The birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Thurles is the third largest town in the county, with a population of 8,185 at the 2022 census.

[1] Thurles is located in mid-County Tipperary and is surrounded by the Silvermine Mountains (to the northwest) and the Slieveardagh Hills (to the southeast).

Thurles railway station opened on 13 March 1848 and has connections to Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Tralee.

[8] The ancient territory of Éile obtained its name from pre-historic inhabitants called the Eli, about whom little is known beyond what may be gathered from legends and traditions.

Before the 5th century A.D. the details of its history which can be gleaned from surviving records and literature are exceedingly meagre, obscure and confusing.

By the 8th century, the territory of ancient Éile had broken up into a number of petty kingdoms: the O'Carroll occupied the northern portion, the O'Spillanes held Ileagh, the Eóganacht Chaisil had annexed Middle Third while the O'Fogartys held what is now the barony of Eliogarty.

Later in 1328, his descendant, James Butler, was created Earl of Ormond by King Edward III of England.

The headquarters of the meat processing factory Dew Valley Foods is also located in the Thurles environs.

Stakelum's Hardware, which recently moved to the Nenagh road, is one of the biggest family owned business in the town.

[11] Acts that played included The Prodigy, The Cranberries, Blur, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison, Rage Against the Machine, The Beautiful South and Deacon Blue.

Thurles is the birthplace of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), founded in 1884 in Hayes' Hotel.

In 1984, it hosted the All-Ireland Hurling Final to celebrate 100 years since the founding of the GAA in Thurles.

This is due to the assumption of certain ecclesiastical properties by the established Church of Ireland at the time of the English Reformation.

Instead, following the relaxation of the Penal Laws, the Roman Catholic archbishop chose to locate his cathedra and residence in nearby Thurles.

The cathedral's main features include a rose window, a free-standing baptistery and a magnificent altar.

These include Peake Villa (founded 1967 and playing in Tower Grounds), Thurles Town F.C.

The course is an oval right-handed track of one and a quarter miles with 6 flights of hurdles and 7 steeplechase fences in each circuit.

It is now part of Mary Immaculate College offering full-time courses in Irish, Religion, Business Studies and Accounting.