//
Town in County Tipperary, Ireland
Photo: Andreas F. Borchert, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Fethard (Fiodh Ard, meaning "high wood") is a small town in County Tipperary, with a population in 2022 of 1700. It was settled by the Normans from 1201, who built its defensive walls. The town's medieval buildings are the main reason to visit.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
RC church mostly from 15th century, with ruined chapel and sacristry adjacent. The graveyard stretches down to a length of medieval town wall. It's only open for mass.
Small museum illustrating horses and horse-rearing in this region.
14th-century friary, now a Roman Catholic church. It has medieval stain glass windows, and a Sheila-na-gig frowsing from the east wall.
Good trad fare.
Pleasant lunch and breakfast spot, cash only.
not necessarily in that order
This legendary all-purpose institution was founded in the 1850s. It's handy for wakes but you don't have to be deceased to enjoy eating and drinking here. But they've focused a bit and no longer operate as a hotel, draper, grocer, spirit merchant, glass & porcelain shop and hackney horse hire. Pubs-cum-undertakers became common in Ireland at the Famine, when the law required bodies to be brought to the nearest pub until an inquest could be held: the pub had cold storage, and premises for a wake. That law was only repealed in 1962, and acting as a mortician was also a fast-track to gaining a publican's licence. The combination declined as separate funeral directors developed. It's reckoned some 80 pubs across Ireland still act as undertakers, but none are as cheek-by-jowl as McCarthy's.
Friendly well-run B&B, no dogs. They also have a self-catering townhouse on Main St, four bedrooms, sleeps 10.
Georgian mansion that can be hired self-catering, B&B or fully catered, eg for weddings.
Kavanagh's Bus 393 / 396 runs thrice M-Sa from Clonmel to Fethard, 20 min. It continues north for another 75 min through the back lanes to Thurles, which is on the Dublin-Cork railway line.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Shannon · International · SNN
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Fethard and Ireland.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
InspirationExplore the best places to visit in March across Japanese cherry blossoms, explosive Spanish fiestas, desert wonders in Jordan, and Irish music sessions.
7 min read
InspirationExplore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
Food & drinkBritish and Irish cuisine had a reputation for bland food such as dry roast meat with soft-boiled vegetables from the post-war era until the 1990s.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.