Historic county of Ireland
Offaly
Uíbh Fhailí / County of Offaly
Province: Leinster
Bogland across the middle, Slieve Bloom south, Shannon waters west.
Offaly / Uíbh Fhailí lies in the Irish Midlands, where raised bog, pasture, river valley and low mountain country meet. Much of the county has a spacious, horizontal character, with large areas of bogland broken by cultivated ground and river systems. To the west, the Shannon forms a very different landscape of broad water and floodplain; to the south rise the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Tullamore occupies the central plain, while Birr belongs to the southern country and Shannonbridge to the western river edge. Offaly’s character is therefore not simply that of a flat Midland county: bog, river and upland create three strongly contrasting landscapes.
- Ancient Uí Failghe territory
- Shannon edge, bogs and monasteries
- Birthplace of Shane Lowry, golfer (1987)
- Area: 800 sq miles / 2,072 km²
- Population: 76,687
- County Top: Arderin (1,729ft / 527m)
County geography
Bogland and the central plain
Raised bog is one of Offaly’s defining landscapes. Large expanses belong to the wider Bog of Allen system, creating open horizons and a geography markedly different from conventional farmland.
Drainage and peat working altered much of this country, but bog remains fundamental to the county’s physical and cultural identity.
Rivers towards the Shannon
The Brosna and other waterways cross the county towards the Shannon, while the Grand Canal created another east–west line through the Midland plain.
At the western edge the Shannon broadens the landscape dramatically, turning Offaly from an inland bog county into part of Ireland’s great central river corridor.
Slieve Bloom
Southern Offaly rises into the Slieve Bloom Mountains, providing a strong upland contrast to the bog and plain further north.
The county therefore moves from mountain headwaters through low Midland country towards the Shannon — a much more varied sequence than its central position might suggest.
County questions
Questions about Offaly
Was Offaly once called King’s County?
Yes. The county created in the sixteenth century was known for centuries as King’s County. The name Offaly, derived from the older Uí Failghe territorial name, subsequently became the established county name.
Is the older Uí Failghe territory exactly the same as County Offaly?
No. The older Gaelic territory and the later county are related historically, but they are not identical geographical areas.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County Offaly
- Local name
- Uíbh Fhailí
- Province
- Leinster
- Alternative name
- County of Offaly
- Foundation
- 1556
Offaly, County Offaly and Uíbh Fhailí are established forms associated with the county. Its modern name preserves the older Uí Failghe identity without implying that the sixteenth-century county simply reproduced that earlier territory.