Things to do in Co. Offaly
7 places
1.Slieve Bloom Mountains
Europe's oldest mountains once as high as the Alps
One of Europe's oldest mountain ranges, the Slieve Bloom Mountains rise gently from the Irish midlands along the Laois–Offaly border, offering uncrowded walking trails, mountain biking, and panoramic views from a modest 527m summit — all less than 90 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- 70.5 km Slieve Bloom Way — one of Ireland's oldest waymarked trails (1987)
- Glenbarrow's three-tiered waterfall and spring bluebell woods
- Ridge of Capard viewing platform — see all four provinces on a clear day
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Lough Boora Discovery Park
50km of trails, 24 sculptures & free entry on a former bog
A rehabilitated industrial peatland transformed into a vast outdoor park where art, wildlife, and adventure collide across 2,000 hectares of lakes, wetlands, and grasslands.
- Highlights
- 24 large-scale land & environmental sculptures
- 50km of off-road walking and cycling trails
- 14 fairy doors along the enchanting Fairy Avenue
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
3.Playtown Tullamore
Ireland's #1 children's museum with 60+ role-play zones
An indoor miniature town in Tullamore where children aged 6 months to 12+ dress up and role-play across 60+ real-to-life sets, plus creative I.C.E Rooms — all run on a pre-booked, low-numbers basis.
- Highlights
- 60+ real-to-life role-play sets across 2 levels
- Airport, fire station, garda station, supermarket, nursery and space station
- I.C.E Rooms with LEGO, Magformers and Vex Robotics
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
4.Tullamore D.E.W. Distillery Visitor Experience
a 105-minute behind-the-scenes tour of a working Irish whiskey distillery
Go behind the scenes at Ireland's only purpose-built distillery visitor experience, where 50,000 casks mature in the warehouse and you can taste whiskey straight from the barrel in a hidden snug.
- Highlights
- Welcome Irish coffee on arrival
- Still House with bubbling copper pot stills
- Warehouse with 50,000 maturing casks
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
5.Birr Castle Demesne
Home to the world's largest telescope for 70 years
A 120-acre demesne where 400 years of science meets breathtaking gardens — home to the world's largest telescope for 70 years, Ireland's tallest treehouse, and over 5,000 plant species, all in the heart of County Offaly.
- Highlights
- The Great Telescope (Leviathan of Parsonstown) — once the world's largest
- World's oldest intact darkroom (c.1840s)
- Ireland's tallest treehouse
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
6.Leap Castle, Ireland
150+ skeletons found in its oubliette dungeon
Ireland's most haunted castle — a privately owned 16th-century fortress with a blood-soaked history, home to the notorious Bloody Chapel, a spine-filled oubliette, and an elemental spirit that's drawn paranormal investigators from around the world.
- Highlights
- Owner-led private tours by Sean Ryan
- The Bloody Chapel — site of a 16th-century family murder
- The oubliette dungeon with its grim discovery of 150+ skeletons
7.Charleville Castle Heritage Trust
a haunted neo-Gothic castle in ancient oak woods
A volunteer-run Gothic Revival castle set in ancient oak woodland just outside Tullamore, famed for its hand-carved staircase, ghost stories, and a starring role in Netflix's Wednesday. Public tours are temporarily paused, but the woodland demesne remains open to walkers.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
- Hand-carved Gothic staircase and storied interiors
- Ancient oak demesne with the 400-900-year-old King Oak
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access