Things to Do in Tullamore, Co. Offaly: A Local Guide

Tullamore is Offaly's county town, built where the Grand Canal cuts through the midlands, and it pairs a working whiskey distillery with one of the most atmospheric Gothic castles in Ireland. If you have a day, you can tour the home of Tullamore D.E.W., walk the canal, and still make Charleville Castle before dark.

It rarely makes the standard tourist circuit, which is part of the appeal. The crowds are thinner, the welcome is genuine, and Clonmacnoise, one of the country's great early-Christian sites, is a short drive west. Here's what's worth your time.

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Must-see things to do in Tullamore

Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre

This is the obvious first stop, and it earns it. The visitor centre sits in an 1829 bonded warehouse on the bank of the Grand Canal, telling the story of the whiskey that took its name from the town and the initials of distiller Daniel E. Williams.

The distillery experience runs around 105 minutes and is for over-18s only: an Irish coffee to start, a look at the stills, a turn in the blending lab, and a tasting of three Tullamore D.E.W. expressions straight through to cask strength. Groups are kept small (around a dozen people), so it never feels like a conveyor belt.

The whiskey lapsed for sixty years after the original distillery closed in 1954, then came home in 2014 when a new grain-to-glass distillery opened on the edge of town. Book ahead, because tours sell out and capacity is capped. See the official Tullamore D.E.W. visitor page for current times, and note the production site is a few minutes from the centre while the visitor centre is on the canal.

Charleville Castle

A mile south of town, Charleville Castle is a Gothic Revival pile built between 1800 and 1812 to a design by Francis Johnston, the architect behind Dublin's GPO. It stands in ancient oak woodland and is run as a heritage and arts venue rather than a polished commercial attraction, which is exactly why it's worth the trip.

Guided tours take in the great hall, the gallery and the dramatic main staircase, with the resident ghost story of young Harriet thrown in. The interiors are unrestored in places, which gives the tour an honest, lived-in feel you don't get at a slicker attraction, and the surrounding oak woodland includes one of the oldest trees in Ireland, the King Oak. Opening is seasonal and tour-led, so check the Charleville Castle site before you set off, and bring a layer because the rooms are cool even in summer.

The Grand Canal and Tullamore Town Park

The Grand Canal is the thread that runs through the town, and the towpath makes for an easy, flat walk in either direction. A loop of roughly 5km past the old harbour and Bury Quay gives you the canal, the lock gates and the back of the distillery in one go.

For families, Tullamore Town Park (the old Lloyd Town Park, refreshed in 2016) has playgrounds, riverside paths along the Tullamore River and open green space a few minutes from the main street. Good for burning off energy after a long drive, and the canal harbour is an easy stroll from there if you want to combine the two into a gentle morning loop before lunch in town.

Offaly History Centre

Run by the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society on the Bury Quay, the history centre holds the county's archive: parish records, photographs, maps and a research library. If you have roots in the midlands, or just want the context behind the canal town, it's a quiet, useful hour.

Lesser-known corners worth your time

Hugh Lynch's for a trad session

Hugh Lynch's on Kilbride Street has poured pints since the early 1800s and keeps the music going: ballad sessions on a Saturday and trad on the first Monday of the month. It's small, low-ceilinged and the real thing, the kind of pub the festivals are built around rather than the other way round. Arrive early on a session night if you want a seat near the players rather than a perch at the back.

O'Connor Square and the town centre

The town's commercial heart is O'Connor Square, a handsome Georgian space that doubles as the stage for parades, markets and the Saturday-evening car display during the Gordon Bennett rally. It's a good base for coffee, independent shops and a wander before you point the car at a castle or a canal. The square and the streets around it are flat and walkable, so once you've parked you can do most of the town on foot.

Kilbeggan Distillery

Fifteen minutes north in neighbouring Westmeath, Old Kilbeggan is a restored 1757 distillery, one of the oldest licensed working distilleries in the world. If Tullamore D.E.W. whets the appetite, this older, more hands-on site rounds out a midlands whiskey day nicely.

