Tipperary
The Butler Trail
1Day
Explore the medieval heartlands of Tipperary and discover centuries of drama, romance, intrigue and deadly rivalries as you follow in the footsteps of the powerful Butler dynasty.
The Butler Trail
1Day
Explore the medieval heartlands of Tipperary and discover centuries of drama, romance, intrigue and deadly rivalries as you follow in the footsteps of the powerful Butler dynasty.
Joined on to an earlier medieval riverside castle, Ormond Castle in Carrick-on-Suir is the finest example of an Elizabethan manor house in Ireland. Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond, built it in 1565 in honour of his distant cousin Queen Elizabeth. The magnificent great hall, which stretches almost the whole length of the building is decorated with some of the finest stucco plasterwork in the country. The plasterwork features portraits of Queen Elizabeth and her brother Edward VI and many motifs and emblems associated with the Tudor monarchy. Audio-visuals and technological installations bring this castle’s intriguing history to life.
Cahir Castle is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved castles. It stands proudly on a rocky island on the River Suir. The castle was built in the thirteenth century and served as the stronghold of the powerful Butler family. So effective was its design that it was believed to be impregnable, but it finally fell to the earl of Essex in 1599 when heavy artillery was used against it for the first time. During the Irish Confederate Wars it was besieged twice more.
At the time of building, Cahir Castle was at the cutting edge of defensive castle design and much of the original structure remains.
An excellent audio-visual show now provides sightseers with a detailed appreciation of the castle’s long history. Visitors also flock to the castle because of its role as a film and TV location – it has featured in productions like Excalibur and The Tudors.
Located just outside the heritage town of Cahir, The Swiss Cottage is a cottage orné – a fanciful realisation of an idealised countryside cottage used for picnics, small soirees, fishing, and hunting parties and was also a peaceful retreat for those who lived in the nearby big house.
Built in the early 1800s by Richard Butler, 1st Earl of Glengall, who, we believe, managed to persuade world-famous Regency architect John Nash to design it. Originally, simply known as “The Cottage” it appears to have acquired its present name because it was thought to resemble an Alpine cottage.
Inside, there is a graceful spiral staircase and some exquisitely decorated rooms. The wallpaper is partly original and partly the fruit of a 1980s restoration project, in which the renowned fashion designer Sybil Connolly was responsible for the interiors.
The Butler Trail itinerary ends 15km away at The Main Guard, a courthouse with centuries of history under it’s arches.
In the seventeenth century County Tipperary was a palatinate, ruled by James Butler, duke of Ormond. When the duke decided he needed a new courthouse, he built one in the heart of Clonmel. Later, when it was used as a barracks, it became known as the Main Guard.
A fine two-storey symmetrical building, some elements of its design were based on works by the famous Sir Christopher Wren.
In the eighteenth century it was the venue for the Clonmel Assizes. The most notable trial it witnessed was that of Father Nicholas Sheehy, the anti-Penal Laws agitator. Sheehy was hanged, drawn and quartered.
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