Overview
The GAA was founded in the drawing room of Hayes’ Hotel on Liberty Square in 1884, which is why a market town of about 8,200 people in the middle of Tipperary matters far beyond its size. Thurles (Irish: Durlas Éile, ‘strong fort of Éile’) sits on the River Suir between Dublin and Cork, and on a Munster championship Sunday, Semple Stadium holds several times the whole town’s population. Outside the big matches and the racecourse, though, it is a working town rather than a tourist one – the heavy-hitting sights are day trips out to Holy Cross, Cashel and Cahir.
History and heritage
The Eli tribe gave their name to the old kingdom of Éile here; by the 8th century it had splintered into smaller lordships, one held by the O’Fogarty clan, whose name survives in the town’s fuller Irish title, Durlas Uí Fhogartaigh. The Normans arrived in the 12th century, and the Butler dynasty left the stone that still stands: the Black Castle in the town centre, O’Fogarty Castle on the Suir, and Bridge Castle overlooking the river, built by McRickard Butler in 1453. In the 19th century the town grew from an agricultural market into a retail hub for its farming hinterland.
The GAA
Thurles is the birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association, founded at Hayes’ Hotel in 1884. The building is now a hotel with a museum to the association’s history, and there is a tourist information point inside the GAA museum. The town’s own club, Thurles Sarsfields (founded 1881), is one of the most successful hurling clubs in the county.
The ground that carries the legacy is Semple Stadium, one of the largest GAA venues in the country, which hosts Munster finals and All-Ireland games and turns the town green and gold on match days. Stadium tours run in summer, out onto the pitch and through the dressing rooms. If you are here for one thing, make it a championship match – the town on a big hurling day is the real sight.
Culture and architecture
The Cathedral of the Assumption dominates the skyline, a Lombardo-Romanesque church built between 1865 and 1879 with a tall campanile, a rose window and a tabernacle by Giacomo della Porta. The Source Arts Centre is north Tipperary’s main venue for theatre, music and visual art, with a 250-seat auditorium, a gallery and a cinema. In summer the Féile festival, the revived ‘Trip to Tipp’, brings big acts back to Semple Stadium.
Around the town
Liberty Square is the historic core, a line of 19th-century low-rise buildings mixing independent shops with the chains; there is a visitor information point in the Bookworm bookshop on the square. For a pint or a bite, the town runs from traditional bars to cafés like Le Petit Café. Thurles Racecourse holds most of its meetings on Thursday afternoons, first race around half twelve, with free parking at the track.
Day trips from Thurles
- Holy Cross Abbey: 6 km south-west, a restored 12th-century abbey and pilgrimage site holding a relic of the True Cross. The Cormackstown Heritage Centre nearby at Holycross has a large dairy and old-creamery collection.
- Devil’s Bit: north of town, a distinctive notched summit – folklore says the Devil bit it out – with Carden’s Folly on top and long views. It is one of several walking hills within reach, along with the Galtees, Knockmealdowns and Silvermines.
- Cahir Castle: about 15 km south-east, one of Ireland’s best-preserved medieval castles, on an island in the Suir, with guided tours.
- Rock of Cashel: roughly 30 km south-west, the medieval hilltop complex of cathedral, round tower and chapel, and the county’s signature sight.
Practical information
Getting there
- Road: the M8 passes about 5 km east, putting Dublin or Cork roughly 90 minutes away; the N62 and R498 link to Athlone, Nenagh and Roscrea.
- Rail: Thurles station has roughly hourly trains to Dublin Heuston (about 75 minutes), plus Cork, Limerick and Tralee.
- Bus: Local Link routes serve the town from Liberty Square, including Clonmel (394), Nenagh (397) and Portlaoise (858).
Parking and accessibility
Most town-centre car parks offer free short-stay parking, and there is free parking at the racecourse on race days. The Source Arts Centre and the main public buildings are wheelchair-accessible.
Staying and playing
You can stay at the historic Hayes’ Hotel or the Anner Hotel, which has an 18m pool, and thatched cottages sit just outside town. There are several golf courses around Thurles, and the Lakeside course at Templemore is an 18-hole championship pitch and putt.
When to visit
June to August is best for walking the Devil’s Bit or a round of golf; the racecourse runs National Hunt fixtures from late October to March, and the pubs are at their cosiest then.
Time a visit around a championship fixture at Semple Stadium if the draw allows; failing that, Thursday is race day at the track, free to park and first off around half twelve.