Tipperary Studies

Proof that Irish weather hasn’t changed in the last 100 years — we just upgraded the cameras.

Angela Byrne discusses the role of Tipperary people in Romanov Russia from Dr James Quinlan who attended the Tzar in the 18th century to Sir Michael O'Dwyer who spent two years in the Russian empire… Anarchy and authority; Tipperary people in Romanov Russia

Watch the full lecture here youtu.be/x9x2woUS0t8

Our January lecture is now live on our YouTube channel.

Dr Angela Byrne discusses Tipperary people in Imperial Russia—a story that is more complex than you probably think.
Most people don’t realize how some Irish people were intertwined with Russia’s imperial world

Tuesday 9 May 1848
One small event -  that was the first day on which the railway line from Limerick to Waterford carried fare-paying passengers.
see 'The Coming of the Railway to County Tipperary' by D G Marnane in THJ (1998)
tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

Tom O'Donoghue collecting the trophy from Waterford Crystal 10th July 1970

Tommy Brennan on Comedian 1971

Great news! The Holycross Show trophy — missing since 1991 —
has finally made its way back home.
Read about the history of the show and the specially comissioned Waterford Crystal trophy here: tipperarystudies.ie/holycross-sh... 
A beautiful piece of local heritage returned to the community.

View of Tipperary Military Barracks from our Historical Postcard collection on https://www.tippstudiesdigital.ie

3rd Tipperary Brigade members of flying column, photograph by John Sharkey from our Sharkey collection at www.tippstudiesdigital.ie

During the Truce after the War of Independence both sides were meant to behave themselves, but in Tipperary Town the IRA could,nt resist raiding the Hutments at Scalaheen for arms. 
See Sean Sharkey’s account in THJ (1998) 
tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

Thanks to everyone who joined us on a wet January night for Dr. Angela Byrne’s excellent talk on Tipperary people in Russia in the 18th & 19th centuries.

The lecture will be online in the coming weeks for anyone who couldn’t make it—well worth a watch.

A late-19th-century family portrait: Mrs Inigo Jones (née Charteris) with her children photographed outdoors, likely at the now-demolished Cahir Park Co. Tipperary
From an album by Blanche Rochfort from 1892–93 now available on our digital archive
www.tippstudiesdigital.ie/collections/...

We forget how dark towns were at night in the past.

In #Fethard Co. Tipperary for example in the 1880s there were around 25 street oil lamps. 
A man was employed to light and extinguish these lamps each day.
For more see Michael O’Donnell’s article in tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

Photograph from 1892 taken by Blanche Rochford travelling in Morocco. Digital collection at tippstudiesdigital.ie

In honour of Morocco's win in the #AFCON semifinal last night here's a photo from a collection we're working on.
A photograph taken by Blanche Rochford while travelling in #Morocco with her husband William a Tipperary land agent who managed many Irish estates from his offices in #Cahir.

Our January lecture has us visiting imperial Russia as Dr Angela Byrne explores the experiences of Tipperary tourists, diplomats and doctors in nineteenth-century Imperial Russia
At the Source Library, Thurles
Tuesday 20th March.
Join us for a tea/coffee from 6.30pm.
Lecture at 7pm

I didn't think tithes were still being collected in 1908..everyday is a school day in archives

We stumbled upon this letter sent from Washington, D.C. to County Tipperary in 1906…
Ice cream companys side hustle, post-mortem portraits to Ireland for 75¢!

#IrishDiaspora #VintageLetters

Our December lecture is now available on our YouTube youtu.be/TxPLcq3ujow and soundcloud.com/tipperary-li... channels.
Enjoy a trip back in time where David Fleming takes us on a journey
through the 18th century Irish calendar exploring customs such as Chalk Sunday, Straw Boys, and more.

