County Dossier
Offaly
A central county of bogland, river margins and old kingdoms.
Offaly lies in the central midlands where raised bog, pasture and the Shannon corridor meet. Much of the county has a spacious, low-lying character broken by river systems and remnants of older woodland.
At a glance
Offaly at a glance
A central county of bogland, river margins and old kingdoms.
- 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
Offaly meets Westmeath to the north, Kildare to the east, Laois to the south-east, Tipperary to the south-west, and Galway and Roscommon across the Shannon to the west and north-west. The county is shaped by its central bogland, the long western river line, and the low midland plain that stretches between them.
Offaly is easy to recognise through its central bogland, midland plain, and Shannon-side west.
Map Reference
View Offaly on the map
Offaly is the county. The map shows its boundary, places, and neighbouring counties.
The county.
The county boundary.
Nearby counties and places.
Places and routes
Tullamore, Birr, Edenderry, Clara, and Shannonbridge show the county from its central plain and southern side to its eastern approach and western river edge.
Connections
The county’s routes have long crossed through Tullamore, linked Birr and Edenderry across the midland plain, and run west toward the Shannon crossings at Shannonbridge. Movement follows the same plain, bog, and river-edge pattern.
Names
- Offaly
- County Offaly
- County of Offaly
- Uíbh Fhailí
Uíbh Fhailí is the Irish form of Offaly. County Offaly is the formal historical style, the older historical background lies in Uí Failghe, and the older Offaly name ultimately outlasted the later title King’s County.
Offaly was shired in the sixteenth century, and the county’s own setting of bogland, river edge, and plain has remained easy to read ever since. That midland geography still gives the historic county a clear shape.