About Tipperary

Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster, having an area of 4,305 km² and population of 4,979 at the 2016 census. It is bordered by Clare, Galway, Limerick and Kerry to the north; Offaly and Kilkenny to the east; and in the south is Waterford. The River Suir is the county’s principal river, although the Slaney and the Blackwater flow through it. There are 15 baronies in the county, of which 11 are baronies in the province of Munster, while the remaining four are: in the province of Connacht, namely Tosses, Clanwilliam, Dromtarriffe and Tullow; in Leinster, namely Fethard, Ormonde East and Ormonde West; and in Ulster, namely Clonoulty North and Clonoulty West.

Tipperary is the first county of Munster after County Clare and the first in Ireland as a whole, having been established as a county in 1167 during the reign of King Henry II. It was one of the seven counties included in County Kilkennedy after the 1609 dissolution of the Lordship of Ireland, when land from County Clare was merged into the new county of Clare. When the Irish Free State was established in 1922, it gained control of four of these seven historical counties which had been under the suzerainty of the Lordship. The name for the county was changed to Tipperary in the early 20th century to reduce confusion with the nearby County Kilkenny.

The county town is Tipperary town. The county town’s population was estimated to be in the region of 30,946 in 2016, the fifth-highest in Ireland after Limerick, Cork, Kilkenny, and Waterford. Tipperary town is the administrative headquarters of the county of Tipperary and hosts the seat of county government, the Tipperary County Council. According to the 2016 census, Tipperary was ranked as the fifth most affluent county in all of Ireland.

History

The territory that is now Tipperary was originally the country of the Hy Fidhche, who occupied it by right of conquest, from the 6th century AD and beyond. The territory then consisted mainly of fertile plains, low hills, and large forest areas. The land was occupied in vast areas by the O’Byrne tribe. The Hy Fidhche became increasingly organised, particularly under the leadership of the O’Byrne and O’Toole factions, and began to expand and impose their authority over other tribes. This was followed by the arrival of the O’Carroll clan, who then took over the territory of Tipperary. Eventually, the Hy Fidhche became known as “the land of the Erenagh” (of the Erenaghs). The territories of the Túath Dindéin Míl Ruaidri became known as “the land of the Hy Fidhche” from which they were ruled by the O’Carroll dynasty and after that of the O’Toole dynasty until the coming of the Normans.

During the 11th century, the Norse Vikings, who were settling in Ireland, began raiding along the coast of what is now Tipperary. These Norse men travelled across the Irish Sea to plunder and settle, bringing with them their Viking culture, weapons, and a strong sense of determination. It was also during this period that many Irish kingdoms were becoming established, and it can be said that Tipperary was one of those kingdoms.

The territory of Tipperary has always been a political power, but it was not a kingdom. However, like most of the kingdoms of Ireland, much of its influence was brought to the fore through trade. The area had connections with both the Viking and Gaelic cultures. This is reflected by the various kingdoms and the Irish lords that controlled them.

In the year AD 1167, according to the Book of Howth, a charter or patent was granted to the Church of Kilkenny wherein some of the lands that now make up Tipperary were granted to the city. From a legal viewpoint, the city of Kilkenny came to have authority over these lands. However, the territory remained under Hy Fidche rule, although it was brought within the power of Kilkenny due to Kilkenny’s strong trade links with other areas of Ireland, especially the cities of Waterford and Cork. The lords of these three cities also held the authority over the people who lived on them thus creating a system of lordship.

It’s a Long Way to Tipperary Song

John McCormack – It’s A Long Way To Tipperary. This famous world war I British anthem was first recorded by John McCormack (1884-1945) in 1914 with the VICTOR recording label.Several versions of the song were performed later by various singers.

It became one of the most popular anthems sung by soldiers on the way to the Western Front during the early enthusiasm of summer 1914, the song was written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams some two years earlier in 1912. Lyrics are as follows