and record what gives us our 

cultural identity and pride of place, 

such as the River Suir Café. 

STCC, HO 


HC, Local groups 

In-house skills and 

resources 

9 Hold an ‘Alien Watch’ and other 

awareness days, promoted in local 

media, inviting people to send in 

sightings of invasive species, with 

details on how to recognise invasive 

species and how to submit a record 

to the National Biodiversity Data 

Centre/Invasive Species Ireland 

STCC, HO 

NBDC, Invasive 

Species Ireland, 

NPWS, NIAH, Tidy 

Towns, Local Burial 

committees, IWT 

Existing information, e.g. 

Recording cards and 

online forms on 

www.biodiversityireland.ie 

and www. 

invasivespeciesireland.com 

10 Support heritage surveys of the 

county. Collate all information 

gathered. Promote standards and 

best practice in heritage research. 

STCC, BnM, BWI, 

NIAH, NPWS, HO 

Museum, Archives, 


NBDC, NIAH, Heritage 

Forum 

Heritage Forum taking part in the River Suir community mapping exercise as part of the Suir River Cafe. 

37

ACTIONS 

Objective 3: Look after our heritage by maintaining and enhancing it. 


Partners 

Other 

Partners 

Core Resources 

11 Maintain and update the South 

Tipperary Heritage website and 

interactive River Suir website 

STCC, HO 

HC, Heritage 

Forum 

In-house 

12 Support the work of the Irish Walled 

Town Network especially South 

Tipperary members (Cashel, Clonmel 

and Fethard) to engage with training 

opportunities, capital grants, festival 

grants and heritage interpretation 

advice. Support cross cooperation 

between towns and promote the 

inclusion of Carrick-on-Suir into the 

Network 

South Tipperary 

Local Authorities, 

IWTN, HO 

HC, Steering 

Groups. 


13 Continue to develop the ‘Adopt a 

Monument’ scheme 

STCC, HC, HO 

Tidy Towns, 

Community groups 

Local interest groups, 

Heritage Forum, in-house 

skills 

14 Support the work of local graveyard 

committees, Tidy Towns, and other 

groups 

STCC, Tidy Towns, 

Burial committees 

HC, STCC 

Environment 

Section, An Taisce/ 

Spring Clean, 

Golden Mile 

Existing guidance and 

resources 

15 Assist owners of Protected Structures 

in the areas of funding/grant aid, and 

guidance and advice 

Planning Authority DoAHG, HC Existing literature and 

web-based information 

Students from Coláiste Dún Iascaigh taking part in Bee 4 Biodiversity event 

with Tidy Towns in the Inch Field, Cahir 

Abbreviations 

HO Heritage Officer 

STCC South Tipperary County Council 

HC The Heritage Council 

STDC South Tipperary Development Company 

PAO Public Awareness Officer 

NPWS National Parks and Wildlife Service 

NBDC National Biodiversity Data Centre 

DoAHG Dept Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht 

OPW Office of Public Works 

BnM Bord na Móna 

NIAH National Inventory of Architectural Heritage 

BWI BirdWatch Ireland 

IWT Irish Wildlife Trust 

WF Waterways Forward 

G+BF Green and Blue Futures 

IWTN Irish Walled Town Network 

38

Objective 4: Celebrate the heritage of the River Suir 


Partners 

Other 

Partners 

Core Resources 

16 Hold workshops for local groups 

on best practice in developing and 

managing the river heritage as a 

community asset. 

STCC, South 


Development 

Company, HO 

NPWS, IFI, 

BirdWatch, Sites 

& Monuments 

Current guidance from 

relevant bodies 

17 Develop the heritage tourism 

potential of the River Suir through 

local, regional and European 

collaborations, such as the 

‘Waterways Forward’ and ‘Green and 

Blue Futures’ projects. 

STCC, STDC, Failte 

Ireland, Tipperary 

Tourism, HO 

Arts Office, WF, 

G+BF 

Interreg projects WF, 

G+BF, in-house resources, 


Development Company 

18 Match and support community 

groups with projects that were 

identified as part of Suir River café 

and Lay of the Land workshops 

in Cahir, Ardfinnan, Clonmel and 

Carrick-on-Suir and in our River 

Seminars and events. Facilitate the 

delivery of the River Suir Community 

Action Plan. 

STCC, STDC, HO 

WF, G+BF, HC, 



Development Company, 

G+BF, 

In-house resources 

The Boat House, Clonmel 

Swans on the River Suir 

Screening for Appropriate Assessment 

This plan was screened for Appropriate Assessment. It was found that no significant 

impact upon Natura 2000 sites would occur as a result of this plan. However, 

individual screening of projects for Appropriate Assessment will occur as and 

when it is required in accordance with best practice guidelines to avoid impacts. 

