Thurles: Hurling, Culture and Nature

Thurles brings together the history of the Gaelic Athletic Association, art, historic buildings and a natural wetland. The town lies on the banks of the River Suir; other distinctive themes include the Gaelic Games and the landscape between the Silvermine Mountains and the Slieveardagh Hills. For your stay, you can therefore choose from sporting history, cultural and nature-based experiences.

Thurles and the History of the Gaelic Games

A defining part of the town’s history began in 1884, when the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded at Hayes’ Hotel in Thurles. The Lár na Páirce Museum tells the story of hurling, football, camogie and handball. It is housed in an elegant 19th-century building in Thurles, County Tipperary, and includes exhibits on the making of hurleys. The Sam Melbourne Collection includes GAA memorabilia and artefacts.

Semple Stadium is another sporting attraction in the town. It has a capacity of 53,500. Those interested in the origins and different disciplines of the Gaelic Games can visit the museum for a historical perspective; the stadium offers a different focus on sport.

Thurles also has permanent MapRun orienteering courses. Individuals, families, schools and community groups can take part. This offers an active way to spend your stay, rather than focusing exclusively on exhibitions and architectural history.

Bridges, Castles and Places of Remembrance

Barry’s Bridge is a stone road bridge over the River Suir. It has seven arches and was built around 1600. Bridge Castle is a 15th-century river crossing that once formed Thurles’s east gate. Black Castle, in turn, is a tower house dating from the mid-15th century, southeast of a former Anglo-Norman castle in Thurles. These structures offer different ways to explore the historic town: a bridge, a former crossing and a tower house.

St Mary’s in Thurles dates from 1292. Another place dedicated to remembrance is St Mary’s Garden of Remembrance. Memorials there commemorate 72 local men who died in the First World War. Both older architectural history and commemorative culture are therefore among the themes you can explore in Thurles.

Art, Performance and the History of County Tipperary

The Source Arts Centre has a 250-seat theatre and a visual arts gallery. It offers cultural events throughout the year, including theatre, live music, comedy, dance, arthouse cinema, children’s theatre, youth arts and ballet. If you enjoy combining your trip with different forms of art and performance, this programme adds another perspective to your choice of experiences.

The Source Arts Centre shares a building with Thurles Library. The Source is also home to Tipperary Studies, a key resource for historians and others interested in the local history of County Tipperary. Its extensive and growing collection includes books, journals, local newspapers, maps, images, archives and ephemera. The public artwork Flowing Places can also be found in Thurles’s Market Quarter.

Wetland, Market and Racecourse

Cabragh Wetlands Centre offers the chance to explore one of Ireland’s few remaining natural wetlands. Visitors can explore nature trails, and the Cosmic Walk is also available: a guided outdoor journey through the history of the universe. The nature trails and this walk offer different experiences: one focuses on exploring the wetland, the other on a guided journey through the history of the universe.

A weekly market in the Market Quarter offers handmade products, artisan foods and fresh produce. Races generally take place at Thurles Racecourse, a one-and-a-quarter-mile oval right-hand track, from late October to late March. The Thurles Visitor Information Point helps visitors plan their stay.

Other places to discover include Nenagh, Carrig, Upperchurch, Holycross, Borrisoleigh, Silvermines, Ballyquirk and Ballinderry.

For the wider travel overview: North Tipperary.