Cahir

Cahir (in Irish Chathair, and pronounced "care") is a small market town in County Tipperary in Ireland. With a population in 2016 of 3593, its main attractions are the castle, Swiss Cottage, and Mitchelstown Cave.

Get in
Expressway Bus X8 runs daily every two hours from Dublin Airport, Busáras and Heuston station via Newlands Cross to Cashel and Cahir, 3 hours. It continues via Mitchelstown and Fermoy to Cork, another 80 min. Cahir's main bus stop is on Castle St just off The Square.

Expressway Bus 55 runs daily every two hours from Limerick city via Limerick Junction and Tipperary to Cahir, continuing to Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford.

Bus 855 runs four times a day between Tipperary, Limerick Junction, Cahir, Cashel and Golden, with an extra evening run F Sa.

Two trains run M-Sa from Limerick Junction (for Dublin, Cork and Limerick city) to Tipperary town, Cahir, Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford.

is 300 m north of town centre. There are no facilities to collect online tickets here.

Get around
You can easily reach the Castle, Abbey and Swiss Cottage on foot. You need wheels for outlying sights such as the Cave, there's no public transport.

See

 * The Square is the town's pleasant well-preserved centre. It's all the better for the opening of the bypass in 2007, which diverted N24 traffic north of town to join the motorway.
 * is the Protestant Church of Ireland. It was designed by John Nash, not the most obvious practice ground for his Brighton Pavilion and Buckingham Palace.
 * or Priory of St Mary was built from the 13th century as an Augustinian foundation. The tower is 17th-century, erected long after the Abbey was dissolved and fell into ruin.
 * Cahir Park stretches along the west river bank, south from town centre.
 * , to use its Sunday name, is really Cahir Bridewell or "Nick" - temporary cells for miscreants awaiting transfer to higher courts or to a definitive jail. It was built 1813-16 over an earlier fort, and embellished with mock-castellations and turrets just to show who was in charge. It closed in 1878 and became a residence; in 1976 it was converted into a B&B. The interior is private and modern so just admire it from the street unless you're staying here.
 * north of town has a 13th century ruined church, a 16th century ruined tower house and a 12th century Motte. This is a hummock of ground usually fortified with a bailey, initially of wooden palisades then later stone walls. At Knockgraffon the bailey wasn't converted to stone, and the timber hasn't survived, so it's a Motte-with-no-Bailey.
 * is the highest of the Galtee mountains, and you might be content to view it from a distance. A Munro of 918 m (3011 ft), it doesn't demand technical skills, but the ascent is one long slog, often steep and muddy. The usual approach is from the south by the Black Road Route, which starts from Skeheenarinky on R639. The trail leads through Glengarra Wood, where it's not worth seeking out the fragmentary remains of Galtee Castle.
 * north of town has a 13th century ruined church, a 16th century ruined tower house and a 12th century Motte. This is a hummock of ground usually fortified with a bailey, initially of wooden palisades then later stone walls. At Knockgraffon the bailey wasn't converted to stone, and the timber hasn't survived, so it's a Motte-with-no-Bailey.
 * is the highest of the Galtee mountains, and you might be content to view it from a distance. A Munro of 918 m (3011 ft), it doesn't demand technical skills, but the ascent is one long slog, often steep and muddy. The usual approach is from the south by the Black Road Route, which starts from Skeheenarinky on R639. The trail leads through Glengarra Wood, where it's not worth seeking out the fragmentary remains of Galtee Castle.
 * is the highest of the Galtee mountains, and you might be content to view it from a distance. A Munro of 918 m (3011 ft), it doesn't demand technical skills, but the ascent is one long slog, often steep and muddy. The usual approach is from the south by the Black Road Route, which starts from Skeheenarinky on R639. The trail leads through Glengarra Wood, where it's not worth seeking out the fragmentary remains of Galtee Castle.

Do

 * The Vee Drive is a scenic tour over the hills into County Waterford. It's usually done as a circuit from Lismore, see that page for description, but you could start from Cahir.
 * The Vee Drive is a scenic tour over the hills into County Waterford. It's usually done as a circuit from Lismore, see that page for description, but you could start from Cahir.

Buy

 * The Farmers Market is every Saturday 09:00-13:00 in the car park beside the Granary Craft Centre.
 * Aldi supermarket is just north of the centre, open M-F 9AM-10PM, Sa Su 9AM-9PM.

Eat

 * Cheap eating places straggle north of The Square, up Church St east of the river and up Abbey St west of it.
 * Lava Rock is the challenger next door, earning consistently good reports for their European cuisine. It's open W-Sa noon-3PM, 5-10PM; Su 1-9PM.
 * Lava Rock is the challenger next door, earning consistently good reports for their European cuisine. It's open W-Sa noon-3PM, 5-10PM; Su 1-9PM.

Drink

 * The Square is thronged with pubs: Punter's Rest, Galtee Inn, WH Irwin, The Bell, Shamrock Lounge, Gatehouse Bar, Morissey Bar. A little further north are Abbey Tavern and Granary Inn.

Sleep

 * Other B&Bs near town centre are Tinsley House and Castle Gardens.
 * There are 2 or 3 lodging places at M8 junction 11, four km southwest of town.
 * There are 2 or 3 lodging places at M8 junction 11, four km southwest of town.

Connect
The town and approach highways have a 4G signal from all Irish carriers. As of Dec 2020, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Cashel to the north is a must-see for the Rock and nearby religious sites.
 * Waterford is a port with a great Viking, medieval and Georgian heritage.
 * Lismore south across the hills has several fine mansions and gardens.
 * Tipperary is a pleasant market town with a famous name but that's about all. Keep heading west towards Limerick, a lively miniature Dublin.