TIPPERARY, an inland county in the province of Munster, Ireland, Is bounded N. by Galway and King's County, E. by King's County, Qneen's County, and Kilkenny, S. by Waterford, and W. by the counties of Cork, Limerick, Clare, and Galway. It lies between 52° 12' and 53° 9' N. lat., 7° 20' and 8° 26' W. Its greatest length from north to south is 70 miles, from east to west 40 miles. The area is 1659 square miles, or 1,061,731 acres ; of which 843,887 acres are arable, 178,183 acres uncultivated, 23,779 acres in planta tions, 2359 acres in towns, and 13,523 acres under water. The population in 1841 was 435,553; in 1851 it was 331,487.
Surface, Hydrography, and Communications.—The greater part of the county is comprehended in the basin of the Suir, which falls into Waterford Harbour. The other rivers, which are small and unimportant, are the Nore, the Nenagh, and the Broma. The Lair rises north of Templemore, on the south-eastern elope of the moun tains that there cross the county, and flows by Thurles, Golden, and Celia-, to the junction of the little river Niel.; after which it flows along the border of this county and Waterford, by Cloumel and Carrick, below which it quits the county. Its course in Tipperary may be estimated at about 76 miles. The Suir is navigable by largo barges up to ClonmeL The lakes in this county, of which there are many, are very small, the largest not exceeding 40 acres; but Lough Derg, which forms its western boundary with Galway and Clare for a length of 22 miles In a straight line, affords, with the Shannon and the Suir, its southern boundary with Waterford from Clonmel to Carrick, the ottly naviga tion of the county.
The coach road from Dublin to Cork enters the south-eastern side of the county, and passes through Clonmel and Clogheen. Another road from Dublin to Cork by Athy passes through Cashel and Cahir.
The road from Dublin through Kildare and Maryborough (Queen's County) to Limerick crosses the northern part through Itoserea, Toomevara, cud Nenagh; another road from Dublin through Parsons town (King's County) and Borris-o-Kane unites with tho foregoing at Nenagh. The road from Waterford to Limerick enters the county
on the south-east at Carrick-on-Suir, and passes through Clonmel, Cahir, and Tipperary. The road from Clonmel to Ballinasloe in Galway, passes through Fethard, Cashel, Thurles, and Roscrea. Thorn are other roads of less importance.
The Great Southern and Western railway enters the county near Roscrea, and runs in a generally southward direction past Temple more to Thurles, whence it is contiuued in the same direction to Goold'e Crow, and is connected with Cashel. From Thurles the main line turns south-westward to the north of Tipperary, and vast Emly, a few miles beyond which it quits the county. There is a branch to Limerick, of which only a small portion is within this county. There is also a short branch to Tipperary.
Geology, Mineralogy, &c. —A considerable part of the county is hilly or mountainous, but the mountains lie in groups, and not in connected ranges. The Knockmeledown Mountains, on tho south border of the county, rise to the height of 2700 feet above tho level of the sea. They are placed in a table-land of clay-slate, partly bordered on the flanks by sandstone, and on the higher grounds sus taining isolated caps of the same rock, or upholding more continuous mountain-masses. On the north the limestone track separates the Knockmeledown Mountains from the Galtecs, of which the principal summits (3000 feet high) are in this county. North of the Galtees rise tho Slieve-na-Muck Mountains, which form a subordinate and lower range. Both the Galtees and the Slieve-na-Muck are composed wholly of sandstone, and the intermediate valley or glen appears to be occupied by the same formation. The sandstone is in general composed of grains of quartz closely aggregated. The sandstone of Slieve-na-Muck yields excellent flags. In the south-eastern corner of tho county, north of Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir, is a group of hills called Slieve-na-Man, the geological character of which is similar to that of the mountains already described : the group consists of a nucleus of clay-elate, surrounded and surmounted by sandstone.