Cahir-Ireland | Unmistakable Celtic Atmosphere Encircling a Memorable Castle.

Cahir is a beautiful and captivating town of Ireland, a more than  appropriate destination if you are planning a trip to that marvellous country inserting that stunning place as relevant and significant stage to enjoy the traditional unmistakable Celtic atmosphere  encircling a memorable castle part of the considerable historic patrimony and heritage of that Nation in County Tipperary 180,0 kilometres south-west of the capital Dublin in the verdant Barony of Iffa and Offa West on the shore of the Suir river.

The old  Cathair Dhún Iascaigh or simply An Chatair as it is also known in Irish language is part of the province of Munster and it lies at the junction of two important an busy national roads such as the Limerick to Waterford N24 and the Dublin to Cork N8  in a strategic cross point which is a fabulous gateway to discover a magnificent land packed by an endless number of natural and historical attractions. 

 It is not a case that corner of Éire enchanted at first sight a lot of people and for all what there is around that municipality as the splendid silhouette of the Galtee Mountains from one side and on another a further scenic mountainous range called Knockmealdown which are together part of a stupendous frame extremely inspiring and fascinating. 

Not far from the stunning southwestern coast of the Republic of Ireland, Cahir offers the great chance to reach in a short time the charming centres of Tramore, Dungarvan and Youghal, sites will fascinate you for the wild image of a wonderful jagged coastline dominated by high cliffs looking at on the other side of the sea a large striking promontory of another beautiful land as Wales and also that is another great experience discovering an Irish geographic area a bit underrated and for many unknown.

In the immediate outskirts of that town furthermore  you will breathe the unique and unmistakable Irish atmosphere full of suggestive stories, events and narrations admiring a fantastic green countryside with also the nearest Ardfinnan, Tubrid and Clogheen, other beautiful destinations boasting relevant historic treasures and unique landscapes, places surrounded by mysteries and hidden secrets which left an indelible mark in that beautiful territory of that wonderful island facing Great Britain.

The entire County Tipperary is all to enjoy metre by metre with its picturesque large green plains beneath verdant hills, fairytale natural corners embraced by thousands of Celtic legends present everywhere including in the smallest hamlets and all those suggestive sites  immediately captured the attention of several literary works and often the Film Industry which selected them without hesitations as setting of superb and successful productions.

Cahir with its legendary and memorable castle was chosen as main set for a notorious movie of extreme success in the last decades Excalibur filmed in that iconic and distinctive fortress which shows with its suggestive and arcane image an image simply impressive and astonishing at first sight. 

That emblematic landmark was used by John Boorman, famous British film-maker who immediately selected that superb site for one of his best works all time dated  1981 based on the romance with protagonists the King Arthur and the Knights of the round table  nominated in occasion of the famed Festival of Cannes receiving furthermore many awards by several International Institutions.

That movie retrraced that magnificent literary masterpiece by Sir Thomas Malory well known worldwide titled the mort d' Arthur written in 1469  in which narration appears that epic and legendary sword in the stone called Caliburn or Excalibur depicted as a weapon with magical powers of that  Monarch of Great Britain.

The town represents one of those classical sites in which every visitor can immediately enter in contact with the traditional Irish Celtic charm and atmosphere for all what there in its boundaries and the presence of that iconic fortress enircled by a suggestive aura is one of the main features but there is much more to breathe with pleasure once there.

In an intact natural environment  strolling its fascinating streets highlighted by pleasant cosy traditional  pubs, splendid parks scattered in many corners of its boundaries ,historic monuments and the vivid green of lawns and several well cared gardens are further attractions.

Cahir and its immediate surroundings are very suggested for all the visitors who love art, history, interested to learn more a culture extremely rooted in the oldest  memories of the first Celts who settled that area. All that is closely related to the Gaeltach spoken by the majority of the friendly and welcoming locals, that Celtic language of Ireland left by the ancient ancestors and still alive more than ever.

The very relaxing setting invites to discover in pleasant walks the beauty and the attractions of that centre with also a lot of things to do,as  radial excursions, that territory is perfect for all those who love trekking, cycling on road and cycle tourism and  great are the opportunites for fishing in several streams and waterways which are also suitable for rowing. 