39

WHO IS ALREADY TAKING ACTION FOR OUR HERITAGE? 

WHO WHAT CONTACT 

An Taisce 

BirdWatch Ireland 

Tipperary Branch 

Bord na Móna 

Coillte 


County Tipperary 

Historical Society 

n Run environmental enhancement projects e.g. Green Schools, 

Spring Clean 

n Hold local birdwatching events; liaise with council and local 

groups on enhancement for wildlife; raise awareness 

n Gather data on birds in the county 

n Establish baseline ecological information for Bord na Móna bog 

areas to inform rehabilitation plans that ensure benefits for 

biodiversity, amenity and renewable energy 

n Provide access to natural heritage through open forest policy 

n Set aside part of land to be managed for nature 

n Implement Forest Service regulations for sustainable forestry 

n Care for and raise awareness of natural and built heritage in 

local projects 

n A society dedicated to recording and disseminating the history, 

culture, heritage, folklore and geography of County Tipperary 

www.antaisce.ie 

www.birdwatchtipp.com 

www.birdwatchireland.ie 

www.bordnamona.com 

www.coillte.ie 

www.coillteoutdoors.ie 

www.tidytowns.ie 

www.tipperarylibraries. 

ie/ths/ 

Failte Ireland n Promote heritage tourism www.failteireland.ie 

Farming organisations 



Invasive Species Ireland 

Irish Seed Savers 

National Biodiversity 

Data Centre 

National Inventory of 

Architectural Heritage 

n Facilitate training and best practice demonstrations in heritage 

management for farmers 

n Provide guidelines on looking after heritage 

n Provide funding for heritage projects 

n Ensure that the fisheries of the State are conserved, restored, 

managed, developed and promoted in their own right 

n Support sustainable economic activity, job creation and 

recreational amenity of inland fisheries 

n Enforce fisheries legislation and conservation policies to ensure 

sustainable management of fish populations 

n Joint venture between the Northern Ireland Environment 

Agency and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to 

address the issue of alien species in Ireland 

n Protect, conserve and utilise Irish plant genetic resources 

including rare heritage seeds, grains, vegetables and fruit 

n Hub for the exchange of data between governmental 

organisations, NGOs, research institutions and volunteer 

recorders 

n Collate, manage, analyse and disseminate data and 

information on Ireland’s biological diversity 

n Survey of buildings of architectural interest in South Tipperary 

www.ifa.ie 

www.icmsa.ie 

www.iscaireland.ie 

www.iofga.org 

www.organic-trust.org 

www.heritagecouncil.ie 

www.fisheriesireland.ie 

www. 

invasivespeciesireland.com 

www.irishseedsavers.ie 

www.biodiversityireland.ie 


40

WHO WHAT CONTACT 

National Monuments 

Service 

National Parks & 

Wildlife Service 

n Are the national regulatory authority for all matters relating 

to archaeological heritage 

n Manage (with the OPW) all monuments in State care 

n Maintain the national database of archaeological monuments 

n Operate the national survey of archaeological monuments and 

publishes archaeological inventories 

n Provide advice on all planning and development matters that 

affect archaeological heritage 

n Provide advice on non-planning matters relating 

to archaeological heritage 

n Monitor designated and proposed nature conservation areas 

n Provide information on conservation management 

n Survey and map habitats and species 

n Enforce the EU Birds/Habitats directives as well as the 

Wildlife Act 1976 (amended 2000) and the various relevant 

Statutory instruments 

www.archaeology.ie 

www.npws.ie 

OPW n Maintain and provides access to historical properities www.opw.ie 

Rathnadrinna Research 

Project 

South Tipperary County 

Archives 


Development Company 

South Tipperary Local 

Authorities 

South Tipperary County 

Museum 


Tourism Company 

n A project committed to the research of archaeological and 

historical sites around 

n Collecting and preserving archives for South Tipperary 

n Support community initiatives; support and promote 

best practice in sustainable development 

n Provide advice and information for community groups 

and support community initiatives 

n Heritage education and awareness 

n Maintain Record of Protected Structures 

n City/Town walls restoration programme 

n Consider heritage in Development Plans 

and Local Area Plans 

n Heritage education and awareness 

n Promote heritage Tourism, particularly The Butler Trail 

www.facebook.com/ 

rathnadrinna 

www.southtipparchives.ie 

www.stdc.ie 

www.southtippcoco.ie 

www.southtippcoco.ie/en/ 

museum 

www.discoverireland.ie/ 

tipperary 

www.discoverireland.ie/ 

thebutlertrail 

Tipperary Libraries n Maintain Local Studies and Archives collection www.tipperarylibraries.ie 

