History

Tulach Mhor

The name Tullamore is the Anglicisation of Tulach Mhor meaning the big hill or mound. The hill referred to is probably the hilly ground behind the junction of O'Moore Street and Cormac Street, once the location of the town's windmills. The name also suffered a rather vainglorious transformation in the 18th Century when it became known as Tullamoore. A subtle change introduced by the former owners of the town, the Moore family.

The district in which the town is located was known as Fear Ceall in ancient times. This translates to 'men of the woods' or 'men of the churches', both would have been apt as the area was once deeply wooded bogland and famous for its many monastic settlements at Clonmacnoise, Durrow, Lynally, Clareen and Birr to name but a few.

The Eiscir served as the main route to Clonmacnoise.

In the year 1620 Tullamore was a small village, consisting of a water mill, a castle and some cottages. The development of the town gathered pace in the 17th century with the arrival of new colonists from England. Tax returns of the 1660s indicate a population of 100 while Birr was considerably larger with a population of 700.

The Moore family who were English soldier settlers moved to Tullamore in the early 1700s. They had originally resided in Croghan, Their large house was built in the vicinity of Tullamore Harbour. They were a family of considerable political power and influence evidenced by the building of a barrack able to accommodate 100 soldiers in 1716. This was obviously of great economic benefit to the town. A Church of Ireland church was built in the late 1720s on Church Street and in 1767 the county infirmary was moved to Tullamore. This was one of the first signs of Tullamore's increasing importance in comparison to Daingean or Philipstown, the county capital at the time.

The 1760s saw Tullamore as dependent mainly on the agricultural industry, pasturage being predominant but also with an active woollen, linen and tanning industry. The town of Tullamore would have consisted of Patrick Street, Church Street Upper, Bridge Street, part of O'Connor Square and High Street. The death of Charles Moore, first Earl of Charleville in 1764, was a blow for the town. He had influenced an encouraged development in the town with his progressive and industrious attitude.