[1][2] The county was part of the central plain of Ireland, but the diversified terrain contained several mountain ranges, notably the Knockmealdowns and the Galtees.

The county town was Clonmel; other important urban centres included Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Cahir and Tipperary.

The civil parishes had some use in local taxation and were included on the nineteenth century maps of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

[3] For poor law purposes, district electoral divisions replaced civil parishes in the mid-nineteenth century.

The council was composed of 26 representatives, directly elected through the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote (PR-STV).