Arts Plan 2012-2016 - Offaly County Council

ContextGEOGRAPHICOffaly is one of four Midland counties. The northeastern part of the county is situated within thecommuter belt of Dublin with the southern andwestern parts bordering the Slieve BloomMountains and the Shannon River. The commutertown of Edenderry in the north east and garrisontown of Birr in the south are largely isolated fromeach other. Tullamore, the county town, is alargely a commercial centre; it forms an integralpart of the NSS Linked Gateway Initiative with theother Midland towns of Athlone and Mullingar.More recently concerted investments are beingmade to enhance Tullamore’s cultural andcommunity potential with a recently developedtown park, new library, a community arts centre, arefurbished heritage centre and canal amenities.The Grand Canal intersects the county fromEdenderry to Shannon Harbour and is animportant characteristic of the county, with thepotential to be developed into a ‘cultural corridor’of national significance. Peatlands visiblydominate the landscape from Clonbullogue toCloghan, and the regenerated Lough BooraParklands is a significant natural resource with asculpture park, fishing lakes, bird sanctuary, walkand cycle ways.Offaly’s unique landscape and built heritagehas informed much of the cultural developmentof the county, such as Sculpture in the Parklands,the Slieve Bloom Storytelling Festival andBelmont Mills Artists Studios. Birr Theatre andArts Centre has been the thriving hub of culturalactivity since 2000.7arts plan 2012–2016