Tullamore Tulach Mhór | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 O'Connor Square  Church of the Assumption  Town park | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Tullamore Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:53°16′00″N7°30′00″W / 53.2667°N 7.5000°W /53.2667; -7.5000 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Offaly |
| Elevation | 73 m (240 ft) |
| Population | 15,598 |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
| Eircode routing key | R35 |
| Telephone area code | +353(0)57 |
| Irish Grid Reference | N335248 |
Tullamore (/ˈtʊləˌmɔːr/;Irish:Tulach Mhór, meaning 'great mound') is thecounty town ofCounty Offaly inIreland. It is on theGrand Canal, in the middle of the county, and is the fourth most populous town in theMidlands Region, with 15,598 inhabitants at the2022 census.[1]
The town retained Gold Medal status in the National Tidy Town Awards in 2015 and also played host to the WorldSheep Dog Trials in 2005, which attracted international interest in the region. TheTullamore Show is held near the town every year. The town's most famous export isTullamore Dew – anIrish whiskey distilled byTullamore Distillery – that can be traced back to 1829. Theoriginal distillery was shut down in 1954. The brand was later resurrected, but at first was produced at theMidleton Distillery inCounty Cork. However, in 2014, the brand's new owners,William Grant & Sons, invested in a new distillery near Tullamore, bringing whiskey production back to the town.[2]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 5,407 | — |
| 1831 | 6,342 | +17.3% |
| 1841 | 6,343 | +0.0% |
| 1851 | 4,630 | −27.0% |
| 1861 | 4,797 | +3.6% |
| 1871 | 5,179 | +8.0% |
| 1881 | 5,098 | −1.6% |
| 1891 | 4,522 | −11.3% |
| 1901 | 4,639 | +2.6% |
| 1911 | 4,926 | +6.2% |
| 1926 | 4,930 | +0.1% |
| 1936 | 5,135 | +4.2% |
| 1946 | 5,897 | +14.8% |
| 1951 | 6,165 | +4.5% |
| 1956 | 6,147 | −0.3% |
| 1961 | 6,243 | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 6,874 | +10.1% |
| 1971 | 7,474 | +8.7% |
| 1981 | 8,724 | +16.7% |
| 1986 | 9,442 | +8.2% |
| 1991 | 9,430 | −0.1% |
| 1996 | 10,039 | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 11,098 | +10.5% |
| 2006 | 12,927 | +16.5% |
| 2011 | 14,361 | +11.1% |
| 2016 | 14,607 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 15,598 | +6.8% |
| [3][4][5][6][7][8][1] | ||
In theMiddle Ages, Tullamore was within theGaelic territory ofFirceall ruled by the O'Molloy clan. Firceall was part of theKingdom of Meath. The Tullamore area was part of the first Englishplantations in Ireland during the 1550s when land was confiscated from the native Irish and colonized with English settlers. Firceall was divided into the baronies ofBallycowan,Ballyboy andEglish, with Tullamore located in Ballycowan.[9]
The Tullamore area, comprising some 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres), was granted by the English to Sir John Moore in 1622. At that time the Tullamore estate included a ruined castle, ten cottages and two water mills. Sir Robert Forth, who leased the lands from Thomas Moore (son and heir of Sir John), built a mansion house c.1641 in what is now the Charlevilledemesne. Charles Moore, Lord Tullamore, grandson of Thomas, eventually regained possession of the estate and when he died in 1674 it went via his sister to Charles William Bury. Charles William was later (1806) created the 1stEarl of Charleville in a second creation of the title.[10]
On 10 May 1785, the town was seriously damaged when the crash of ahot air balloon resulted in a fire that burned down as many as 130 homes, giving the town the distinction of being the location of the world's first knownaviation disaster.[11] To this day, the town shield depicts aphoenix rising from the ashes. The event is yearly commemorated by the Phoenix festival which celebrates Tullamore's resurrection from the ashes following the accident.
TheGrand Canal linked Tullamore toDublin in 1798. During theNapoleonic Wars, a clash between troops of theKing's German Legion and a regiment of British Light Infantry who were both stationed in the town, became known as the Battle of Tullamore. Tullamore becamecounty town ofCounty Offaly in 1835, replacingDaingean.
