Tullamore

Tullamore is the county town of County Offaly. It is in the centre of Ireland and has a population of 13,000. Its most famous export is Tullamore Dew, a whiskey which was first brewed in 1829 and is still enjoyed today. The Grand Canal runs through the centre of the town. It is also an important commercial and industrial centre in the region.

Grand Canal Tullamore

Get in

By car
  • Tullamore is 10 mins away from Exit 5 on the M6 motorway from Dublin or Galway
  • Tullamore to Dublin (70mins)
  • Tullamore to Galway (85mins)

By train

Train station services from Dublin and Galway/Westport 8 times daily. 🌍 Train station is near enough to town centre but there are usually taxis waiting if you need them.

By bus

Bus Eireann and Kearns buses connect Tullamore with Dublin, Galway and Waterford.

By boat

Travel in by boat on the Grand Canal coming from Dublin and it joins up with the River Shannon.

Get around

The town centre is small enough to get around by foot. There are taxi ranks at the train station and on William Street. Taxi services include 🌍 Mac's Cabs, William St, ☎ +353 57 935 1111. .

See
  • 🌍 Charleville Forest Castle, Charleville Rd (on the edge of the town), ☎ +353 57 932-3040. Charleville Castle, one of Ireland's most splendid Gothic buildings, stands in this beautiful parkland which contains the King Oak, one of the biggest and oldest oak trees in the country. The castle is said to be haunted and was featured on series 1 of Living TV's Most Haunted. The oak woodland is beautiful – and botanically an important survivor of primeval stock. Once a year the park becomes a hub of bustling and happy humanity on the occasion of Tullamore Agricultural Show, one of the most important of its kind. However following the cancellation of the Agri show for two consecutive years due to unseasonal rainfall it has been decided to relocate the event to a new location with improved drainage in the Blueball area, south of the town. 
  • 🌍 Lloyd Town Park, Cormac St. Is the town's main park with fountains and a large play area for kids. There is a bowls pitch for the auld ones and a skateboard park as well. Good parking if you are going by car. Free. 
  • 🌍 Church of the Assumption, Harbour St. Hard to miss as it is the tallest building in town. If you go inside you can see the stained glass windows and giant wooden beams in the roof. Free. 
  • 🌍 Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, Bury Quay, ☎ +353 57 93-25015. Mon-Sat 9:30-18:00 Sun/Bank Holidays 11:30-17:00. This centre shows the history of the Tullamore Dew Whiskey and how it was made. There are audiovisual tours in five different languages spanning over the two floors of the building. The tour tells visitors about the hot-air balloon crash that occurred in Tullamore in 1785 which burnt down most of the town. There is a tea room which has home cooked food from local chefs and offers cakes for special occasions like birthdays and confirmation. The centre also hosts regular art exhibitions showcasing works from local artists. 
  • 🌍 Kilbeggan Distillery Experience (Locke's Distillery), Kilbeggan (About 10km north of Tullamore along the N52), ☎ +353 57 933-2134, e-mail: . The oldest licenced distillery in Ireland, dating back to 1757. €8 - €24 per person. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 O'Connor Park, Arden Road. Offaly's principal Gaelic games ground. (updated Apr 2016)

Do

Places
Charleville Castle
  • 🌍 Omniplex, Bridge St (Town centre, beside Bridge Centre), ☎ 1520 444000 (premium). All screens have high backed luxury stadium seating in all auditoria giving a perfect view from every seat. Shows all the new movies. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Fish. Go fishing on the Grand Canal. 
  • 🌍 Tullamore Golf Club, Brookfield (On the R421), ☎ +353 57 9321439, e-mail: . Mature 18-hole parkland championship golf course since 1926. 
  • 🌍 Esker Hills Golf Club (Head towards Clara on the N80), ☎ +353 57 9355999. Christy O' Connor Jnr designed championship golf course. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 Kilbeggan Races, Kilbeggan (10km north of Tullamore along the N52), ☎ +353 57 9332176, e-mail: . Evening race meeting throughout the summer months. Horse racing. €13. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Tullamore Agriculture Show, Blueball (10km west of Tullamore along the N52). Ireland's biggest one-day show held in August every year. It is an agriculture show full of cows and pigs and farm machinery. There are also markets selling food and drink. It attracts huge numbers every year. Recently, after being rained out two years running, it moved from its former home in Charleville Estate to dryer lands on the Butterfield Estate in Blueball, a little further outside town. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Castlepalooza, Charleville Castle, e-mail: . Annual boutique music and arts festival (updated Apr 2016)

Buy
  • 🌍 Bridge Centre, Bridge St (Town centre). Go shopping here. Shops include Dunnes Stores, Vodafone, music shops, clothes and shoe shops. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 Tullamore Retail Park, Cloncollog. Loads of parking. Shops include Argos, Woodies DIY and DID Electrical. (updated Apr 2016)

Eat

Restaurants

Cafés

Fast Food

Supermarkets
  • 🌍 Tesco, Cloncollog. A large supermarket for groceries. (updated Apr 2016)
  • Dunnes Stores, Bridge Centre, Bridge Street and Church Rd, ☎ +353 57 932-2770. Mon - Wed 09:00 to 19:00 Thurs-Fri 09:00 to 21:00 Sat 09:00 to 19:00 Sun 09:00 to 18:00. Groceries. 

Drink
  • 🌍 Hugh Lynch's, Kilbride St. Popular pub near the centre of town. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 The Bridge House, Bridge St. Popular pub with a nightclub upstairs. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 The Brewery Tap, High St, ☎ +353 57 932 1131. (updated Apr 2016)

Sleep
Tullamore Dew Whiskey

Hotel

Bed & Breakfast

Connect

Stay healthy

The Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore is a large hospital with an emergency department if you get into bad health or something happens to you while travelling.

  • In a medical emergency, dial 999 or 112. These numbers are free of charge from any telephone.

Go next
  • The Lough Boora Parklands are 20 km west. These parklands have unique sculptures scattered around the bog. Walking trails allow visitors to see these sculptures up close. Bikes may also be hired. There is a birdwatching hut for wildlife enthusiasts and Boora Lake is home to many swans, geese and ducks.
  • Birr Castle is 35km south-west of the town. Visitors can walk around the demesne and see the giant telescope tucked away in the forest.
  • Slieve Bloom Mountains are 25km south of the town and offer many walking and hiking trails ranging from hours to days.
  • Clonmacnoise is an ancient monastery 40km west on the banks of the River Shannon.
  • Athlone is a major town 40km north west on the banks of the Shannon.


gollark: It's "maths" and "further maths".
gollark: Some of them, probably.
gollark: I *did* GCSEs (nominally; exams were cancelled).
gollark: Imagine engineering electrically.
gollark: Yes. That is how it works post-16.
This article is issued from Wikivoyage. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.