Clonmel

Clonmel is the principal town of County Tipperary, set in the Suir Valley with the Comeragh Mountains rising to the south. Its name in Irish, Cluain Meala, means meadow of honey, a fitting description for the green pastures and orchards that surround it. The town's compact centre still follows its medieval street pattern, and traces of the old walls remain alongside more recent Georgian and Victorian architecture.

Landmarks worth seeking out include the West Gate, a 19th-century replacement of the original medieval gateway, the Main Guard, a striking 17th-century courthouse designed in the style of Sir Christopher Wren, and the South Tipperary County Museum, which charts local history from prehistoric times to the present day. The town has strong literary and sporting connections, being the birthplace of novelist Laurence Sterne and a centre for greyhound racing and rowing on the Suir.

Riverside walks along the Suir Blueway lead out into open countryside, and the town centre is well supplied with traditional pubs, independent shops and cafés. Clonmel sits on the Waterford to Limerick Junction rail line and is well served by Bus Éireann services, making it a convenient base for exploring south Tipperary.