Tullamore has a long history ofwhiskey distilling, with two distilleries known to have operated in the town in the 1780s, though closed some years later.[12] Subsequently, anew distillery was established by Michael Molloy, on the site of one of the old distilleries in 1829.[12] When Molloy died, the distillery first passed to his brother Anthony, before eventually making its way into the hands of his nephew, Bernard Daly.[12] When Daly died, his son, Captain Bernard Daly took ownership of the business. With an estate in Terenure, Captain Daly left the day-to-day running of the business to Daniel E. Williams, the distillery'sgeneral manager, under whose careful watch the distillery grew and prospered, and launchedTullamore Dew, the whiskey which bears his initials. Williams brought electricity to Tullamore in 1893. The distillery installed the town's first telephones and introduced motorised transport. Williams ran various commercial businesses throughout theIrish midlands – drinks businesses, tea importing, seed and grain retail, and a network of 26 general stores.[citation needed]
Following this period,Prohibition in the United States, aneconomic war with Britain in the 1930s, andWorld War II all harmed the industry. Tullamore was one of many Irish distilleries affected by a general decline in Irish whiskey sales worldwide. After World War II, Desmond Williams, grandson of Daniel E. Williams, used modern marketing techniques to re-establish Irish whiskey in world markets. In 1947, Desmond Williams also developedIrish Mist, an Irishliqueur made from a blend of whiskey, herbs and honey, using a recipe alleged to have disappeared in the late 17th century and to have been rediscovered in a manuscript 250 years later. Williams also capitalised on theIrish coffee concept, and promoted blended whiskeys along with Tullamore Dew.
The Tullamore Phoenix Festival was an annual celebration of art, culture and heritage first held in August between 2000 and 2007.[citation needed] Festival events included hot air balloons, concerts, street entertainment, a parade, and fireworks.[citation needed]
TheQueen of the Land Festival takes place in Tullamore each year on the second weekend in November. Primarily a personality contest, it seeks to find the best examples of a modern Irish woman. It is organised by Offaly Macra Na Feirme. Each year about 25 girls between the age of 17 and 35 compete to be crowned Queen of the Land. The festival provides a host of entertainment throughout the town over the weekend, primarily at night.
An annualTullamore Show takes place on the second Sunday of August every year. It was cancelled in 2007 and 2008 due to heavy rain, though it ran again in 2009.[13] Agriculture was originally the show's main focus, but this has broadened to include entertainment, food, crafts, lifestyle, trade stands, food and refreshments, fashion and entertainment.[citation needed]
Hugh Lynch's Pub on Kilbride Street has been operating as a public house since the early 1800s. In the early 1900s it was bought by the Williams Group, founders of the D.E. Williams Distillery, and run as a public bar and grocery, along with many other outlets in theIrish Midlands, from which they sold their growing whiskey brand "Tullamore Dew". It has been in the Lynch Family since 1971.
The nationalFleadh Cheoil was held in Tullamore for the very first time in August 2007. It returned in 2008 and returned for the third time from 21 to 23 August 2009.[14]
TheNational Ploughing Championships, Europe's largest Outdoor Exhibition and Agriculture Trade Show, was held in Screggan, Tullamore in 2016. The total attendance figures for the 2016 Championship came to a record-breaking 283,000. The show returned to Screggan in September 2017.[15]
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The Tullamore Dew Visitor Centre on the banks of theGrand Canal focuses on the distilling, canal and urban history of the town.[16] Audio visual and self-guided tours are available.
Charleville Estate is located on the edge of the town. The GothicCharleville Castle stands in this parkland setting which contains theKing 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 ofLiving TV'sMost Haunted.[17] The oak woodland is botanically an important survivor of primeval stock. The park was the location of the annual Tullamore Agricultural Show. However following the cancellation of the show for two consecutive years due to heavy rainfall the event was moved to a new location with improved drainage in theBlue Ball area, south of the town.
Tullamore is used as a base for theSlieve Bloom Mountains to the south of the county.[citation needed]
Also south of Tullamore are theLough Boora parklands. Theseboglands contain a range of flora and fauna. The wetlands also contain a number of large-scaleenvironmental sculptures that form part of the 'Sculpture in the Parklands' sculpture park.[citation needed]
10 km west of Tullamore is the village ofRahan. The remains of what was once a large monastery settlement founded by St.Carthage orMochuda in the 6th century, can be seen in the village.
Within 5 minutes drive is theCeltic cross ofDurrow. In the late 6th century,Durrow Abbey was founded here bySaint Columba. The monastery is known for theBook of Durrow, an illuminated manuscript probably written here around 700.[18] Nearby is the 7th-century Tihilly Church andHigh Cross. Little remains of the stone church, but the high cross has visible patterns of beasts as well as panels of Adam and Eve and the crucifixion.[19]
There are four metal sculptures located on theN52 Tullamore bypass funded under thepercentage for arts scheme where 1% of the budget is allocated to roadside art.[20] SculptorMaurice Harron created the figures presenting symbols of learning and sanctity. The figures are located onesker ridges that the new roadway cuts through.[21]
There are also a number of churches in the town, including Tullamore Catholic Church, Tullamore Presbyterian Church and St. Catherine's Church of Ireland church.
Tullamore Town Hall, which dates from 1786, used to be a private house known as Acres Hall.[22]
As the county town of Offaly, many government services are located here such as the headquarters ofOffaly County Council, the Midlands Regional Hospital and HSE services. Government departments located in the town include theDepartment of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and theDepartment of Education.
