In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Tullow
An Tulach
Use Tullow as a one-night base for Altamont Gardens and Huntington Castle, or skip it: the town itself is a 2-hour stop.
Tullow is a small market town on the River Slaney where the N81 crosses, about 5,100 people, within commuting range of Dublin. It has no castle, walls or battlefield of its own; its draw is the surrounding gardens, a hill fort and dolmen, and the south end of the Wicklow Way. Most travellers pass through, but one night here works as a quiet, cheaper base for south County Carlow and the Wicklow border.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- An Tulach
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (gardens close early, short days)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €80–130 excl. bed · High €130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire, coast guard 112 · Alternative emergency number 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | €14–20 |
| Pint of stout | €5–6.50 |
| Indian takeaway main | €12–16 |
| Taxi Carlow station to Tullow | €25–30 |
| Golf round, Mount Wolseley | €50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- About 1 h 45 min by Bus Éireann 132 via Blessington and Baltinglass; check the timetable, some services branch elsewhere.
Typical fares
- Bus Éireann 132, Dublin to Tullow
- about 1 h 45 min, a handful of services daily
- Taxi Carlow station to Tullow
- €25–30, 15 km (9.3 mi)€25–30, 9.3 mi (15 km)
- JJ Kavanagh 874, Carlow to Tullow
- about 1 h, twice on weekdays
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need wheels. The sights are spread out over 5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi) and buses are few. A bike would do for the town and nearby lanes; otherwise drive, and note that the nearest railway station is Carlow, 15 km (9.3 mi) away.You need wheels. The sights are spread out over 3.1–6.2 mi (5–10 km) and buses are few. A bike would do for the town and nearby lanes; otherwise drive, and note that the nearest railway station is Carlow, 9.3 mi (15 km) away.
See and do
Known for
- Altamont Gardens
- Huntington Castle at Clonegal
- 1798 rebellion history and Father John Murphy
- Rathgall Hill Fort and Haroldstown Dolmen
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Altamont Gardens | Drive 9 km (5.6 mi) south on the R418/N81 side roadsDrive 5.6 mi (9 km) south on the R418/N81 side roads | About 20 min |
| Huntington Castle, Clonegal | Drive about 11 km (6.8 mi) south-eastDrive about 6.8 mi (11 km) south-east | About 20 min |
| Rathgall Hill Fort | Drive 5 km (3.1 mi) east, enter from the north-side lane off the R725Drive 3.1 mi (5 km) east, enter from the north-side lane off the R725 | About 15 min |
| Baltinglass | Drive 10 km (6.2 mi) north on the N81Drive 6.2 mi (10 km) north on the N81 | About 15 min |
| Carlow | Drive 15 km (9.3 mi), or JJ Kavanagh bus 874 twice on weekdays (about 1 h)Drive 9.3 mi (15 km), or JJ Kavanagh bus 874 twice on weekdays (about 1 h) | 20–70 min |
| Glendalough | Drive over the Wicklow mountains | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Tullow town centre (The Square and Mill St)
- Walkable to pubs and food; the bus stop is The Square.
- Mount Wolseley, south of town
- Hotel, spa and golf course; needs a car or taxi for the town.
- Ballon and Rathvilly (6–10 km out)
- Country-house hotels and B&Bs; only practical with your own wheels.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
| Where is the toilet? | Cá bhfuil an leithreas?kaw will un leh-russ |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No railway station: the nearest is Carlow, 15 km, taxi about €25–30.
- Buses are infrequent: Bus Éireann 132 runs a handful of times daily and one Thursday service branches away from Tullow entirely.
- Many rural sights have no facilities, no lighting and no staff: go in daylight.
- Country lanes are narrow and unlit; drive on the left and watch for walkers and cyclists.
Very safe for a small Irish town; the real risks are unlit country lanes, uneven ground at the hill fort and dolmen, and relying on a bus that does not run when you think it does.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tullow yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Altamont Gardens
- Huntington Castle at Clonegal
- 1798 rebellion history and Father John Murphy
- Rathgall Hill Fort and Haroldstown Dolmen
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Ireland — County Carlow: www.discoverireland.ie/carlow
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie/
- JJ Kavanagh & Sons: jjkavanagh.ie/
- Huntington Castle: www.huntingtoncastle.com/
- Mount Wolseley Hotel: www.mountwolseley.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Tullow, revision 4932369 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4932369
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
TullowAn Tulach
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Tullow; the US Embassy is in Dublin, and the UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand missions are in Dublin too.
English is spoken everywhere; Irish phrases are a courtesy, not a necessity.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tullow). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.