Naturally a magnificent land as Ireland is since a long time a place extremely loved by many photographers and people who are searching a destination full of peace of serenity in an uncontaminated land and that area of the province of Munster is simply appropriate for that.

Excellent accommodations with a superb choice of comfortable Hotels, apartments and B&B many of them not far from the stupendous rural environment of a marvellous countryside surrounded by a verdant nature transmitting the pure essence of Ireland starting your day with a glad and rich Irish breakfast highlighted by Celtic music as background and from the window admiring spectacular immaculate landscapes.

A delicious local gastronomy is another great feature with also opportunities for all those who love determined beverages with their prestigious history as stout beers and a Whisky of high level.

Highly recommended for families with children and perfect for people who is looking for to recharge batteries escaping from the urban stress enjoying fascinating routes in silent places where serenity and tranquillity are undoubtedly relevant highlights.

 For who is working for a Tour Operator as Specialist with destination Ireland of course is a mandatory for a superb Educational developing later attractive packages including Cahir as historic destination for its ample and rich historic patrimony. Many are the attractive options starting and ending from and to different Irish Airports with several chances of proposals for individuals with exciting  Fly & Drive or small groups with pick up of a Minivan in one and drop off in another.

The local history is highly interesting and full of events of relevance from the first Celtic name of the municipality pretty curious and it is a sort of abbreviation of the old Irish denomination consisting in Cathair Dhún Iascaigh.

 The word Dun means town or centre,  Iascaigh corresponds to rich of fish while Cathair meaning stoned fort and with the sum of all that was generated that naming which translated is town of the fort for fishing which  was abbreviated  simply in Cahir.

The territory according to archaeological  excavations was inhabited since the prehistoric era but the first recorded settlers who lived in the local territory several centuries ago were the Iverni who started to live in Ireland approximately 1600 years BC, a population well known to venerate a Goddess called  Am Mumhain or simply called Muma and from that Celtic divinity derives the current name of the province Munster.
  
Considered  the most ancient local civilisation, those Celts originally composed a unique tribe with a strong identity based on very marked hierarchies and in the course of the history subdivided in different groups  for internal rivalries and for the desire of expansion and much more influence of some exponents.

After different splits the Iverni started to populate different Irish territories despite they left the major part of their roots and heritage traditional culture in the the current South Tipperary county as the ancient Gaeltach language which remained in use for generations and generations in the old autochtone inhabitants predecessors of the future Clans.

The next historical stages are very similar to the major part of the  rest of the country and also in the case of that people as other Celts were protagonists from time to time of  occasional alliances to defeat a powerful tribe with struggles which often determined unclear borders unclear conquered by different contenders and lost in a while by an emergent powerful group.

The Celtic history is very interesting for that also in the period under Viking rule started in the late 8th century when the ancestral fathers of the future clans fought against the Norsemen although after a period of tolerance and peace.There were alliances to face the Men of the North but in some cases not respected and including there were isolated cases in which some Celts fought on the side of the Vikings for the reasons the Scandinavian rulers gave them privileges and autonomy.

All that changed later  in a famed unity which took place in the 10th century when almost all the tribes found a strong union under a leader who was that emblematic character called King Brian Boru from Killaloe who reached Dublin defeating in their stronghold the Vikings.(if you are interested I wrote a post about that place and that legendary figure)

The current municipality was and it is part of  that region previously mentioned  Munster which was subdivided in the Middle Ages in three independent Kingdoms. All that happened in the early 12th century exactly in 1118 when emerged the Reigns of Desmond, Thomond and Ormond .

They were founded by the first influential groups who started to develop in the communities a former marked feudalistic system with a hierarchie composed by Sovereigns,Governors, families with a determined autonomy for links and sympathy towards  the predominant social  class and humble vassals.  

Those Realms were linked by the three crowns representing all the descendants of the first Celts and that symbol is present with those distinctive royal emblems in the Coat of Arms of the Province of Munster. In the following centuries born the famed Clans  with the local surnames O´Brien, O´Kennedy and MacCarthy.

Conor O´Brian Prince of Thomond was a direct descendant of  the legendary Brian Boru  and he built the castle in 1142 which became the emblem of that powerful dynasty. 

In that period the rivalry was very strong between a clan and another and despite a past in the name of broterhood and solidarity fighting for a common cause there were still over 150 small Reigns in Ireland.