Tullamore has traditionally been an important industrial, retail and services centre for County Offaly. When theGrand Canal opened in the late 18th century, it offered increased connectivity to the town and offered an increased market for goods produced in the area.Tullamore Dew, a brand ofIrish Whiskey was first distilled in the town in 1829. Tullamore was connected to the national railway network in 1854 by theGreat Southern and Western Railway company, nowIarnród Éireann. Tullamore is also located near the boglands of theBog of Allen. This provided employment through the work ofBord na Mona. Agriculture is also important to the local economy.
There are a number of industrial estates in the town, and multinational employers in the area includeSennheiser,Covidien and Zannini.[23]
The Bridge Centre, one of the main shopping areas in the town centre, was officially opened on 12 September 1995.[24][25] It has outlets ofDunnes Stores, Vero Moda, and Holland and Barrett.[26] The Tullamore Retail Park on the Portarlington Road also has a mix of shops includingTesco,Heatons, Petmania, Harry Corry and Woodie's DIY. In September 2016,Boots opened in the town centre.[citation needed]
From 1975 until 24 March 2008, Tullamore was the home ofRTÉ Radio 1's principal medium-wavetransmitter, broadcasting the AM version of Radio 1 on 567 kHz, at a power of 500 kW. Before this, the main transmission centre had been sited nearAthlone. In addition to being the headquarters ofMidlands 103, Tullamore is home to a number of local newspapers includingThe Tullamore Tribune andThe Offaly Independent.[citation needed]
Tullamore features in several books by the authorLyn Andrews.[citation needed]
The population of Tullamore (and its environs) rose from 10,029 in 1996[27][28] to 15,598 in 2022, an increase of over 55%.[1]
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Tullamore railway station, first opened on 2 October 1854,[29] is served by trains on the Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Westport/Ballina inter-city routes.
In association with theCounty Westmeath urban centres,Athlone andMullingar, Tullamore forms part of what is known as theMidlands Gateway.
Tullamore lies on theN52national secondary road. This connects toBirr in the southwest of the county and continues towardsMullingar which is located to the northeast. AtKilbeggan (about 12 km north of Tullamore) the N52 forms an interchange with theM6 motorway which connectsDublin andGalway. TheN80national secondary road connects Tullamore withKilleigh,Mountmellick andPortlaoise, travelling in a southwards direction. A number ofregional roads run through the town such as theR420 connecting Tullamore toMoate,Clara andPortarlington, and theR421 which connects toKinnitty.
In 2009, Tullamore wasbypassed by re-routing the N52 away from the town centre. The bypass is to the east of the town,[30] and is a 14 km (8.7 mi) single carriageway which leaves the previous N52 approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of Tullamore, intersecting with theN80 road, crossing over theGrand Canal, before rejoining the original N52 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the town. A spur was constructed from the northern section of the route to the Tullamore Western Relief RoadR443 creating in an almost-full orbital route around Tullamore. The N80 now terminates at its junction with the N52. The scheme began construction in April 2008, and was officially opened in late 2009 by thenTaoiseachBrian Cowen.[31]
Tullamore has a number of sporting organisations, includingGaelic games, association football,rugby union and athletics clubs.[citation needed]
Gaelic games are represented byTullamore GAA, Ballinamere GAA and Durrow GAA. Tullamore GAA won four senior football championships and one senior hurling championship in the early 21st century. Between football and hurling championships, Tullamore is one of the most successful clubs in the history ofOffaly GAA.[citation needed] Ballinamere won the intermediate hurling championship in 2013, and therefore play senior hurling along with Tullamore. Durrow partakes in the senior 'B' football championship.O'Connor Park is the Offaly GAA home stadium for both the OffalyGaelic football andhurling teams. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 following an upgrade in 2006. The ground consists of a covered stand on one side of the pitch, with terracing on the other three. A stand was built in 1991 but replaced by the current structure in 2006. It seats 7,000 people and also includes a press box and a special section for wheelchair users.
Association football (soccer) is represented byTullamore Town F.C. This club was founded in 1941 and have teams in theLeinster Senior League, Combined Counties League (2nd team Women's and Youths) and the Midland Schoolboys League.[32]
Tullamore Rugby Club was founded in 1937 and is based inSpollenstown. The Tullamore 1sts team was successful in 2012 asUlster Bank All Ireland Jnr Cup Champions.[33]
Tullamore Harriers caters for athletics in the town, and was founded in 1953.[34]
Other leisure facilities include the Aura Leisure Centre Tullamore, located on Hophill Road, which has a full gym suite and a 25-metre swimming pool.[citation needed] Tullamore Golf Club has been situated at Brookfield since 1926 and has an 18-hole championship parkland golf course. It was rated among the top 25 parkland courses in Ireland inBackspin's 2014 IrishGolf Course Rankings.[35]
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Tullamore has several primary schools. There are several Catholic schools, a Church of Ireland school, a Gaelscoil and an Educate Together school. There are three secondary schools in the town; Tullamore College, a coeducational, multidenominational vocational school, the Sacred Heart School, a Catholic all-girls school and Coláiste Choilm, a Catholic all-boys school.
Notable current and former residents of Tullamore include:
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