In Paris the Hotel des Invalides was a home for injured soldiers and in its 18th C. records is Guillaume Tracy a native of County d’Obredary (Tipperary).
He served 12 years before having his right arm disabled by a musket ball in Italy.
Read more in THJ (1998)
tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

Nollaig Shona do chách from Tipperary Studies
We will close from Wednesday 24th to Monday 29th December inclusive. 
Wed 24th to Mon 29th Dec: CLOSED
Tues 30th Dec: Flat day
Wed 31st Dec: Flat day
Thurs 1st Jan: CLOSED
Fri 2nd and Sat 3rd: Normal opening hours

We got an exciting update from the Virtual Record Treasury
of Ireland (VRTI) to let us know that the Carrick- on- Suir 1799 census is now
online along with much more Tipperary related material.
This is a free resource, for more information read more
 tipperarystudies.ie/carrick-on-s...

Our final lecture of 2025 was a fascinating look at customs and traditions of the 18th century calendar, including 'Skellig weddings'.
Thanks to Professor David Fleming of University of Limerick for a wonderful evening.
Thank to everyone who attended, we will be publishing the lecture in January

And thanks to Tipperary County Council Heritage Office for supporting the Heritage Day

The Rossmore Oral Heritage archive is now LIVE!
Hear locals tell their stories + explore digitised documents

🔹https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA8lcaDiVdJ1uSLEIVViFIGsHh083TzSG

🔹https://www.tippstudiesdigital.ie/collections/show/172
 
Thanks to everyone in Rossmore for sharing

Getting set up for tonight's lecture on everyday life in the 1700s with Professor David Fleming
Come along early and have a mince pie with us.
Lecture starts 7pm in the Source Gallery, Thurles

Hore Abbey from historic postcards on tippstudiesdigital.ie

Do you know where St Mary’s of the Rock is?

A clue is ‘Rock’ and it is the more correct name for Hore Abbey in Cashel.
For more read the article by Tracy Collins in THJ (1998)
tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

New video!
Archaeologist Joanne Hughes dives into the evidence for 17th-century buildings in Cashel, Co. Tipperary — using both archaeological insight and archival records to uncover buildings .
Watch here: youtu.be/GPP8cgMAFuU
#Archaeology #Cashel #Tipperary #Heritage

Recording now available: a talk by John Coman on Mary (Molly) Fleming of Cappawhite, George Medal recipient for bravery in the London Blitz.

Video: youtu.be/UHQoDtU4pnY

Also, a programme on Molly will air on Tipp Mid West radio Tuesday evening.

'The ordinary and the everyday in the eighteenth-century'
Our December lecture by Dr. David Fleming explores life in eighteenth-century Ireland, the agricultural year and the seasons that shaped it, and how people interacted in their localities.
Dec 16th
The Source, Thurles @ 7pm
All welcome

In the 18th century, gravestones were often carved with symbols like buckets, hammers, pincers, and dice boxes—each linked to the Passion of Christ.

Read more in Diarmuid O’Keeffe’s 1998 THJ article:
tipperarystudies.ie/tipperary-hi...

#IrishHistory #TipperaryHistory #GravestoneArt #Symbolism

New in our digital archives: Tankerstown N.S. records.

The original school opened in 1847 during the Famine! twice rebuilding over the years but there is still a Tankerstown school

Thanks to Tankerstown NS for loaning the records for digitisation.
tippstudiesdigital.ie/collections/...

Thanks to everyone who came along to our November lecture last night. And especially our speaker Joanne Hughes who introduced us to the remains of 17th century Cashel, a fascinating talk.
We also have permission to publish the recording so watch out for that on our YouTube channel soon

Photograph of the Carey Kiosk on Edward Street, Limerick. 1930 from tippstudiesdigital.ie

Delighted! Someone contacted us today who may have identified their great aunt Kathleen Carey & her husband Timothy Mullane in our Photographic Images of Munster collection. Love when our archives help reconnect families with their history 📸❤️https://tippstudiesdigital.ie/collections/show/50

Fr Edmond Kelly’s Military Cross on display in Thurles — From surviving Ypres to shaping Tipperary’s schools and heritage, his story deserves to be told.
Read Yann Blake's article here:
: tipperarystudies.ie/canon-edmund...