Tipperary is a county in the south of Ireland, and also the name of a town inside it. It is inland farming country, known for green fields, dairy farms and horses. For learners, though, the name matters mostly because of a song. 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' was a music-hall song that British soldiers sang on the march in the First World War, and it became one of the most famous songs of that war. Because of the song, the phrase 'a long way to Tipperary' can be used loosely to mean a long journey, or being far from home — usually with a touch of humour or nostalgia. So if you meet the word in a book or a film, ask yourself which one is meant: the real place, or the song. In war films and older novels it is nearly always the song. One useful detail: in Ireland the county is often called 'Tipp' for short, especially when people talk about sport. That short form is very common in Irish speech and in headlines, so it is worth recognising.