Make a day of it: nearby Offaly

Clonmacnoise

Half an hour west, on the banks of the Shannon, Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland's most important early-Christian monastic sites, founded in the sixth century by St Ciarán. The round towers, ruined churches, high crosses and grave slabs sit on open ground above the river, and the original high crosses are now kept indoors at the Heritage Ireland visitor centre, with replicas standing in their place outside. Allow a couple of hours and good footwear, since the ground is uneven and exposed to the wind off the river. It's the single best half-day add-on from Tullamore.

Lough Boora and the bog landscape

South-west of town, Lough Boora Discovery Park turns a worked-out industrial peatland into walking and cycling trails dotted with large-scale outdoor sculpture and good birdwatching. It's flat, free and genuinely different from anywhere else you'll walk in Leinster. Bring binoculars in spring and summer for the wetland birds, and rent a bike on site if you want to cover the longer loops. For more walking across the county, our guide to the best hiking trails in Offaly maps out the bog roads and the Slieve Bloom routes to the south.

See Clonmacnoise from the water

If you want to reach Clonmacnoise the way pilgrims and traders once did, a private boat tour on the River Shannon to Clonmacnoise runs from nearby Athlone, taking in the monastic site from the river rather than the car park. It's a small private outing rather than a coach trip, so it suits a couple or a small group who want the approach to the ruins to be the experience, not just the destination. Book ahead, as it's run on a private basis.

Getting to Tullamore

Tullamore sits almost dead centre in Ireland, off the M6, about 90 minutes by car from Dublin and a similar run from Galway. Irish Rail runs direct trains from Dublin Heuston on the Galway and Westport lines, with the station a short walk from O'Connor Square, so it works well as a car-free day out too.

If you're touring the wider midlands, it pairs naturally with the rest of the county and with the neighbouring towns. See our wider guide to things to do in Offaly and, just over the Westmeath border, our things to do in Athlone guide for Sean's Bar, the castle and the Shannon.

What's on in Tullamore through the year

The town's calendar is busier than its size suggests. A few worth planning around:

• Gordon Bennett Classic Car Rally (June): vintage cars retrace the 1903 Gordon Bennett race route, with a Saturday-evening display in O'Connor Square.
• Tullamore Show (August): billed as Ireland's largest one-day agricultural show, out at Blueball, with a food village of midlands producers alongside the livestock and machinery.
• Tullamore Rhythm & Roots Festival (September): American roots, country and Americana taking over the town's pubs for a weekend of mostly free sessions.

Dates and lineups shift year to year, so check the organiser before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tullamore best known for?
Tullamore is best known as the home of Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey and as a Grand Canal town in the centre of Ireland, with Charleville Castle and the Clonmacnoise monastic site nearby.

Is one day enough in Tullamore?
A day covers the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery, a canal walk and Charleville Castle comfortably. Add a second day if you want Clonmacnoise and Lough Boora at an unhurried pace.

Can you visit the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery?
Yes. The Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre runs guided distillery tours of about 105 minutes for over-18s, with tastings. Book ahead, as tours have limited capacity.

How do you get from Dublin to Tullamore?
By car it's roughly 90 minutes via the M6. Irish Rail also runs direct trains from Dublin Heuston, with the station a short walk from the town centre.

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More great Irish days out

Heading further afield? A couple of Ireland's most-booked experiences, all an easy trip from Leinster:

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin. The St James's Gate tour finishes with a pint in the Gravity Bar and its rooftop views over the city. Book a time slot ahead, it sells out at weekends.

Where to stay in Tullamore

Making a night of it? Browse hotels, guesthouses and places to stay in Tullamore:

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Thinking of buying or renting in Tullamore? See Tullamore house prices - median sale price, recent sales and rental yield.