A-Z Placefinder
Towns of North Tipperary
Nenagh —County North Tipperary
Nenagh (Aonach Urmhumhan in Irish) is the administrative capital of North Tipperary with a population of around 6,000 people. It is a most accessible town as it is served by the N7 travelling south from Dublin and north from Limerick, 100 miles and 25 miles away respectively. Conscious of its central location, Nenagh has striven to accommodate passing visitors and encourage overnight stays. Consequently the town has a wide range of popular places to stay and eat in.
In 1999 the town was by-passed to reduce excessive traffic and today offers the visitor great comfort and convenience. Nenagh is a friendly town (its name derives from Aonach ? meaning a market or gathering place) and people have been trading here for over a thousand years. Its foremost building, the impressive Nenagh Castle tower, currently under restoration, standing 100 feet in height is prominent in location and stands as a poignant reminder of the first castle built by the great Butler family around 1220.
The town lies in a fertile plain between the Arra and the Silvermines mountains and just a few miles from Lough Derg, one of the biggest lakes in Ireland. This position explains its important since medieval times, which led the conquering Anglo-Norman warlords to establish it as a great administrative centre. The magnificent Nenagh Castle which they built in the 13th century is still dominant in the town. Fine town houses from the 18th century, together with the 19th century court house, form an interesting cluster of good architecture.
