Take a self-guided tour along the Butler Trail to explore Fethard, one of the finest medieval walled towns in Ireland.

This audio guide will lead you around the beautiful historic walled town of Fethard, Tipperary. On our journey, we will discover the remains of ancient castles, magnificent churches and walk beside one of the best-preserved medieval town walls in Ireland.

We will hear stories of fascinating people, including the town’s founder William de Braose. A favourite of King John of England, de Braose spent many years in Wales, where he earned the nickname the ‘Ogre of Abergavenny’ due to his brutal treatment of the local people. We will also hear about the Butler family, one of Tipperary’s most famous dynasties. From their role as governors who limited the destruction of the town by Cromwell’s army, to football players who narrowly escaped death in Croke Park on Bloody Sunday, the Butler’s of Fethard are deeply entwined with the history of the town.

Our tour begins at one of the historic bridges into the town and leads you around the town’s key historic sites. We will see Fethard’s famous sheela-na-gigs, and we will stand in the shadow of numerous medieval buildings, including Court Castle and Edmond’s Castle. We will also visit the famous Tholsel, one of the largest surviving 17th-century urban structures in Ireland. The Tholsel is now home to the Fethard Horse Country Experience, which showcases the incredible success stories of local horse racing giants such as Nijinsky and Galileo.

On our journey, we will follow the ghostly beat of the town’s medieval guards as they paced the town’s extensive walls and gates. These defenders would have looked on in horror from the town’s walls as the armies of Lord Inchiquin and the English Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell marched towards Fethard in the 17th century The guide will then take us to the town’s 14th century Augustinian abbey. Eight centuries of history is written into the fabric of this town, which will be revealed in this audio tour. As we shall see, to walk around Fethard is to travel through time!

The Fethard Walking Tour Audio Guide

This project was undertaken in 2020 with funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development through the Town & Village Accelerated Measures Scheme and with support from Tipperary County Council. The audio guide was produced by Abarta Heritage on behalf of Tipperary County Council with support from the Fethard Historical Society and Fethard Business and Tourism Committee. It was written by Tara Clarke and edited by Damian Shiels. Narration was by Paula Rouse and the guide was produced in Bluebird Studios with sound engineer Declan Lonergan and producer Tara Clarke.