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 made 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.
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. 1 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 2 Mac's Cabs, William St, ☏ +353 57 935 1111. .
See
- 1 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.
- 2 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. Free.
- 3 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.
- 4 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, 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.
- 5 Kilbeggan Distillery Experience (Locke's Distillery), Kilbeggan (About 10km north of Tullamore along the N52), ☏ +353 57 933-2134, info@kilbeggandistillery.com. The oldest licenced distillery in Ireland, dating back to 1757. €8 - €24 per person.
- 6 O'Connor Park, Arden Road. Offaly's principal Gaelic games ground.
Do
Places
- 1 Omniplex, Bridge St (Town centre, beside Bridge Centre), ☏ 1520 444000 (premium). Multi-screen cinema which have high backed stadium seating in all auditoria giving good views from every seat.
- Fish. Go fishing on the Grand Canal.
- 2 Tullamore Golf Club, Brookfield (On the R421), ☏ +353 57 9321439, tullamoregolfclub@eircom.net. Mature 18-hole parkland championship golf course since 1926.
- 3 Esker Hills Golf Club (Head towards Clara on the N80), ☏ +353 57 9355999. Christy O' Connor Jnr designed championship golf course.
- 4 Kilbeggan Races, Kilbeggan (10km north of Tullamore along the N52), ☏ +353 57 9332176, kilbegganracecourse@eircom.net. Evening race meeting throughout the summer months. Horse racing. €13.
- Tullamore Agriculture Show, Blueball (10 km 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 of people every year. It is held on the Butterfield Estate in Blueball, a little outside town.
- Castlepalooza, Charleville Castle, info@castlepalooza.com. Annual boutique music and arts festival.
Buy
- 1 Bridge Centre, Bridge St (Town centre). Shops include Dunnes Stores, Vodafone, music shops, clothes and shoe shops.
- 2 Tullamore Retail Park, Cloncollog. Loads of parking. Shops include Argos, Woodies DIY and DID Electrical.
Eat
Restaurants
- 1 Sirocco's Italian Restaurant, Patrick St, ☏ +353 57 935-2839, info@siroccos.net. Italian restaurant with locally produced food. Food is cooked in an open kitchen so you can see the chefs cooking your meal. Good atmosphere and family run. Around €20 for 3 course meals.
- Yaadgar Indian Restaurant, Esker Court William St, ☏ +353 57 932-9536. Indian food.
- 2 The Blue Apron, Harbour St, ☏ +353 57 936-0106, theblueapronrestaurant@gmail.com. W-Th 17:30-21:30, F Sa 17:30-22:00, Su 12:30-21:00. Modern cuisine with a European influence.
- 3 Captain House Restaurant, Main St, ☏ +353 57 932-0888. Steaks, fishes, pastas, vegetarian options with a nautical theme.
- 4 Balcone Italiano, Bridge House Hotel (Upstairs in the Bridge House Hotel), ☏ +353 57 932 5600, balcone@bridgehouse.com. M-Sa 17:00-22:00, Su 12:00-22:00. Italian restaurant in the centre of town.
Cafés
- 5 Chocolate Brown Coffee Bar, William St, ☏ +353 57 932-9950. Tea and coffee.
- 6 Quigleys, Patrick St, ☏ +353 57 936 0353. Cakes, sandwiches and lunches
- 7 Jenny's Kitchen, The Mall, William St, ☏ +353 57 9324878.
Fast food
- 8 Supermac’s Family Restaurant, William St, ☏ +353 57 935-1200.
- 9 Subway, Harbour St, ☏ +353 57 932-0895. For footlongs.
- 10 Domino's Pizza, Unit E Main St, ☏ +353 57 934-6000. M-Th 16:00 to 00:00, F-Su 12:00 to 00:00. For pizza. Busy on a Friday night.
- 11 Burger King, Tullamore Retail Park. Fast food restaurant.
- 12 McDonald's, Church Rd, ☏ +353 57 932-4260. Daily 09:00 - 23:00. Free Wifi, wheelchair parking and drive thru.
Supermarkets
- 13 Tesco, Cloncollog. A large supermarket.
- Dunnes Stores, Bridge Centre, Bridge Street and Church Rd, ☏ +353 57 932-2770. M-W 09:00 to 19:00, Th F 09:00 to 21:00, Sa 09:00 to 19:00, Su 09:00 to 18:00. Groceries.
Drink
- 1 Hugh Lynch's, Kilbride St. Popular pub near the centre of town.
- 2 The Bridge House, Bridge St. Popular pub with a nightclub upstairs.
- 3 The Brewery Tap, High St, ☏ +353 57 932 1131.
Sleep
Hotel
- 1 Tullamore Court Hotel, O'Moore St (on the N80 road into the town coming off the N52 bypass), ☏ +353 57 934 6666. Large 4-star hotel with a business conference centre.
- 2 Bridge House Hotel, Distillery Lane (in the centre of town, across from O'Connor Square), ☏ +353 57 932-5600. This is a 4-star hotel in the centre of town near the main shopping areas. around €70.
- 3 Central Hotel Tullamore, Main St, ☏ +353 57 936-0034. Corporate style hotel near the centre of town. from €55 upwards.
Bed & Breakfast
- 4 [dead link] Barony House B&B, Meelaghans (on the R420 Tullamore to Geashill road), ☏ +353 57 935-1157. A cheerful B&B located just outside the town. around €40 per person per night.
- 5 Tudor Lodge B&B, Arden Rd (N52 road to Tullamore, turn towards 'Ardan' from the bypass), ☏ +353 57 932-5913, +353 86 105-1061 (mobile), +353 86 089-8497 (mobile). Nice B&B in the town.
- Annaharvey Farm B&B, Portarlington Rd, ☏ +353 57 934-3544. Nice B&B in an equestrian centre.
- 6 Brookville House, Rahan Rd (beside canal), ☏ +353 57 932-1385. B&B beside the Grand Canal. €35 single €75 double.
- Loughmore Lodge, Clonminch Rd (go on N52 bypass; take N80 exit into town), ☏ +353 57 932-0808, +353 86 839-4359. Nice, old-style B&B.
- 7 Sea Dew House, Clonminch, ☏ +353 57 935-2054, info@seadewhouse.com. 4-star, Bord Failte-approved guest house, 5-minute walk from the centre of town. €39 - 60 per person sharing.
Connect
- 1 Tullamore Post Office, Bridge St, ☏ +353 57 9341388.
- 2 Tullamore Library, O'Connor Square, ☏ +353 57 9346832, libraryhq@offalycoco.ie.
Stay healthy
The Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore is a large hospital with an emergency department.
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 35 km 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 25 km south of the town and offer many walking and hiking trails ranging from hours to days.
- Clonmacnoise is an ancient monastery 40 km west on the banks of the River Shannon.
- Athlone is a major town 40 km north west on the banks of the Shannon.