Two Bridges 

Partnership with 

Workingmen’s 

Boatclub 

n Boating on the river from Clonmel; repair of boats 

and the construction of river boats 

n Maintain two websites; contributes to the Suir website 

n Publish material relevant to the above as well as on heritage 

issues impacting on the river heritage; arranges exhibitions on 

same; networks with interested parties and local authorities. 

n Maintain and develop walking trails at the Rock on the Suir at 

Marlfield, Clonmel, organising workcamps to that 

end mostly with volunteers 

www.cruiskeen.ie 

VEC South Tipperary n Further education and training www.tippsouthvec.ie 

41

PLAN FOR SUCCESS 

SHARING THE WORK 

The Heritage Plan depends on a number of stakeholders 

for implementation and a lot of work between the 

heritage forum, local authority, NGOs and general 

public is needed for the Plan to be successful. The forum 

will seek the committed participation of all partners in 

carrying out the actions. 

Teacher training at the South Tipperary County Museum 

St. Marys Church Iristown, Clonmel. Photograph courtesy of South 


Emly signpost. Photograph by Caitriona Kenny 

TIMEFRAME 

The heritage officer will co-ordinate the projects and 

advise on which partners should carry out each project 

in order to make sure each action is accomplished in a 

certain timeframe. The timeframe for this Plan is five 

years. An individual work plan will be set out at the 

beginning of each year and tasks will be allocated to 

each working group depending on the available annual 

budget. 

TAKE ANOTHER LOOK 

To ensure that objectives are met, it is important that 

certain tasks are completed in a given timeframe. 

Monitoring the scale and quality of the work undertaken 

by individual groups throughout the year is essential. 

An evaluation of work and tasks completed or not will 

be prepared at the end of each year. 

HOW TO FINANCE OUR PLAN 

There is no fixed budget due to the current economic 

situation. Monies will be sought through the County 

Heritage Plan funding stream administered by The 

Heritage Council. Monies will also be sought from other 

suitable sources as and when they become available. 

This plan will make it easier for community groups to 

apply for funding from South Tipperary Development 

Company, The Heritage Council and other grant 

bodies should their projects relate to actions in our plan. 

Together we can make it happen! 

The Galtees. Photograph by Caitriona Kenny. www.caitrionakennyphotography.com / Tel: 087 649 2387 

42

WHERE DO I APPLY FOR FUNDING? 

n The Heritage Council 

www.heritagecouncil.ie Phone: 056 7770777 

n Irish Walled Town Network 

www.heritagecouncil.ie Phone 056 7770777 

n South Tipperary Development Company 

info@stdc.ie Phone: 052 7442652 

n The Arts Acts Grants 

www.southtipparts.ie Phone: 052 6134565 

n Local Agenda Environmental Partnership Fund 

www.environ.ie 

n Structures at Risk Fund 

Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht 

builtheritage@ahg.gov.ie 

n An Taisce Green Communities 

www.antaisce.ie 

South Tipperary Environmental Awards 

The South Tipperary Environmental Awards gives the 

Council an opportunity to recognise and thank the 

community groups, Tidy Towns committees, schools, 

businesses, burial grounds committees and individuals 

who work hard to enhance and maintain their local 

environments on a voluntary basis. There are a wide 

range of categories to enter including: 

n B4 Biodiversity 

n Golden Mile 

n Best School Wildlife Garden 

n Best River Community 

South Tipperary Environmental Awards has a prize fund 

of €18,000 across three separate competitions. For full 

details contact: www.southtippcoco.ie, telephone 1800 

20 26 27. Other South Tipperary Environment Awareness 

Campaigns underway are National Spring Clean, 

National Tree Week, Green Schools, Environmental 

Awards, Composting, Waste Management Plan and Litter 

Management Plan. 

Early Purple Orchid. Photograph by Mieke Muyllaert 

43

HERITAGE FORUM MEMBERS 2012 

Students from Cahir Boys National School taking part in Bee 4 Biodiversity event in Inch Field, Cahir with Tidy Towns 

Barry O’ Reilly 

Dan Hogan 

Kaye Mullaney 

Isabel Cambie 

Catherine Farrell 

Mary Guinan-Darmody 

Kevin Collins 

Marie McMahon 

Noreen Higgins 

Cllr. Patsy Fitzgerald 

Michael Carew 

Sean Breen 

Liam Cleary 

Eleanor Morrisey 

Roisin O’ Grady 

Shay Hurley 

Frank O’ Donoghue 

Richard Auler 

Clare Lee 

Ruth Hennessy 

NIAH 

BirdWatch Ireland Tipperary Branch 

South Tipperary VEC 

South Tipperary Development Company 

Bord na Mona 


BirdWatch Ireland and Environment Pillar 

South Tipperay County Museum 

Local Historical societies 

Carrick-on-Suir Heritage Centre 

IFA 

NPWS 

Coillte 

OPW 

South Tipperary County Archives 

Workingmen’s Boatclub, Two Bridges Partnership 


An Taisce 

South Tipperary County Council Planning section 

South Tipperary County Council Environment Section 

44

Community Feedback* 

Richard Auler 

An Taisce 

Roger Garland 

Keep Ireland Open 

Noreen Higgins 

Tipperary Historical Society 

Clare Lee 

STCC 

Marie McMahon 

County Museum 

Richard O’ Brien 

N.R.A. 

