A Town Not Unlike Many Others, Each One A Little Special
A Town Not Unlike Many Others, Each One A Little Special
Cathair Dhuin Iascaigh
(Fortress of the Dun abounding in Fish)
Tourist information office (Seasonal): Tel. (Ireland) 353 52 41453
This busy market centre straddles the River Suir at the eastern end of the Galtee Mountains, where the Dublin-Cork and Limerick Waterford roads meet.
Killenaule - Parish Church - : - Dungarvan - Mount Mellery
Good fishing for trout and salmon on the Suir; the Aherlow River, which joins the Suir above the town, also has good trout fishing, Cahir is an excellent centre for hill walking and climbing the Galtee Mountains. Hunting, beagling and golf (18) at Cahir Park.
Cahir - Cahir Park River Walk
The rocky inlet in the river here was recognised from very early times as a natural vantage point, and the ancient Book of Lecan records the destruction of a fort on it in the third century; in later times Brian Boru (926-1014) had one of his residences here. Cahir Castle (mainly 13-15th century), a splendid structure, now fully restored, was the largest of its period in Ireland. It has a massive keep, high enclosing walls, spacious courtyards and a hall, and is now an architectural interpretative centre. A guide service is available all year round, Building began in the early 13th century which castle came into the hands of the Anglo Norman Butlers in 1375. The Butlers of Cahir sided with the Irish in the Elizabethan Wars, and in 1599 Elizabeth's deputy, the Earl of Essex, took the castle after a short 3 day siege in which the walls were widely breached by - the English artillery. In 1647 the castle was surrendered to the Parliamentary commander, Lord lnchiquin, by the guardian of Lord Cahir. George Mathews. Mathews also surrendered the castle to Cromwell in 1650 without firing a shot. Two years later the long war ended officially with the signing of articles in Cahir Castle.
Cahir Park, with its broad richly timbered lands on the banks of the Suir, south of the town, is a pleasant place with tree-lined paths. Swiss Cottage, built in 1812, over a mile (1.5 km) outside the town on the Ardfinnan road was designed as a fishing and hunting lodge for Lord Cahir by John Nash, the famous Regency architect. It has been restored and is open to the public during the season (March - Nov)
Cahir - A Walk Along The River Suir Suir
At Tubrid, 5 miles (8 km) south of Cahir, a plaque dated 1644 over the entrance to the ruined mortuary chapel commemorates Fathers Eugene O' Duffy and Geoffrey Keating, who are buried there. O'Duffy is best remembered for his metrical satire in Irish on the pluralist Myler MacGrath, Protestant Archbishop of Cashel (the poem was written about 1577). Dr Keating, born near Tubrid about 1570, was a fearless preacher who was forced to flee for his life after a sermon drew upon him the enmity of a local family of high standing; as an outlaw, he took refuge for some years in the Glen of Aherlow. Among his literary works is a history of Ireland down to the English invasion, Foras Feasa ar Eirinn. A modern tombstone with inscriptions in Irish and English stands over his grave. The great Motte of Knockgraffon, a prominent landmark 4 miles (6 km) north of Cahir, is said to have been the coronation place of the Munster kings before the seat of the dynasty was moved to Cashel.
When the Anglo Normans first came to the district they made Knockgraffon their headquarters, and the motte was probably built by them on a pre-existing earthwork to command the important ford here across the Suir. Adjoining the motte is the ruin of a sixteenth century castle of the Butters, and in the old graveyard near by are the remains of the church where Father Geoffrey Keating preached the semnon which led to his being outlawed. From Cahir, the road to Tipperary town winds around the eastern end of the Galtee Mountains, and runs north-west past the beautiful and fertile Glen of Aherlow (on the left), spread grandly between the Galtees and the long wooded ridge of Slievenamuck. This secluded glen, once an important pass between the plains of Counties Tipperary and Limerick, was the scene of many ancient battles ano later became a frequent retreat of dispossessed and outlawed Irishmen. The statue of Christ the King ( 16 feet high) was erected in l950. A fish farm in the glen is open daily to visitors.
At the head of the glen, near the village of Galbally (County Limerick), are the ruins of Moor Abbey. This Franciscan foundation was established in the early part of the thirteenth century by the King of Thomond, Donagh Cairbreach O'Brien. The ruined church, the only part of the monastery to survive, dates from the fifteenth century. After its confiscation in the sixteenth century, Moor Abbey was used as a fortress during the Elizabethan Wars, and was burned by an English cavalry force in 1569. The church consists of a nave and chancel, divided by a tall belfry tower that is the most striking feature of the building. Also noteworthy are winding stairs in a turret at the south west angle of the nave, leading to the wall-tops. A few miles south of Bansha village Diarmaid O Riain (Darby Ryan, 1770-1855) was born, author of the famous satire 'The Peeler and the Goat'. A bilingual monument marks his grave in Bansha cemetery.
Sampled from Bord Failte Ireland Guide by: Gill and Macmillan
Cahir - Cahir Castle
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