Tullamore 400

T400 Logo1

Tullamore celebrates the 400th Annivrsary of the beginning of the Township of Tullamore. Read the fascinating history of Tullamore in the Offaly History blogs below from 1622 and the grant of Tullamore to Sir John Moore of Croghan to 2022. Tullamore today has a population of almost 15,000 and is the County town in Offaly and the fourth largest town in the midlands. The year 2022 is the 400^th anniversary of the grant of the lands of Tullamore to the Elizabethan soldier-settler family of Moore with the usual rights to hold markets and fairs and a manor court. The 1620 Stuart plantation grant of Tullamore (enrolled in 1622) included the castle, town, and lands and one water mill together with the grant of a weekly market, a two-day fair and the right to hold a manor court. The Moore family were among the new soldier settlers in King’s County securing plantation grants near Croghan Hill in the earlier Tudor plantation and acquiring more by purchase from the O’Molloys in the vicinity of Tullamore after 1600. The year 1622 could be said to mark the beginning of the forms of local government and formality around market functions in Tullamore. The number of fairs would increase to twelve by the 1890s and formed an important part of the local economy up to the 1960s.

T400 Poster Tullamore 400 Photo

Tullamore 400 Celebration

Millennium Square Friday 30^th September

Tullamore commenced the celebrations of the 400th Anniversary of the beginning of the Township of Tullamore with a historic family day in Millennium Square, Main Street, Tullamore on Friday 30th September 2022 from 2pm to 6pm. The event included an outdoor exhibition of 400 years of Tullamore 1622 to 2022. The event was opened by Joey Mooney, playing the bagpipes with the Cathaoirleach of OCC, Cllr Frank Moran and Cathaoirleach of TMD Cllr Neil Feighrey.

Timeline Tullamore 1557-2010.pdf (size 142.6 KB)

T400 Photo Timeline

Local historian Michael Byrne of Offaly History gave a speech on the history of the town followed by local songwriter and musician Dominic Madden including his song Tullamore I Miss You and Tullamore Poet Laureate Cormac Lally, with his poetry including the poem Tullamore. Tullamore Comhaltas brought the evening to a close at 6pm. It was a successful day with support from the local businesses on Main Street to commence the Tullamore 400 celebrations and will encourage interested groups to arrange their own Tullamore 400 celebrations throughout the year in the Town. This event was funded by the Local Live Performance Programming Scheme Phase 3, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, TMD GMA fund and supported by Offaly County Council.