County Offaly

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Introducing County Offaly

Even if the green and watery county of Offaly seems to slip your itinerary, it won’t be for long once you realise it’s the home of the ecclesiastical city of Clonmacnoise, one of Ireland’s most famous sights. But beyond this must-see attraction, Offaly has much to offer: its lowlands are dotted with monastic ruins, its towns are steeped in history and it has a burgeoning foodie culture.

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Geographically, Offaly is dominated by the low-lying bogs. Enormous expanses like the Bog of Allen and the Boora Bog, where peat is extracted on an industrial scale, are horribly scarred. However, in the northeast corner of the county, 665-hectare Clara Bog is remarkably untouched and recognised internationally for its plant and animal life. It’s under consideration for Unesco recognition.

To the east the rugged Slieve Bloom Mountains provide excellent walking, while fishing and water sports are popular on the River Shannon and the Grand Canal. Access www.offaly.ie and www.ireland.ie/offalyfor more information.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009

Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. fear_rua avatar
    RE: Top 10 things to do in Ireland

    by fear_rua 14 June 2011

    Well, the previous posters have given plenty of good ideas, so I will just list a couple of historical sites in chronological rather than…
  2. yofletch avatar
    Re: Irish breweries

    by yofletch 06 March 2009

    for Jameson Whisky , Midleton town. County Cork about 12 miles east of Cork city you can use Google Maps for info on it clik on "SEARCH…
  3. littlefox avatar
    RE: Ireland in the summer

    by littlefox 19 January 2009

    I will second djpkemp's suggestion of Glendalough, if you do go make sure to go there via the Wicklow Mts rather than the main N11 road…

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