The Medieval Treasures of Fethard: Co Tipperary

The village of Fethard is home to a surprising number of medieval ruins. The old walls still surround the village and a signposted walking route has been established. Visitors can stroll along a section of the tall walls from the grounds of Holy Trinity Church which was built by the Normans in the 1200s

Inside the church in the Augustinian, there is a Harry Clarke stained glass window and several unusual stone carving in the arches to the right of the altar. It’s been suggest that these decorative cuts in the stone may have been the doodlings of the stone masons who were building the church in the 1300s.

Other attractions include a Sheela-na-gig (possibly a Celtic fertility symbol), the North Gate, and McCarthy’s Publican, Restaurant, and Undertaker which claims to be one of Ireland’s “Oldest Unchanged Pubs” (even Pete McCarthy stopped their in his book McCarthy’s Bar… that’s where he had the most surreal pub conversations of his life).

• Fethard Historical Society: History of Fethard
• Discover Ireland: Fethard Historic Town Walk
• Wikipedia: Fethard

Written by Liam Hughes

Liam splits his time between the US and County Tipperary, Ireland. In addition to providing private tours of Ireland, he spends much of his time hunting for broken dishes which he crafts into beautiful shard jewelry. Liam’s Tips | Website