Tipperary

Infobox Irish Place
name = Tipperary
gaeilge = Tiobraid Árann
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 30px; top: 89px
north coord = 52.474416
west coord = 8.161983
irish grid = R889358
area =
elevation = 166 m (544 ft)
province = Munster
county = County Tipperary
town pop = 4,546
rural pop = 418
census yr = 2002
web =
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Tipperary (Irish: "Tiobraid Árann", lit. "The well of Arra") is the name of a town (pop 4,546) [ [http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_volume_1_pop_classified_by_area.pdf Irish census 2006] ] in the south-west of County Tipperary, Ireland . The name "Tipperary" is derived from a well in the townland of Glenbane in the parish of Lattin and Cullen where the river "Arra" rises. Little is known of the historical significance of the well.

The town is often believed to be the county seat, which has never been the case. North Tipperary and South Tipperary, have their administrative centres of Nenagh and Clonmel respectively. However, it has a large agricultural catchment area in West County Tipperary and East County Limerick and was historically a market town of some significance. It still boasts an extensive butter-making and milk processing industry today.

History

The town is a medieval foundation and became a centre of population in the reign of King John. Its ancient fortifications have disappeared but its central area is characterized by a large built environment with wide streets radiating from the principal thoroughfare of Main Street. There are two impressive historical monuments in the Main Street, namely the bronze statue of Charles Kickham, poet and patriot and the 'Maid of Erin' statue erected to commemorate the Irish patriots, Allen, Larkin and O'Brien, historically known as the Manchester Martyrs.

The first engagement of the Irish War of Independence took place at nearby Solloghead Beg quarry on 19 January 1919 when Dan Breen and Seán Treacy led a group of volunteers in an attack on members of the Royal Irish Constabulary who were transporting gelignite.

The town was the site of a large military barracks of the British Army in the 50 years before Irish Independence and served as a military hospital during World War I. During the War of Independence, it played a pivotal role as a base from which the black & tans went on local sorties in their campaign of terror against the people of the town and district. On September 30 2005, Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, in a gesture of reconciliation, unveiled the newly refurbished Memorial Arch of the barracks in the presence of several ambassadors and foreign emissaries, military attaches and town dignitaries; a detachment of the Local Defence Force, the Number 1 Irish Army Band and various ex-service organisations paraded. In a rare appearance, the Royal Munster Fusiliers banner was carried to mark the occasion. However, given the notoriety of the place in the folk memory, there was only a small representation of townspeople in attendance. The Arch is the only remaining porch of what was the Officers mess and has panels mounted bearing the names of fallen members of the Irish Defence Forces (on United Nations service), and American, Australian and United Kingdom armed services. The area surrounding the edifice is beautifully landscaped.

In song

Welcoming signs on roads entering the town quip "You've come a long way..." in reference to the World War I - era song written by Harry Williams and Jack Judge "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" popular among the British military as a marching song, and is considered somewhat offensive in Ireland since it was the marching song of the Black and Tans. However, with distance from home the over-riding theme, local people preferFact|date=January 2008 the old song of remembrance "Tipperary so far away" which commemorates one of its famous sons, Seán Treacy, who died at the hands of British forces in Talbot Street, Dublin in October, 1920. In an address to the people of Ballyporeen on 3 June 1984, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, quoted a line from this famous song - " And I'll never more roam, from my own native home, in Tipperary so far away." There are other songs also with a Tipperary theme such as Tipperary On My Mind;Galtee Mountain Boy; Come Down The Mountain Katy Daly and Forty Shades of Green made famous by Johnny Cash.

Transport

The town is situated on the N24 route between Limerick and Waterford and has a railway station on a line following the same route, but has an infrequent service. However, the nearby station of Limerick Junction has full services to Cork City and Dublin in addition to Limerick and Waterford. Tipperary railway station opened 9 May 1848. [cite web | title=Tipperary station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-07|format=PDF]

ee also

*List of towns in Ireland

References

* Denis G. Marnane (1985) "A History of West Tipperary from 1660 - Land and Violence".
* Martin O'Dwyer (2001) " Tipperary's Sons & Daughters" - "Biographies of Tipperary persons involved in the National struggle"."
* William Nolan & Thomas G. McGrath (1985) "Tipperary History & Society"
* David J. Butler (2006) "South Tipperary 1570-1841, Religion, Land and Rivalry".
* Walter S. O'Shea (1998) " A Short History of Tipperary Military Barracks (Infantry) 1874-1922 "

External links

* [http://www.tippinst.ie Tipperary Institute]
* [http://www.tippnet.ie TippNet is a development activity of Tipperary Institute aimed at promoting the use of Internet Technology & Businesses in the region.]
* [http://www.irishrail.ie/your_journey/your_station.asp?letter=T&action=showdetail&station_id=125 Tipperary railway station]
* [http://ireland360.com/PANORAMA/CharlesJKickham/Index.html ireland360.com]
* [http://skydiveireland.ie Skydive Ireland - Located Near Nenagh, Co. Tipperary]
* [http://www.thurlesmemorial.com in thurles Co.Tipperay]