Tullamore: Whiskey, Canal and Culture

A tour of the Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery takes you behind the scenes of whiskey making and includes a tasting; the Grand Canal offers a completely different perspective on Tullamore. There is also a large playground in Lloyd Town Park and cultural attractions exploring the region’s history. These varied experiences give families and other travellers several ways to plan their stay around their interests.

Whiskey Making and Tasting

At the Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery, a guided tour explains the entire whiskey-making process, from distillation to ageing. The behind-the-scenes look makes the individual stages of production the focus of the tour. It also includes a premium tasting of three Tullamore D.E.W. whiskeys. So if you are especially interested in production and flavour, you can experience both as part of one visit.

Visitors can also create and bottle their own Tullamore D.E.W. blend. You can take the bottle home for an additional fee. This option offers a different focus from the tasting: rather than sampling three varieties, you create your own blend. This lets you plan a visit to the distillery around what interests you most, whether you want to learn more about the process or try blending and bottling.

Exploring the Grand Canal

Tullamore lies on the Grand Canal, where you can enjoy walks by the water. The Grand Canal Greenway offers a separate way to get active: it is a car-free walking and cycling route along the canal, suitable for cyclists and walkers of all abilities. If you prefer to explore on foot or by bike, you can consider these routes when planning your stay in Tullamore.

Tullamore is one of the places along the Offaly section of the Grand Canal Greenway that offers services and accommodation for walkers, cyclists and boating enthusiasts. This is particularly relevant when choosing a destination if the Greenway or canal activities are to be the main focus of your trip. The local waterside walks and the walking and cycling route appeal to different interests, so you do not have to choose just one way to get around.

Play and Activity at Lloyd Town Park

Lloyd Town Park has a large playground with climbing frames, swings, slides and zip lines. The park also has walking paths. This means it combines play facilities with paths for a stroll, rather than focusing on just one activity. For families, the specific range of play equipment is a helpful guide when deciding what experiences to include in a visit to Tullamore.

Lloyd Town Park is wheelchair accessible. This information can be important when planning a visit to the park, and should be understood as applying specifically to the park. Together with the playground and walking paths, it offers a distinct focus for a visit, clearly different from a whiskey tour or an outing along the canal.

History and Heritage

Charleville Castle dates from 1798 and was designed in the Gothic Revival style. The castle adds a historical and architectural element alongside today’s activities by the canal and at the distillery. If you are interested in architectural history, the date and Gothic Revival design are specific features that help describe the character of the castle.

Offaly History in Tullamore also explores local history. Its resources include local history archives, photographs and publications. Offaly History also regularly organises talks, exhibitions and community heritage events. These formats offer different ways to explore the past, for example through archival material, images, publications or events. When choosing your holiday rental in Tullamore, these interests can help shape the kind of stay you would enjoy, alongside whiskey, activities by the water or time in the park.

More Destinations

If you’d like to discover more destinations: Shannonbridge, Toberpatrick, Cloghan, Kinnitty, Rhode, Birr, Banagher and The Curragh.

For the main travel overview: County Offaly.