Mary Alice O’ Connor 

Tipp Excel 

Roisin O’ Grady 

Archivist 

Barry O’ Reilly 

NIAH 

Marie Phelan 

STCC 

Tim Robinson 

Fethard Historical Society 

Julia Walsh 

County Museum 

Albert Nolan 

Ann Ryan 

Coillte 

Bill Martin 

Emly Tidy Towns 

John O’ Donnell 

Protect Cloneen 

Patrick Dunne 

Teddy O’ Brien 

Aidan Macnamara 

Peig Butler 

Ed O’ Riordan 

P.J. O’ Meara 

John Quirke 

Eddie Kennedy 

Liam Roche 

Andy Moloney 

Maria Taylor 

Ann Cooney 

Terry Cunningham 

Mary Hanrahan 

Joe Kenny 

Edwina Newport 

Con Corbett 

Catherine O’ Flynn 

John O’ Flynn 

Maura Barrett 

Corina Bolger 

Sean Watts 

Liam Noonan 

M. De Faiote 

Cllr. John Fahey 

Lily Barrett 

Matt Alexander 

Leslie Smyth 

Declan Rice 

Larry Joy 

Sharon Cunningham 

Catherine Quish 

Paul Creamer 

Marita Mulhall 

Seamus King 

Dan Hogan 

Denis Halley 

Joanne Hughes 

John Cash 

Angela Lonergan 

Mary Alice O’ Connor 

Jason O’ Donnell 

Lisa Creighton 

Georgina Johnston 

Denis Hartnett 

Sinead Larkin 

Shay Hurley 

Mike Maunsell 

Mercedes Caplice 

Kathleen Courell 

Michael Burke 

Joe O’ Keefe 

Senator Denis Landy 

Cecily O’ Hanlon 

Helen O’ Hanlon 

Michael Boy 

Jack Lalor 

Laurence Lee 

Denis Holland 

Clare Curley 

Michael Fanning 

Cllr Sylvia Cooney-Sheehan 

Cllr Richie Molloy 

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald 

John O’Mahoney 

Marie McGivern 

Sean Keating 

Richard Clutterbuck 

Lyn Mather 

* People who either attended meetings, took part in workshops, made comments or suggestions during the making of this plan 

Alison Cronin Dancers with Shellikybookie installations at Medieval Walls during Festival Cluain Meala 

45

Tipperary Town Architectural Details 

Permanent TSB, 74 Main Street 

Loughman’s, 11 Church Street 

Taste of Asia, 7 Saint Michael’s Street 

The Auld Murray Inn, 7 Main Street 

Nellie O’Brien’s, 11 Main Street 

16 Main Street 

46 

Photographs courtesy of NIAH

Community mapping of the 

River Suir in the Suir River 

Cafe. Workshops undertaken 

by Kingston University 

47

Page 48, left to right from the top: 

1. Fethard Medieval Walled Town Festival 2011. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

2. Ogham script on headstone at Ahenny. Photograph by Maura Barrett 

3 Bee 4 Biodiversity Event at Place to Bee Cafe as part of Clonmel Junction Festival 

4. River image. Photograph by Frank O’ Donoghue 

5. Margo Cullen playing the harp at the Medieval Banquet, Festival Cluain Meala 

2011. Photograph by John Crowley 

6. Entrance to Ballingarane Estate. Photograph by Marie Mc Mahon 

7. Little girl in the wildflower meadow in Fethard. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

8. Ardfinnan Bridge. Photograph by Michael Pollard 

9. Eagle as part of Falconry event during Fethard Medieval Festival. 


10. A view of Cahir Town from Cahir Castle. Photograph by Clare Lee 

11. Kilsheelan boat. Photograph by Brendan Fennessey 

12. Dressing up during Fethard Medieval Festival. Photograph by Joe Kenny 

13. Hidden Headstone at Kiltinan Graveyard. Photograph by Maura Barrett 

14. Otter climbing ladder. Photograph by Brendan Fennessey 

15. Athassel Abbey on the banks of the River Suir. 

Photo courtesy of Margaret Quinlan and OPW

South Tipperary Heritage Plan 

2012-2016

South Tipperary Heritage Plan 2012-2016 - The Heritage Council

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