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Stimulating Traveller Reviews Of Tullamore And Its Attractions

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre is popular with tourists.

IT'S always worth checking out what others have to say about our town and the attractions it holds. Most are positive about places like Charleville Castle and Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre etc.
This is just a sample of reviews we found on Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor is written by ordinary people who visit various places around the world and is a good place to start when going on holidays.
The first reviewer we came across gives a mixed description to a visitor who is planning to visit the town, and says, 'If you are on a tour your hands are tied and unfortunately there is not a lot in Tullamore. You have just missed the Phoenix Festival and Tullamore Show is not until August. There are lots of other bits of things on through the year but mainly evening events. Charleville Castle is reputedly Ireland's most haunted castle and is just out of town in the 700 year old Oak woods'.
Blanche from Dublin gives her opinion on the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre. 'We visited this centre and found it very interesting. I am not into whiskey but still found it all very interesting. The children were given a quiz to complete while exploring the exhibition and received a cert at the end. I thought this was a great idea as it kept them amused and interested. There were some old style clothes which they could dress up in and they loved that too!!
There is also a town section, explaining the history of Tullamore. Again quite interesting. At the end we had a tasting of the whiskey. I would recommend the centre as a family and all weather attraction'.
Charleville Castle was also popular with visitors. This enthusiastic reviewer wrote: 'This castle is well worth a look. When we arrived there there was a member of the Paranormal Research Association of Ireland there who brought me, my sister and my parents around on a tour of the castle. This was like our own private little tour. We were told about readings the Association picked up the night before and other ghostly recordings. If you don't believe in that kind of thing, then go for the pure amazing architecture of this gothic style castle. The residents of the castle live on the second and third floors so access is strictly on special evenings but the first floor is shown to tourists and worth checking out'.
Another past reviewer was in the castle for a murder weekend. 'I very recently travelled to Charleville Castle as part of a group of organisers of a murder mystery weekend to be held there. I went to play the part of a female character, staying in the castle for two nights'.
'The castle is breath-takingly beautiful, a gothic type of location. The first night (Friday) was by far the most emotional night of my life. Constant noises from all areas, sensations and one sighting in particular of a dated woman in my bedroom, all played the part in freaking the living daylights out of me. This added to the following night's
murder mystery, when the 13 players were wondering why on top of that night's spooky antics, was I, an actor, so scared......'
Tullamore Railway station came in for mixed reviews from this traveller, but still gained three stars from him. 'I awoke with with intentions of cycling back to Dublin from Tullamore, but a quick look outside indicated that it was raining. Much as I enjoy cycling, I wasn't keen on going 150 kilometres in the rain, so we decided to get the train home. I rang my oul lad to find out the times, and fortuitously enough, there was one scheduled to leave in half an hour. He also warned me, though, that there was only room on each train for two bicycles, and we had three, but I figured that we'd head down to the station and sort something out.
We got to the station (a 2 min cycle from the centre of town) and made some inquiries at the ticket window. We decided to buy tickets and hope for the best'. However, the reviewer was told two bikes per train.
He continued: 'The tickets were actually very reasonable. There was some promotion on, meaning that instead of being ?26, the tickets were only a tenner, and it was only an extra ?4 per bike. Out on the platform, we vented a little spleen... and tried to figure out who would stay behind or what arrangements we'd make, when the conductor (I guess that what he is; yer man on the platform with the green flag) approached us. Three bikes, is it, he asked. Yes, we replied.
Well I can't promise anything, but sure we'll do our best to get yiz on, alright'? This spot-on chap is what turned a one-star review into a three star review.
When the train came along he got all the bikes on with very little fuss. Tullamore Station: best to have your tickets bought in advance...but be sure to doff your cap to the sound conductor'.

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