Tipperary Heritage Way

Walking
County Tipperary
3.8/5
10 reviews
Grade Moderate
Length 59.6 km
Time 2 days
Format Linear
Ascent 150 m
Dogs Allowed No
Waymarking Yellow arrow on black background
Start Point
The Vee Gap above Clogheen
Finish Point
Cashel
Nearest Town to Start Clogheen
Grid Ref. S 030 100 / S 075 409
Lat. and Long. 52.24183, -7.95607 / 52.520649, -7.888972

The Tipperary Heritage Way is a 56 kilometre-long low-level linear walking route in the south midlands of Ireland that follows the course of the River Suir northwards from the Knockmealdown Mountains towards the historic town of Cashel. The Suir, claimed by many to be the second longest river in Ireland, brought early settlers, the Vikings and the Normans deep into the heartland of Ireland and the country's most valuable farmland, the Golden Vale, and the river valley is thus rich in historic remains. Starting from the Gap above the Vee, a famous viewing point, the route follows part of an ancient road that once linked Cashel with the coastal town of Ardmore, a route taken in the past by many historic figures including St Patrick and King Henry II, and passes through the villages of Ardfinnan and Golden and the town of Cahir before reaching Cashel. The terrain consists mainly of quiet country roads, forestry tracks and riverside paths, some sections of which may be at times overgrown and wet. It is a route that has so many attractions along its way where walkers will be tempted to linger, such as churches, abbeys, ancient graveyards, castles and a wonderful cottage orné. A variety of waterfowl including the ubiquitous heron will be seen along the river stretches, where otters may be glimpsed.

Trail Management

Tipperary Heritage Committee, c/o Shrough, Rathkea, Tipperary Town. Tel: 062-55467 Web: www.tipperaryway.com Also South East Tourism, 41 The Quay, Waterford. Tel: 051-875823 Web: www.southeasttourism.ie/

Facilities

Car parking
At Start - car park at The Vee
At End - on street in Cashel (probable charge)

31 kms or 55% of the Way follows local roads. There may be issues with waymarking at some points along the trail.
***Out of respect for the farmers' property, Tipperary Heritage Way advises walkers not to bring their dogs on sections of the walk which go through the farmers' property.***

Map Guides

Map Guides

Tipperary Heritage Way Waymarked Walking Route - published by EastWest Mapping for Tippearary Heritage Way

OSI Maps

OSI Maps

Discovery Series Sheets 66 and 74
Public Transportation

Public Transportation

At Start: None At End: Good bus service Check with Bus Eireann.

10 trail reviews
3.8/5
Write your own review of this trail
5/5
09/22/2021

Amir from Israel

Perfect easy 4 days 60km trail.
Excellent to meet Ireland through the feet for foreign travelers.
Trail is very well marked.
Nice people, beautiful views, good weather in September, amazing dogs, horses and donkeys on the way.
Some interesting points were closed because of COVID.

Need to plan taxis and accommodations in advance.
Most recommended.

01/18/2019

Mike from Limerick

2 years to the day after doing the Cashel to Cahir section, I finally got around to doing the Vee to Cahir section of approx. 23kms in 5'49" with an extra exploration of Ardfinan. It was far nicer then I anticipated with glorious weather, sightings of deer, abbey ruins, the gem that is Ardfinan and the alternative non road route at the Quaker Cemetery junction along by the Suir through the double gates. I then got a hackney back to the car near the Vee. Signposting very good
4/5
01/18/2017

Mike from Limerick

Did Cashel to Cahir on the 17th Jan 2017 as there was no flooding....it's an extra as the river is 'full' and lots of wildlife, otters, swans, squirrels, etc. While there is a lot of road...it's more then made up for by the river bank with all its gems of abbeys, keeps, bridges, etc. I parked in the Rock of Cashel Carpark @ 9.30am with its excellent loo's alongside and then got the 5.20pm bus back from Cahir with 10 minutes to spare.
4/5
11/24/2016

Steve from Galway

I forgot to rate this trail which deserves a 5 for the river sections but is brought down by the long road stretch.
11/21/2016

Steve from Galway

I did the Cashel to Cahir stretch on the 7th November as it had been such a dry Autumn I knew the river would not be flooded.

I found the level riverside path very pleasurable under a clear blue sky. A cold start from Cashel with a sharp frost. I was impressed with the landowners maintenance of the trail.

Some sections had been mown short, another through a section of shrub had been strimmed and more had been fenced off from cattle. There were a few fields, (with and without stock), that would be muddy if wet but one farmer had thoughtfully laid blocks through the rough bit.

It's great that the sections that had taken you away from the river have changed allowing you to walk alongside the Suir all the way from Cashel to the new bridge.

I must admit I avoided the 5 or 6 km of road walking by hitching down to the N24 where I headed up into the wooded hills for another enjoyable hike. This was the only ascent of the route and it was worth it for the great views out over the Golden Vale.

I will be back one day to finish the Way from Cahir to the Knockmealdowns.

Full story of my hike on this and the adjoining St Declans Way on my blog site at :

http://stevebarhamramblingman.wordpress.com
4/5
09/26/2016

Matthieu from Cork

I walked from Cashel to Caher, end of September 2016. If you're not afraid of mud, cattle and nettle (the trail is not used a lot), it's a really enjoyable hike. A few tips:

- the part between Cashel and Golden is closed between 1st of October and 31st of March due to risks of flooding. It's sad because it's a really nice one.

- the part south to Golden down to the Sand Pit is entirely on the river side (nothing on the road as shown on the map), hence it's really enjoyable.

- the part between the Sand Pit and Glebe is entirely on a small road, plenty of small turns and no ditch: Quite not safe for walkers (as usual in Ireland).



Enjoy.
3/5
10/26/2015

Christine from Tipperary

I found the trail from Cashel to Golden beautiful but tough. 90% was good clean walking and 10% was overgrown or ploughed field. At times I encountered cattle in the fields. That may be down to me walking the trail late in the year. I observed wildlife in its own world free from the worries of predators along the river as I walked. It was a long, quiet and relaxing walk.
03/15/2015

Claudia from United Kingdom

My daughter Deborah and I did this route from Cahir to Cashel at the beginning of March on a very sunny day. We had a fantastic time, and the stretch on the road was less hard than expected. The roads are very quiet and there're ample of sites on the way. Unfortunately some of the river was flooded, so we needed to jump a bit in the deep, deep mud/swamp. Gaiters highly recommended. In the end we needed to detour on the road, as the fields were impassible. A great day nevertheless leading us to Cashel.
09/23/2013

Gearoid from Tipperary

.....walked trail earlier in summer,weather was fantastic. Camped by river on route.

Unfortunately like many trails in Ireland too much road.....completely spoiled the walk, took away totally from the lovely bits. Would not recommend to friends.
3/5
09/30/2011

Karl from Dublin

Fantastic trail - great start and great finish but the middle of the walk was unsatisfactory - too much on road ! Overall I enjoyed it as I lost a tonne of weight !!

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