TIPPERARY, a county of Ireland in the province of Mun ster, bounded north-west by Galway, north-east by Offaly County, east by Leix County and Kilkenny, south by Waterford, and west by Cork, Limerick, Clare and Galway. The county is the sixth in size of the Irish counties, having an area of 1,062,963 acres, or about 1,661 sq.m. Pop. (1926) 140,946. Sandstone heights stand out above the limestone plain. The Knockmealdown Moun tains on the southern border reach an elevation of 2,609 ft. To the north of this range are the Galty or Galtee Mountains (Galty more 3,015 ft.). To the east, bordering Kilkenny, are the Slievear dagh Hills, and near Templemore the Devil's Bit Mountains (1,583 ft.) with a curious gap on the summit. In the north west is Keeper Hill, 2,278 ft. The folded character of the Car boniferous limestone is seen in the anticlinal boss on which stands the acropolis of Cashel. The Suir has its source in the Devil's Bit Mountains, and flows southward and eastward by Templemore, Thurles, Caber, and Clonmel. The Nore, which also rises in the Devil's Bit Mountains, soon passes into Leix County, and the Shannon forms part of the western border. The Mitchelstown stalactite caverns were discovered accidentally in 1833. They are in the extreme south-west of the county ; take their name from the neighbouring town of Mitchelstown, 6 m. distant in County Cork; and were explored by M. Martel in 1895.
Tipperary is one of the counties generally considered to have been formed by King John in 1210; in 1328 Edward III. made it a county palatine in favour of the earl of Ormonde ; and, though the king shortly afterwards resumed his regal prerogative, the county was regranted in 1337. In 1372 the grant was confirmed to James Butler, earl of Ormonde, the lands belonging to the Church retaining, however, a separate jurisdiction, and being known as the county of Cross Tipperary, or the Cross of Tipperary. In 1621
James I. took the county palatine into his own hands. It was, however, restored in 1664 to James, 12th earl and I st duke, whose regalities were further made to include the county of the Cross. On the attainder of James, 2nd duke, in 1715, the jurisdiction reverted to the Crown, and the last Irish palatinate thus ended.
The subsoil in the lower grounds is limestone, which is overlaid by a rich calcareous loam. The Golden Vale, the most fertile dis trict in Ireland, stretches from Cashel to the town of Limerick. There is some mining. The lead ore mined for many centuries at Silvermines south of Nenagh is silver-bearing, and is associated with zinc blende. Indications of ore have been traced along the junction of the limestone with the older rocks. Good slates are quarried in the Silurian area in Clashnasmuth townland on Slieve naman. There is a considerable number of meal and flour mills.
Communications are supplied by the Great Southern railway, the main line of which crosses the county from north-east to south-west by Templemore and Thurles. The Ballybrophy (Leix County) and Limerick branch from this line serves the north of the county by Roscrea (junction for Bin) and Nenagh. The Waterford and Limerick line passes through the south of the county by way of Clonmel and Tipperary, crossing the main line at Limerick junction. The two lines are also connected by the Thurles, Fethard and Clonmel branch.
The county will benefit considerably from the electricity power stations in process of construction along the lower Shannon.
The administrative Counties of Tipperary North Riding and Tipperary South Riding together return 7 members to Dail Eireann.