All them were constantly involved in disputes to conquer new lands with the intention to proclaim their authority also linked to a hunger of popularity of determined leaders with strategies focused to a possible future reunification of all those realities with the hope and dream to form a future unique centre of power.

The history of Cahir changed in medieval times during the invasion of Ireland by the Anglo-Norman troops led by King Henry II in 1171 with a massive land on the coast of Waterford starting since then the long English domain in the country.

The castle of Cahir once conquered by the new rulers was donated by King Edward III to the Family Butler a Cambro-Norman dynasty who participated in that 12th century to the Irish invasion. The fortress became the stronghold of the Butlers who also received the title of Marquis and Dukes of Ormond.For the honours received during the war of occupation the first exponents of that House were rewarded with lands,towns, villages and in the case of Cahir also with that manor.

 Those aristocratic characters developed a a typical and traditional feudalism,a land governed by selected landlords linked and loyal to the Englih Royalty giving the population lands to cultivate in a period in which the major part of the inhabitants were farmers.

 That dynasty created generations of Barons and the local history was for long time linked to that surname who governed the town for long time inhabiting the castle for almost six centuries since the times of James Butler first Earl of Ormond, one of the major historic leaders and indisputable figure who wrote the first important historic pages in the local history since the 14th century.

After clashes with the descendant of the O' Brien family aimed to re-conquer their stronghold with also a temporary occupation by Oliver Cromnwell and his troops in the 17th century that castle returned in the hands of the former rulers.

In the 19th century Cahir with another town of South Tipperary Clonmel became a a centre inhabited by a numerous Quarker population and that settlement culminated with the elevation in 1833 of a meeting house established in Abbey Street. Among that community there were some families who played an important local rule such as Walpole, Grumm and Going.

In the same century Charles Bianconi, an Italo-Irish entrepreneur from Costa Masnaga, a municipality of the current Italian province of Lecco who moved to Ireland in 1802 established a stagecoach linking Cahir to Clomnel and Cashel and that relevant operation largely  improved the local connections in Tipperary County.

The construction now occupied by the current The Gallee Inn was the seat of the first points of stop of Bianconi's company and also for that it is in its kind a sort of landmark evoking times when there was a notable development in terms of communications.

The local history followed during all that time the destiny of Ireland which reached its Independence in the 20s of the 20th century after truces, treaties and  with the proclamation of the Irish Republic leaving the United Kingdom in that era.

The core of that very pleasant town is very compact and mainly concentrated within four major urban arteries all them ending in proximity of that famous fortress true and emblematic  distinctive symbol immediately visible from different corners of the town.


 Castle Street is one the most busy passages of the municipality situated in its western side running along the walls of the castle while Church Street at north and Old Church Street located at east are together a sort of belt in the heart of Cahir and the last one is St. Marys Road corresponding to the main point of transit in the southern boundaries.

 Looking all around you will immediately understand why that place and not only for its legendary manor was chosen as seat for a great movie. That unmistakable Celtic atmosphere encircling that site is alive also in the urban setting and all appears as a scenery which could be narrated without hesitations in a novel describing a wonderful place you can admire in that stupendous corner of Ireland.

You can start the visit from its emblem that majestic castle elevated in 1142 by Conor  O' Brien and also known as Caisleán na Catrach located on a small picturesque island on the river Suir. On one of its sides you can see Tourism Information Centre very useful to collect several information very interesting excursions in the surroundings  and on the other lies The Mall a short distance from Church Street directly leading to the Church of St.Paul.

That is the site protagonist of Excalibur movie boasting an impressive high and long  walled perimeter, on the front side was opened the main doorway consisting in a large arched portal and crossed it there is an immediate access to a wide courtyard. Once inside the local Institutions provide audiovisual services in multiple languages and guided tours.

The former and original name was Cathair, the stoned fort and it was developed in two different sections, the older is that one close to the street built two centuries before of that hosting nowadays the audio visual show itinerary operations.

The building during the times of the Butlers was remodelled and re-arranged especially between the 15th and 17th century with a notable decay at the end of the 18th century. In 1840 to save it by a sad decline started a partial restoration mainly focused to refurbish the Great Hall which was in part revedeloped with an entire refurbishment of the walls.

