County Tipperary
Golden Vale dairy excellence and Boston Scientific's 2,000 Clonmel jobs—Ireland's largest inland county combines agricultural tradition with medical device manufacturing beyond coastal FDI zones.
County Tipperary—Ireland's largest inland county—anchors agricultural economy on fertile Golden Vale soils. Dairy and beef farming create supply chains for processing plants; Bord Bia quality assurance supports export agriculture.
Boston Scientific's Clonmel facility employs 2,000+ as part of the company's 6,500 Irish workforce. This medical device manufacturing provides industrial employment unusual for inland agricultural county.
Tipperary's racing heritage (Tipperary Racecourse) and GAA sporting traditions create cultural identity. The Rock of Cashel—medieval ecclesiastical complex—provides heritage tourism anchor.
The county's scale and inland position create development challenges: distance from ports increases logistics costs; Dublin's influence diminishes westward. Tipperary demonstrates agricultural Ireland's character—productive land supporting farming traditions while seeking industrial diversification opportunities that geography constrains.