For over five turbulent centuries, the Butlers were Tipperary’s most powerful aristocrats, leaving an indelible mark. They raised armies, battled rival families, and alternately fought with and against the English Crown. Their legacy includes numerous grand castles and houses, built for defense and as displays of wealth, and the abbeys and churches they sponsored still stand today. The Butler Trail offers a fantastic journey through time, guiding you around Cahir, Clonmel, and Carrick-on-Suir in southeast Tipperary, as well as Nenagh, Roscrea, and Thurles in the north and west. It reveals the Butler dynasty’s profound influence on the region’s physical, social, and economic fabric.