Tullamore, the capital town of the county of Offaly, is located in the centre of the country. Tullamore has traditionally been an important industrial, retail and the services centre for County Offaly. It is an excellent town for retail and has many shopping outlets throughout the town.

It annually hosts the Tullamore show, the largest Livestock, Agricultural and Trade Show in Ireland which attracts thousands of people to the area. It is situated on the Grand Canal about 20 km outside of Kilcormac, making the town a popular destination for fishing enthusiasts. In addition to fishing, Tullamore is also a prime location for golfing, as well as the local Golf Club at Brookfield, there are also many fine courses within a 30 km radius.

Home to the world-famous Tullamore D.E.W. Whiskey, you can go to the Visitor Centre and embark on any of the three unique journeys they offer, with different guided tours, tutored whiskey tasting and even the chance to blend your own whiskey to take home. The new distillery, built in 2014, produces this famous brand, which is now the second largest selling brand of Irish Whiskey globally.

Charleville Estate is located on the edge of the town. Charleville Castle, which is part of the estate is said to be the finest example of gothic-revival architecture in the country. The estate also contains the King Oak, one of the biggest and oldest oak trees in the country.

In 1785, Tullamore was seriously damaged when the crash of a hot air balloon resulted in a fire that burned down as many as 130 homes, and the current town crest depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes to remember the rebuilding of the town.

Tullamore has a railway station and is served by trains on the Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Westport/Ballina inter-city routes. In association with the County Westmeath urban centres, Athlone and Mullingar, Tullamore forms part of what is known as the Midlands Gateway.