In more contemporary times in 1961 died there the last Lord Butler and ten years later in 1971 the building was declared National Patrimony of Ireland and in the 80's it was protagonist of that renowned movie while in the late 20th century was achieved another title when it was elevated as as National Monument. Nowadays Cahir Castle is today managed by the OPW, the Office of Public Works of Ireland which provides apart the tours also the maintenance of the structure.

That memorable castle was erected on a rock along the river Suir,  a position which was selected for obvious reasons with the adjacent waterway forming a natural barrier beneath the high protective walls, a project focused to establish an impenetrable stronghold because the local surface was considered too flat. The towers were built in strategic positions to check all the four cardinal points with also a defined arrangement of the interior with specific sections.

The structure conserves in different spaces large rooms and halls which were occupied by the nobility on one isde while others were dedicated to host the servants and the guards.Still visible are also some guns which formed the defencive battery system  and it also has some underground passages, all them mainly restored in the 19th century.

The captivating silhouette and the mysterious air surrounding that majestic and memorable fortress on that island says all about the choice to film Excalibur but the Film Industry totally in love with that special site continued to use it for other productions.

Inside it were filmed scenes of the movie Lovespell that medieval romantic Drama with protagonists Tristan and Isolde,a movie dated 1979 starring Richard Burton,Cyril Cusack and Kate Mulgrew and in addition Cahir Castle was also the seat of that notorious production The Tudors, an Irish-British-Canadian fiction television series created by Michael Hirst produced for the American cable television channel Showtime in 2007.

Also Irish Television has often immortalised that castle in several tourist spots and various documentaries and that stupendous building is also considered one the medieval fortresses better conserved and preserved of the entire Republic Ireland.

After that super visit you can continue along Castle Street the beating heart of the town of and in a lovely walk along it you will notice the presence of a  high Cross placed on big pedestal.That monument represents the War Memorial dedicated to the victims of the first World War. Over 80 people of Cahir died during that tragic event and after a restoration in the 90's was decided to honour under the name of that Cross all the families who had lost someone in that infamous historic stage of the early 20th century.

In Church Street another of the most important local axis you can admire the Sensory and Mobility Garden one of the splendid green lungs of the municipality containing some sculptures, different types of plants and considered a natural oasis of relaxation and peace.

It is particularly beloved by locals but also by tourists because of its central location and the scenic beauty of that site invites to spend lovely times in a place which is furthermore very attractive for its very well cared aspect.

Surrounded by that large verdant space you can admire  St. Paul Church, a Religious building  erected in the 19th century by the architect Nash in a splendid Neo-Gothic Style hosting nowadays the local Anglican Parish Church.  

Developed on an huge rectangular plan with an imposing central body, it boasts a high facade beneath a beautiful a gable roof, a big arched doorway established as main entrance flanked by two strong towers erected on square bases topped by spires with pinnacles.

Nash tried with excellent results in his project to develop a pure true revival of the most charming Gothic style used in Great Britain and Ireland elevated in the Middle Ages and you will notice the perfect execution of architectural lines and decorations, height of the front side, the extension of the roof and its shape all that loyal to the most traditional canons used in the medieval structures built centuries before.

Very specific details confirming all that are also the high projections of the towers, the spaces between an element and another and their symmetry highly represented by the windows inserted in a masterly way in the layout. That stunning work produced all what you can admire today, a perfect replica of a medieval jewel  in a more modern key and considered one of the best examples of Anglican Churches elevated in the entire country.

Behind that architectural gem you can admire a majestic bell tower developed on an irregular square plan subdivided in two strong blocks and topped by a high spire.

Continuing along Church Street you can see Erasmus Smith House, a beautiful stoned building dated the 19th century.  It was originally a former Anglican School also erected by Nash and for a period it hosted the National School of Cahir until the early 60's and after some restorations it currently hosts offices of Tipperary Council.

It is a big construction elevated on an irregular rectangular base highlighted  in the centre of its high facade by a big arched doorway flanked by two wings with large curved windows on the walls. Very stylish are the lines executed in its upper section and all around notable are the marked and strong outlines very common in the style in vogue in that period.

On the same artery there is another historic highlight of Cahir, the Craft Granary a stoned building arranged on three floors erected in the 19th century, a work commissioned by the famous Butler family serving in the past as deposit for corn and wheat.

