Cahir (; )
is a town in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. It is also a civil parish in the
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Iffa and Offa West
Iffa and Offa West (Irish: ''Uíbh Eoghain agus Uíbh Fhathaidh Thiar'') is a barony in County Tipperary, Ireland. This geographical unit of land is one of 12 baronies in County Tipperary. Its chief town is Cahir. The barony lies between Clanwil ...
.
Location and access
For much of the twentieth century, Cahir stood at an intersection of two busy national roadways: the
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
to
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
N8, and the
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
to
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
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, coordinates ...
N24. The N8 was realigned in 1991 to run west of the town, while the old road through it was renumbered the
R670. Traffic from the N24 still left the town badly congested, however, until October 2007 when this road was also realigned to bypass Cahir to the north and east. The same road improvement scheme saw major changes to the N8 corridor: a new motorway, the
M8, was constructed west of the town between 2006 and 2008. Access to Cahir from this motorway is gained at Junctions 10 and 11.
Cahir is on the
Limerick–Waterford railway line. The town's
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
opened on 1 May 1852. There are two trains a day to
Tipperary
Tipperary is the name of:
Places
*County Tipperary, a county in Ireland
**North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh
**South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel
*Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
and
Limerick Junction
Limerick Junction ( ga, Gabhal Luimnigh) is the interchange railway station for trains originating in , , , , and stations. The station opened on 3 July 1848.
The station was highly noted for its layout which prior to 1967 required every tr ...
and two to
Clonmel
Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...
,
Carrick on Suir
Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the so ...
and
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
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, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
. There is no Sunday service.
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...
runs regular services to Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Waterford through the town.
History
The name ''Cathair'' or ''an Chathair'' translates as "stone
ringfort
Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...
", while the name ''Cathair Dún Iascaigh'' means "town of the
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
of the
fishery
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...
".
In older accounts, it was often spelled "
Caher".
Cahir Abbey
The Priory of St. Mary in Cahir, known as Cahir Abbey, was a medieval priory of Augustinian Canons regular and is a National Monument located in Cahir, Ireland. Location
Cahir Abbey is located north of Cahir Castle, on the west bank of the Ri ...
was established in the late 12th century.
For much of its history, the town has been influenced by the
Butler family. It was from this family that the first
Barons of Cahir were created. It was known for much of its history as being a defence town.
Cahir, together with Clonmel, were the centres in South Tipperary of the Quaker population, who constructed a meeting house in Abbey Street in 1833. The principal Quaker family names, largely engaged in milling, were Grubb, Going and Walpole. It was one of the first towns to be linked by
stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
in the nineteenth century, when
Charles Bianconi
Charles Bianconi (24 September 1786 – 22 September 1875) was an Italo-Irish entrepreneur. Sometimes described as the "man who put Ireland on wheels", he developed a network of horse-drawn coaches that became Ireland's "first regular public trans ...
commenced services between
Clonmel
Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...
, Cahir and
Cashel. The building at The Square, where The Galtee Inn is now sited, was the stopping point in the town for Bianconi's coaches.
Amenities and features
Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Cathrach), one of the largest castles in Ireland, is sited on an island in the river Suir. It was built from 1142 by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond. Now situated in Cahir town centre, County Tipperary, the ...
, which is situated on a small island in the
River Suir
The River Suir ( ; ga, an tSiúr or ''Abhainn na Siúire'' ) is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean through Waterford after a distance of .
The catchment area of the Suir is 3,610 km2. , is the town's main tourist attraction. Cahir has a fine
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
parish church, still in use, designed by
John Nash, one of only three ecclesiastical buildings he designed in Ireland. Another major attraction is the
Swiss Cottage
Swiss Cottage is an area of Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, England. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and includes Swiss Cottage tube station. Swiss Cottage lies north-northwest of Charing Cross. The ...
