Self-catering holiday cottages and apartments to rent in County Tipperary,Ireland

County Tipperary is where the Slieve Bloom Mountains descend on to the famous Golden Vale. In this land of lakes and river valleys, the River Suir offers good trout fishing and Lough Derg is the place for boating.

• Self-catering cottages in Ireland for fishing holidays

The rich landscape is ideal for agriculture and the area is particularly known for its thoroughbred race horses. See the horses in action at Thurles Racecourse.

Walkers will find the Galtee Mountains an attractive challenge - there are many signposted trails to follow.

There are plenty of heritage sites to discover in County Tipperary including the 13th Cahir Castle. This enormous castle is set overlooking sparkling water and its architecture is well preserved. The castle is open to visitors and a multimedia exhibition tells the story of the castle through the ages. Cahir is also the site of Swiss Cottage, a picturesque thatched building adorned with hanging baskets of flowers, which was built in the 19th century by a local landowning family. It is also open to the public.

The town of Cashel is well worth a visit to explore the Rock of Cashel, a Medieval site set high above the valley on a limestone outcrop. An exhibition explains the history of the site. Nearby is the Cashel Folk Village, a reconstruction of a traditional Irish settlement. In the north of the county, the Cistercian Holy Cross Abbey, founded in 1169, is both a heritage site and a site of religious pilgrimage. The architecture is considered to be a particularly fine example of a Medieval abbey and the intricate stone work is remarkable.    

Self-catering holiday cottages and apartments to rent in County Tipperary, Ireland: