History

The History and Development of Tullamore, Co. Offaly

By Nigel Brennan

The development of Tullamore is of particular interest, in that it illustrates to us the continuities and changes in Irish social history over 300 years - Tullamore relatively speaking - was a late starter with its development as a new town dating back to the 1700s only.

To understand the story of the development of Tullamore it is important first to explain a little about the location of the town and the county.

The county of Offaly known as King's County from 1557 until 1920 is located in the centre of Ireland, bordering the counties Galway, Roscommon, Tipperary, Laois, Westmeath and Kildare. Offaly also serves as a provincial boundary for Leinster and Connacht an Leinster and Munster. Tullamore holds a central position in the county. The Slieve Bloom Mountains lie to the south, while north of the town is a memento of the ice age, a gravel ridge, the Eiscir Riada also known as the Arden Hills. The boglands for which this part of the county is known so well are the east and west of the town. The flat relief that the boglands lend to the county is interrupted on the eastern side of the town by Croghan Hill, an extinct volcano. The river Shannon flows to the south west of the town. Tullamore is not unlike other settlements in that it is divided by a river, the Tullamore River. The geography of the county is vibrant and varied and offers the visitor a wide range of pursuits.