Tullamore Town, County Offaly.
Tullamore is a large market town based in the centre of Ireland. Accessed from Dublin by two main arteries - the N7 to Cork, and the N6 to Galway, transfer time is approx 1.50 hours.
The town was originally developed around the well known Charleville Castle and estate, owned by the Hutton-Bury family who inherited it from Col. Bury - being an entailed property, and the Col. having no children, Major Hutton was the nearest male relative, thus inheriting the property and taking on the name "Hutton-Bury" Many of the properties in the town were developed by the Bury family, including what was once Charleville National School - a nice old stone building on Henry St. and Bury Quay which is on the banks of the canal which passes through the town - once a hive of industry where the barges loaded and unloaded the kegs for the well known distillery where the famous "Tullamore Dew" was made.Tragically Tullamore received a serious setback in 1800 when the whole of Patrick St. was burnt down when a hot air balloon collapsed on it causing a huge fire, but as a result of this the new street was widened as were other streets in the vicinity, improving the look of the area overall. The town became the capital town of Co Offaly (formerly King’s County, during the British rule) in 1823, and benefited greatly from the arrival of the Grand Canal on its way to the Shannon in 1804, and also from the arrival of the railway in 1858 - opening up possibilities of travel the benefits of which the town still receives today, with many residents working in Dublin only a relatively short commuter distance away.
Today Tullamore is a thriving business town, a good place to live in or around, with great shopping facilities, great service industries, and a plethora of sporting organisations and clubs, with the Tullamore Harriers being well known for holding many national athletic events. Tullamore has also played host to many events of notoriety - the Fleadh Ceoil, a national Irish music and dance event, the Queen of the Land - a Macra (young farmer) national event, the National Ploughing Championships, hosted by local farmer Henry Deverell at Annaharvey Farm, and the Tullamore Show, an annual Agricultural show which is well regarded throughout the country.
The town is well supported with regards to accommodation for visitors, with 3 good hotels, and many bed and breakfasts and guesthouses providing good food and accommodation, to say nothing of the abundance of pubs and restaurants in the town centre, where good company, music and craic are to be found, particularly from Thursday - Sunday nights.
For the visitor, there are any number of places of interest and things to do in the area. For the outdoor enthusiast, there are a number of golf courses - Tullamore Golf course, Esker Hills and Castle Barnagh being the nearest, while if you want good walking there is nowhere nicer than a good stroll along the banks of the Grand Canal which stretch as far as you wish to go in either direction, peaceful, quiet and safe - provided you stay away from the water! Charleville Castle grounds are also a lovely place for walking, and the Hutton Bury family welcome visitors provided they treat the property with respect.
If you have access to transport then a trip to the Slieve Bloom Mountains. is a must for the keen walker, Glen Barrow waterfall is a real treat particularly in winter and spring, while the river at Monickview is a great place for the children to while away a warm sunny or even not so sunny afternoon playing on the rocks and building dams!
Out at Lough Boora a wonderful area of bog land has been developed with walks of differing lengths available, with loads of wildlife and lakes - a trip well worth taking.
Fishermen are always to be seen along the banks of the canal, so you would be welcome to join them, provided you respect their desire for peace and quiet - they don’t appreciate being disturbed and apparently neither do the fish!
Horse Riding is of course available at Annaharvey Farm Equestrian Centre, where all the family can stay and also enjoy outdoor activities.
With regard to entertainment, there are good pubs and restaurants, but there is also a modern cinema with up to the minute films to watch, and the Bridge House Hotel and Tullamore Court regularly have concerts and entertainment pending.
Throughout the summer months Kilbeggan Races are held on a monthly basis and is a great evenings entertainment for all the family - here you will find locals from all areas of the county enjoying a "flutter" on the horses, though it is fair to say that the bookies rarely lose!!
Tullamore is as you can see a vibrant and interesting place to visit and live in, all ages are catered for and it is readily accessible to all other areas of the country, be it by road or rail so a day trip to Galway, Dublin, Kilkenny, and indeed many other towns and cities is easily available.
