About The Main Guard
The Main Guard was built in 1675 by the First Duke of Ormond, James Butler. A sandstone building with open archways, it operated as a courthouse of the Palatine jurisdiction of County Tipperary until 1715, when this jurisdiction was extinguished.
In the early nineteenth century, the Main Guard was transformed into a shopping district and its structure was altered, including excavating the basement and adding further levels.
However, the Main Guard has now been restored to its seventeenth century form. Visitors can explore the Main Guard via guided tours, taking approximately forty minutes.
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Just as empires rise and fall so do entry fees and opening hours! While we work as hard as we can to ensure the information provided here about The Main Guard is as accurate as possible, the changing nature of certain elements mean we can't absolutely guarantee that these details won't become a thing of the past. If you know of any information on this page that needs updating you can add a comment above or e-mail us.