What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 1pm 1:30pm - 4:30pm Tuesday 9am - 1pm 1:30pm - 4:30pm Wednesday 9am - 1pm 1:30pm - 4:30pm Thursday 9am - 1pm 1:30pm - 4:30pm Friday 9am - 1pm 2pm - 4:30pm

Offaly Past and Present

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Offaly Past and Present, Nonprofit Organization, Bury Quay, Tullamore.

17/09/2026

The foundation stone for the Tullamore jail was laid on 13 September 1826 just 200 years ago. Two hundred years of history as we pass those gates of what is now Kilcruttin Business Park. We may wonder at what went on there over 200 years. In many ways the former jail encapsulates the history of Tullamore since the 1820s. When the jail was built Tullamore was not yet the county town. There was no railway until 1859 at this location. No road up from Kilcruttin until 1938, Lloyd Town Park was agricultural land with an old out-of-town cemetery nearby. Only the ‘Charleville Parade’ houses north of the courthouse were built. The courthouse was not completed until 1835. The jail was designed to accommodate 120 prisoners and had double that number during the Famine years of the late 1840s. It was well run on reform lines but Victorian prisons were tough places. For more see blog no 817 of 17.9.2026 www.offalyhistory.com
http://offalyhistoryblog.com/2026/09/17/tullamore-jail-kilcruttin-business-park-reaches-its-200th-1826-2026-by-michael-byrne-no-817-in-the-offaly-history-blog-series-17-sept-2026/

13/09/2026

A great day for Shane Lowry and Offaly, Ireland. Congratulations from Offaly History

11/09/2026

The Grand Canal, like all great waterways, has its own traditions. One of the most enduring of these customs is the tradition of loyal service given by those men and women who work on, or at the canal. In many cases, this tradition of service remains within a family, and is passed down from generation to generation. The Cummins family of Ballycowan Lock are such a family. For more see blog no. 816 on www.offalyhistory.com
https://offalyhistoryblog.com/2026/09/11/24288/

01/09/2026

Phil O’Reilly, Harbour Street, Tullamore – An Appreciation:
He fought the good fight, both on the playing field and in civic life. A special article in the Offaly History Blog Series, no. 814, 1 Sept. 2026. You can read it at www,offalyhistory.com blog series or listen to the full interview at Voices on www.offalyhistory.com
A lifetime spent in the quiet, noble service of a community leaves an indelible mark on the town that bred it. In the summer of 2024, when Shaun Wrafter, Offaly History sat down with Phil O’Reilly Snr in his beloved Harbour Street, the retired undertaker and former Offaly footballing legend looked back across his ninety years of life in Tullamore. With the news of his passing, Tullamore, County Offaly, and the wider GAA community mourn not just a giant of local history, but a man whose humble dedication, deep faith, and sporting courage touched generations.
https://offalyhistoryblog.com/2026/09/01/phil-oreilly-harbour-street-tullamore-an-appreciation-he-fought-the-good-fight-both-on-the-playing-field-and-in-civic-life-a-special-article-in-the-offaly-history-blog-series/

29/08/2026

Then, as now, fashionable weddings get a lot of press attention. Michael F. Gorry was the great grandfather of Francis (Francie) Gorry whose family had the famous newsagency shop in Harbour Street, Tullamore for over 100 years. Michael F. Gorry was the first person to be buried in the new Catholic cemetery in Clonminch in 1893. The report of a wedding on 31 July 1891 was published in the Midland Tribune on 8 August and no doubt created a stir in Tullamore. More at the blog on 812 on www.offalyhistory.com

26/08/2026

This article is the sixth in a series on the stonecutters of Tullamore, particularly those associated with the limestone quarries of Ballyduff on the outskirts of the town. [Highly appropriate for Heritage Week 2026, ed.]

When I began researching the quarries and the men who worked there, I thought I might find enough material for one or two articles. Instead, a much wider story has come to light—one shaped not only by local industry, but also by migration and opportunity. For more see the blog on www.offalyhistory.com

11/08/2026

The blog this week is on T.L. Cooke of Birr and the Great Exhibiiton of 1853. It is by John Dolan and you can read it at www.offalyhistory.com or offalyhistoryblog. The 1850s was the decade of the Great Exhibitions. The London Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 was followed by Dublin and New York in 1853 and Paris in 1855. In Ireland there were regional/city exhibitions including in Cork (1852). It must be remembered that Ireland was still struggling to emerge from the disaster of the Great Famine.

The Great Industrial Exhibition of 1853 was the most ambitious exhibition ever held in Ireland up to that time. Staged in Dublin from 12 May to 31 October 1853, it was inspired by the famous Great Exhibition in London and was intended to showcase industry, technology, art, and manufacturing while encouraging economic development in Ireland.

04/08/2026

The reprint of T.L. Cooke's Picture of Parsonstown [Birr] will be launched on 5 August 2026. Nice to see Cooke facsimile reprint to mark the 200th anniversary of its first issue and in Dooly's Hotel dating back to 1747.

31/07/2026

Urban Regeneration and Development in Tullamore. By
Fergal MacCabe. Blog no. 808 in the Offaly History Blog Series, 31.7.2026 is now available at www.offalyhistory.com

PROJECT 2040

Many may find it hard to believe, but Ireland has a pretty good planning structure and system.
Some years ago we embarked on an exercise of estimating where as a nation- indeed as an island - we should be going. How many people would we need to cater for, where would they live, how would they get around and what about climate change?
The outcome was Project 2040 which set out a broad overall framework and most importantly had a dedicated budget to deliver it. Its national vision is now filtering down through regional planning, to county planning, then to more detailed statutory plans for the cities and finally for the more important towns.
As a ‘Key Town’, Tullamore has a particular role to play and, in anticipation of an additional population projection of 1 million persons in the State by 2040, is presently making its own contribution by upping its housing projections to provide for an additional c. 2,000 houses and identifying an ambitious new employment and enterprise zone with direct access to the national road network. www.offalyhistory.com

14/06/2026

We look forward to seeing you at the launch of a new book with a major focus on the two Great Houses of Offaly Birr Castle and Charleville Castle, 25 6 at 5 p.m. at Bury Quay, Tullamore.

Address

Bury Quay
Tullamore
R35Y5V0

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 1pm
	1:30pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 1pm
	1:30pm - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 1pm
	1:30pm - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 1pm
	1:30pm - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 1pm
	2pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+353579321421

Website

https://offalyhistory.com/shop

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