; there are also numerous specialty heritage walks. The nearby
Galtee Mountains
Galtymore or Galteemore () is a mountain in the province of Munster, Ireland. At , it is one of Ireland's highest mountains, being the 12th-highest on the Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins, Arderin list, and 14th-highest on the Lists of mo ...
form the largest inland range in Ireland and are home to
Glengarra Wood, which is a popular walking area. The
Knockmealdown Mountains
The Knockmealdown Mountains ( ga, Sléibhte Chnoc Mhaoldomhnaigh) are a mountain range located on the border of counties Tipperary and Waterford in Ireland, running east and west between the two counties. The highest peak of the range is Knockmea ...
stand south of the town, while to the southwest lie the Mitchelstown Caves. The salmon weir, on the opposite side of the bridge from the castle, is a popular fishing location.
Cahir is a small
heritage
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
town. A shopping precinct is centred on the town square adjacent to Castle Street. The town has a leisure centre (Duneske), an all-weather soccer pitch, all weather tennis courts, a Downhill and Enduro mountain-biking track and a
GAA pitch. An 18-hole golf course lies outside the town.
Education
Schools in the area include Our Lady of Mercy Primary School, Cahir Boys National School, and Coláiste Dún Iascaigh (Secondary School).
Sports
Cahir has a number of teams in various sports.
Cahir GAA
Cahir GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in the parish of Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland. It's a dual club, with more success in football.
History
Cahir has fielded GAA teams since 1885.
Football
Cahir fields Gaelic Football teams a ...
are the local
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
team and play on the GAA pitch located on the
Ardfinnan
Ardfinnan () is a small village in County Tipperary in Ireland. It is situated on the River Suir and R665 regional road. The Catholic parish of Ardfinnan is made up of three areas: Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, and Grange. Ardfinnan is also a civil p ...
road. They were
Tipperary Senior Football Champions in 2003. Cahir Park AFC are the local junior soccer team. Formed in 1912, they are one of the oldest junior soccer teams in the country. Their ground is also located in Cahir Park on the Ardfinnan road.
International relations
Cahir has been
twinned with the town of
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
in England since 2003.
Notable people
*
Richard Butler, 2nd Earl of Glengall
*
John Noel Dempsey (1915–89), Connecticut politician
*
William Joshua Ffennell
William Joshua Ffennell (1799–1867), was an Irish fishery reformer.
Ffennell was the eldest son and second of sixteen children of Joshua William and Elizabeth Ffennell, was born 16 August 1799, at Ballybrado, three miles below Cahir on the R ...
(1799–1867), Irish fishery reformer
*
Edmund Keating Hyland (1780–1845),
uilleann piper; his statue in Cahir main square
*
Michael Murphy Michael, Mick, or Mike Murphy may refer to:
Artists and entertainers
* Michael Murphy (actor) (born 1938), American actor
* Mike Murphy (musician) (1946–2006), American drummer for the Bee Gees and Chicago
* Michael Bryan Murphy, lead singer ...
(1831–93), awarded
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, later forfeited
*
Tommy O'Donnell, Munster and Ireland rugby player
*
Richard Pennefather, Irish judge, buried Cahir
*
Marian Tobin
Marian Tobin ran a safe house in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence and was known particularly for sheltering Dan Breen and Seán Treacy after the Soloheadbeg ambush, the incident which sparked the war.
Biography
She was born Mary ...
(1870–1955), ran a safe house during the Irish War of Independence
Image gallery
File:Cahir.jpg, Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Cathrach), one of the largest castles in Ireland, is sited on an island in the river Suir. It was built from 1142 by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond. Now situated in Cahir town centre, County Tipperary, the ...
File:Protestant church-2.JPG, The Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
parish church in Cahir.
File:Cahir AD1599.JPG, A drawing of Cahir in 1599
File:Cahir Castle, Tipperary.JPG, Cahir Castle
Cahir Castle ( ga, Caisleán na Cathrach), one of the largest castles in Ireland, is sited on an island in the river Suir. It was built from 1142 by Conchobar Ua Briain, King of Thomond. Now situated in Cahir town centre, County Tipperary, the ...
, Tipperary, lit up at night.
See also
*
List of towns in Ireland
*
Market Houses in Ireland
References
External links
Official SiteVisit Cahir WebsiteCahirin the Book of County Tipperary (1889)
{{Authority control
Parishes of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore
Towns and villages in County Tipperary
Civil parishes of Iffa and Offa West