Some local attractions

Eskermore House is an ideal location for exploring the Irish Midlands. Only 1 hour from Dublin and 2 hours  from Galway, we are situated in the heart of the historic Bog of Allen.

Festivals in Offaly in 2008
Offaly is certainly a county that knows how to have fun, and there are a host of festivals taking place all over the county this year.

 The Shannonbridge Midsummer Music Festival        21^st June

Set up only three years ago, this festival has grown from strength to strength each year, and this year is no exception.  The event brings some of the regions and country’s popular musical names to the Shannonbridge and Clonmacnoise area for a series of mainly outdoor concerts and workshops.
Visit http://www.midirelandtourism.ie/new/festivalsDetail.php?entid=498 for further information on this festival.

Tullamore Phoenix Festival                                              July 17^th – 20th

An action packed programme of extreme arts, music culture and heritage events for all the family takes place each year in Tullamore in the middle of July.  The festival celebrates Tullamores’ rebirth as a town following the great balloon fire of 1785.  The festival contains barge trips, art exhibitions, music, street entertainment, markets and spectacular parades and fire-works. Visit http://www.phoenixfestival.ie/ for further information on the Phoenix Festival.

 Tullamore Show                                                                  August 10th

Although last year’s Tullamore show fell victim to the disastrous August weather conditions, plans are well on the way for a fantastic show this year.  Tullamore Show is the biggest one-day agricultural event in the country, with crowds of up to 45,000 travelling to the venue at Offaly’s historic Charleville Castle and estate.  Visit http://www.tullamoreshow.com/  for further information on the show.

 Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival                               August 15^th – 22nd

The 40^th annual Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival will take place from Friday 15 to Friday 22 August 2008.  The festival aims to bring together Birr’s past with its present and future.  It invites visitors and local alike to step back in time to celebrate Birr’s history and heritage, and to revel in Birr’s contemporary culture and arts.Visit http://www.birrvintageweek.com/ for further information on the festival.

 All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil                                                 September

August last year (2007) saw Tullamore host the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, bringing the event to the midlands for the first time since 1963 last August.  The Fleadh attracted over 230,000 visitors including 10,000 musicians from all over the world.  Street parties took place all over Tullamore for much of the week.  And now Tullamore is set to host it all again, this September.  Organisers are hoping to build on the success of the last year with an even bigger Fleadh. Visit http://comhaltas.ie/blog/post/2008_fleadh_schedule/ for further information on this event.

 Slieve Bloom Storytelling Festival                                  October

A celebration of story and song deep in the Slieve Blooms.  The festival takes place over a weekend across a variety of venues in Offaly and Laois.

Described by organisers as ‘a weekend of tall tales, myths, legends, music song and craic’.  What more could you want? Visit http://www.slievebloom.ie/storytelling/index.html for further information on this event.

Queen of the Land                                                              November

 This annual national event is hosted by Offaly Macra Na Feirme and takes place in Tullamore each November.  Over three event packed days, Macra members from across the country compete for the title of Queen of the Land, and to be crowned as the representative of today’s modern rural woman.

Visit http://queen.dotser.com/ for further information on this event.

Some other places to visit and things to do:

You can tour the bog on the unique bog train, see how this landscape has developed over the years and the conservation work being done to preserve and regenerate it. There is more information on the tours and walks of this unique landscape at their own website: Clonmacnoise & West Offaly Railway

The historic monastic site of Clonmacnoise, one of the most important religious sites in Ireland is located nearby on the banks of the river Shannon.

You can visit Birr's historic Castle and Demesne with it's recently restored telescope which was once the largest in the world, it also boasts world famous formal gardens.

The Castle also boasts an Historic Science Centre which contains astronomical instruments, cameras, photographs and photographic equipment used by the Third and Fourth Earls and Mary, Countess of Rosse, in the middle and late 1800s.
Rated with five stars in the official list of Gardens of Outstanding Historic Interest, Birr Castle Demesne is over 100 acres in extent. Discover the formal gardens, designed around a 17th century plan, and the tallest Box Hedges in the world. Birr has one of the world's greatest collections of trees and shrubs and is particularly strong in species of Chinese and Himalayan origin.
For more information on the castle visit there site: http://www.birrcastleireland.com/

If an activity holiday is more your style then there is plenty to do in the area, we can arrange package holidays for horse riding, fishing, hunting and golf.
There are 2 fine equestrian centres nearby, the grand canal and local rivers are famous for there fishing and there are 5 golf courses within 10 miles.

For a more relaxed break the walkways of the Grand Canal and the beautiful Slieve Bloom mountains are in the immediate area. Or, if you prefer just sit back and forget it all, we can guarantee plenty of peace and quiet.