Irish Counties - Offaly

County Offaly (Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Leinster, Ireland, bordered by seven other counties: Galway, Roscommon, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare, Laois, and Tipperary. Formed during the reign of Mary I of England, it was originally named King's County, after King Phillip II of Spain.

The southern part of the county is occupied by the Slieve Bloom Mountains, the northwest by the floodplain of the River Shannon and the remainder consists of large bogs including the Bog of Allen and Boora Bog.

Tullamore (Tulach Mhór in Irish) is the largest town in, and capital of, County Offaly. Tullamore is a major commercial and industrial center in its geographical area. It was designated a "Gateway" town in late 2003 by the Irish Government, meaning it will receive extra infrastructural investment. Unfortunately it had the misfortune of being named Ireland's dirtiest town by a recent national survey - something the locals deeply disagree with. The town's most famous export is Tullamore Dew - an Irish whiskey distilled by Tullamore Distillery - that can be traced back to 1829.

Click here to view all our books on County Offaly
Click here to view all our prints on County Offaly

• Offaly People
• Offaly History
• Offaly Travel

Writers associated with Co. Offaly include:

• Rex Ingram
• Lever, Charles
• Mercier, Vivian
• O'Connor Morris, William

Towns and Villages:
Banagher, Birr, Cadamstown, Clara, Clonmacnoise, Daingean, Edenderry, Ferbane, Kinnity, Kilcormac, Shannonbridge, Shannon Harbour