That high building presents on its facade a series of rectangular symmetrical windows placed on three levels and a couple of arched doors used as entrance. Craft Granary suffered in the 90's a fire, after that event it was totally restored and reopened in 2000. 

Today it hosts a local Institution  with an exhibition displaying local handicrafts such as pottery, textiles, glassware and jewelry while other sections are devoted to temporary spaces dedicated to photography and local art, a suggested visit to known more the local culture and history.

St . Mary Church is another historic Religious construction of the community representing the local Catholic Parish Church. Built in the 19th century in a sober Neo-Gothic style,that Sacred construction was established by a cooperation of two architects called Keane and Mullaney and you can see an adjacent high bell tower  erected on two different blocks.

It consists in an imposing main body built on a polygonal base with an ample facade, a fine  portal with another section elevated on a rectangular plan behind the apse of the building. In its interior you can admire splendid stained glass windows and also a prestigious organ dated the 19th century. 

The former Parish seat called Old St Mary Church located on Old Church Street is a building dating back the medieval times.Originally it was a splendid construction with a large nave and a great facade used by the population of Anglican faith since the early 19th century but due to its small size that community decided to have a bigger one and it was replaced as place of worship with the construction of the Church of St. Paul. 

In Abbey Street you can notice a stoned low building highlighted by some big arched windows and it is the local Presbyterian Church built in the 19th century.It was previously the worship place of the Quakers community that religious movement linked to the Evangelical Church who started to have several followers in Ireland since the 16th century.

The building was erected on a rectangular plan with a flat roof while the entrance is the result of a a polygonal projection outwards with a small roof and a rectangular front doorway used as main entrance..

In Upper Abbey Street you can see the ruins of Cahir Abbey a considerable Sacred seat developed in the Middle Ages  which hosted since the 13th century the Oder of  the Augustinian Monks  suppressed in the 16th century.Today you can only notice the rests consisting in part of the walls and the high strong towers which surrounded that old former Monastery.

Approximately 1,8 kilometres from the centre of the town very suggested and worth a visit another local masterpiece and highlight consisting in the famous Swiss Cottage which with the Castle is probably the most photographed monument of Cahir.

That splendid construction located in the huge Kilcommon Demesne Park is a magnificent and unique work by the architect John Nash who built it 1810 as residence of the 10th Baron of Cahir Richard Butler.

It is in its kind a very special and unusual  building, there is including in its execution a touch of Modernism, an architectural work of Avant-Garde considering the period in which it was erected and absolutely unique in Ireland.

Arranged on a long rectangular plan that cottage has two roofs, the first one was developed over a long portico highlighted by a large main entrance and two wide wings.The scenic  decorations on the walls are represented by suggestive rhombus on a light background with dark lines and all around the building you can admire sinuous lines,  curves and details simply fantastic if you think it is a work of the early 19th century.

The most impressive section is definitely  the roof which could be added for its genial development in the beautiful patrimony of Park Guell of Barcelona with the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí.
  
The light brown tonality of that element appears as a kind of rock or a shaped block of a mountain with two chimneys above and its undulating shape is not cut by any straight lines.The right side seems a roof of a hut or a three quarters of an umbrella and completed by some windows placed beneath that very eclectic work.

After some restorations which took place in 1985 today that scenic building is open to the public hosting the Historic House Museum inaugurated four years later in 1989.

The town also offers  many opportunities to enjoy several outdoors activities.The proximity of the picturesque mountains Knockmealdown and Galtee are a great incentive for all those who love to enter in contact with an  uncontaminated nature consisting in wide green spaces and a spectacular and unmistakable Celtic atmosphere of that corner of Ireland framed by those scenic heights which are also fantastic destinationfor for hikers.

There is including a wide selection of excursions in the immediate surroundings and I suggest you one consisting is to visit the beautiful Mitchelstown Caves with the opportunity to admire the first big caves in Ireland to be developed for public in 1972.  

You will enjoy there a spectacular range of caverns in a guided tour admiring some wonders created by nature as amultitude of picturesque shaped rocks, one of them is called Babel Tower considered one of the main highlights despite the major attraction is that named Concert Hall and for its great acoustic it hosts concerts and events with protagonists Celtic tenors.

One cave in the area was reported in 1777 but those of Mitchelstown were discovered in 1833 by Michael Condon a former local farmer. One year later they were explored by James Apjohn , an Irish chemist well known all around the country for his different minerals discoveries in the country.

