//
Town in County Carlow, Ireland
Photo: michelle ronan, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tullow is a small market town in County Carlow where N81 crosses the River Slaney. This was the main road between Dublin and Wexford until M11 was built along the coast. But Tullow (An Tulach, "The Mound") held little strategic value, with no castles, town walls or battlefields, though it was on the fringes of the 1798 rebellion of United Irishmen. It remains a quiet place, with a population in 2022 of about 5100, and is within commuting range of Dublin. The oil and gas exploration company Tullow Oil was founded here in 1985.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
A small museum in a stone-built former Methodist church. Most of the display is about the 1798 rebellion.
The mansion may be from the 16th century but was made-over in the 1840s; it's not open to tour. You come for the extensive riverside gardens, planted by William Robinson (1838-1935). He opposed the stiff formal Victorian look, and championed cottage and "wild" gardens with native species in natural places. He'd have to avert his eyes from the masses of rhododendron and the Giant Redwood planted after the victory at Waterloo.
Fortified mansion built in 1625 astride the Dublin to Wexford road. It's a plush Georgian and Victorian interior, visit by guided tour and available for B&B. It was the location for the 1975 Stanley Kubrick film Barry Lyndon and has extensive gardens. A 19th century turbine down by the river supplied the house with electricity. The basement is the global headquarters of "The Fellowship of Isis", founded in 1976 at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Aquarius, A-quar-i-us! It aims to, um, "help the Goddess actively in the manifestation of Her divine plan" and apparently this is coming along nicely.
Hill fort with three concentric stone ramparts, Bronze Age circa 1000 BC, with an inner fourth wall of 15 m diameter added in early medieval times.
Friendly pub with decent food, pool table and big-screen TV sport.
Lively bar and restaurant.
Friendly place with good Indian food.
Upscale hotel spa and country club in a mansion built in 1864, gets mostly great reviews for comfort and service, but some lapses.
This is now primarily a wedding venue, but has 15 self-catering lodges.
Plush wedding and events venue, may have accommodation for independent travellers.
The nearest railway station is Carlow, with trains every hour or two between Dublin Heuston and Waterford. It's 15 km from Tullow.
Read in the guideThe main sites are some distance out so you need wheels. A bike would do.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Dublin · International · DUB
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Tullow and Ireland.
Travel tipsFind the cheapest countries to fly to from the US and UK in 2026. Compare realistic round-trip flight deals, budget airlines, and prime booking windows.
8 min read
InspirationExplore the best places to visit in March across Japanese cherry blossoms, explosive Spanish fiestas, desert wonders in Jordan, and Irish music sessions.
7 min read
InspirationExplore the best castle and gothic hotel stays in Europe. Discover historic fortresses, medieval estates, luxury châteaux, and Spanish parador hotels.
6 min read
Food & drinkBritish and Irish cuisine had a reputation for bland food such as dry roast meat with soft-boiled vegetables from the post-war era until the 1990s.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.