Midlands OFFALY: Holiday Home Guide
County Offaly’s unique self catering charm |
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The sweeping countryside of Offaly is dotted with the ruins of ancient castles, cathedrals, monasteries and the remnants of the Lost City of Clonmacnoise, once a great centre of learning. Visitors marvel at the beautifully carved Celtic crosses with their mystic messages and the ceremonial Celtic burial mounds with their cryptic legends that surround the modern cities and quaint traditional Irish villages. County Offaly is located in the midlands of Ireland near Dublin, and is bordered by the flood plains of the River Shannon to the northeast and the Slieve Bloom Mountains in the south. Tullamore is the largest, and fastest growing, town in Offally, where the majority of the 15,000 citizens reside has become a major commercial centre Tullamore is probably best known for the fine Irish whiskey of the same name once distilled here, and visitors can still tour the historic distillery and enjoy samples of the Tullamore Dew, originally formulated in 1829.
Visitors often decide to stay in Offaly holiday homes, either in town or out in the countryside, to get in the spirit of the region and to have insider tips on local attractions. One very popular site is the free self-guided tour of the Sculpture in the Parklands, a 50 acre wildlife refuge on the Lough Boora Parklands which currently has twenty fascinating site-specific sculptures dotting the landscape, with more added each year. Visiting fishermen enjoy trying to hook one of the 'big ones' in the River Shannon, or join in the fun at the man-made fishery at Loch Aisling where there are wooden stands for the angler's convenience.
Undoubtedly, the biggest celebration of the year in Offaly centres around St. Patrick's Day, when the guests of Offaly holiday homes are invited to join in the fun and watch the parade, dance to the street musicians and sample the local green brews. The Offaly Fleadh Cheoil, a vibrant summer music festival, has attracted over 200,000 guests and participants who gather to watch competitions in traditional Irish music and dance.
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