He was the first man who explored them including starting the development of maps calling later eminent speleologists as the French Édouard -Afred Martel and Henry Lyster Jameson who was also an affirmed  Irish zoologist detecting in those magnificent wonders the presence of fauna.

The nearest Buncourt is another place I recommend you very suggested for cycling and mountain bike, it is a small village which lies in the scenic Gallee Valley surrounded by the Gallee and Knockmealdowns mountains and there you can see the ruins of Shanbally Castle, a manor built by the architect John Nash in 1820 for the local lord, the Viscount Lismore but that construction was demolished in 1960.


You can continuing to explore the nearest beautiful wild forests breathing the unmistakable Celtic atmosphere and just a few kilometres from Cahir you can also play Golf in a great 18 hole Golf Course or along the Suir river you can enjoy fishing salmon but also brown and sea trout.

Local cuisine loyal to the most ancient traditions is simply excellent.Naturally the mentioned salmon is one of the great highlights prepared in different styles such as grilled, baked in sauce  sauce flavoured with herbs what is simply impressive is the high quality of that kind of fish greatly appreciated and with a notable reputation with including the superb smoked  loved by a multitude of people.

Another traditional plate is the famed Irish Fish & Chips highlighted by the superb taste of fresh Cod or Haddock which are two kind of fish also used for other combined plates as the delicious trout. About seafood, pride of all Ireland are the supreme oysters you can find in many restaurants and Gastropubs and simply exquisite the local prawns.

Also delicious is meat with a large variety of soups and casseroles containing lamb,pork and beef meats that last one of supreme level offering a great quality of tender steaks and do not miss to taste the delicious Irish Stew made with meat and vegetables cooked very slow and served very hot.

Notable is the production of a superb cured bacon often used in different recipes as the traditional dish bacon and cabbage. You will find an  ample variety of homemade sausages some of them filled with egg and chopped bread crumbs often present in the traditional Irish breakfast which have a considerable reputation for their delectable taste and another speciality popular is the traditional Black Pudding. 

All those plates and much more can be accompanied by a good pint of creamy Guinness or also by a great Murphy´s, stout beers appreciated worldwide.Also bakery and cakes are present with a vast choice of local and traditional specialities.

Cahir is a very captivating place extremely special at the first sight naturally highlighted by a fantastic scenery encircling that evocative and memorable castle a stunning view which immediately conquers everyone.

It is a very versatile destination with a lot of things to do and perfect as base for radial excursions, it is pretty suggested for an ample variety of tourists with different tastes starting from those fans and lovers of the most traditional Celtic culture discovering many secrets of that civilisation extremely rooted in that county.

If you are planning a trip to Ireland it is a great idea and choice to include that town as destination or stage during an itinerary in a magnificent tailor made tour. Dublin is 180,0 kilometres away and there are trains from and to Limerick and Waterford other places worth to be visited and including for all those who do not drive another valid option is the presence of Bus services from and to the Capital.

Cork is another great option situated at just 83,0 kilometres of distance and with its International Airport could be another very interesting idea starting from the Southern side of the country and furthermore there is a bus network provided by Bus Eireann connecting Cahir to that city.  (I wrote posts about that other place and also Dublin in the case you are

Ireland is always a brilliant opportunity to discover a multitude of wonderful places and Cahir is undoubtedly one of them,a destination to discover and enjoy with many sites highly contemplative and that is another secret of Ireland because that land is packed by astonishing images.

In that splendid area you will take home something of great, one of the magic pictures of the enchanting and exciting  country you will never forget with a strong desire to return there with extreme pleasure as soon as possible once again.

Francesco Mari

Recommended Accommodations in Cahir

Kilcoran Lodge Hotel

Cahir House Hotel

B&B Carrigeen Castle

B&B Hollymount House

Recommended Restaurants in Cahir

Gastro Pub Malone´s Galtee Inn

Restaurant Chez Hans

Restaurant the Lazy Bean Cafe

Useful links

www.visitcahir.ie

www.kilcoranlodge.net 

www.cahirhousehotel.ie
www.bandbireland.com 

www.goireland.com/.../carrigeen-castle-accommod
www.tipperary.ie
www.irishtourist.com/directory/places_to_visit/midlands/tipperary