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Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Port Laoise is the county town of County Laois in the midlands. The name is Irish for "Fort of Laois", however, a partially anglicised pronunciation as "Port Laois" (say 'Port Leash') is common.

Portlaoise was originally established as the Fort of Maryborough in 1556 under the reign of Queen Mary, and many elements of its garrison past are still evident throughout the town. The town now has a large and growing commuter population availing of the rail and motorway connections to Dublin.

The old jail in Portlaoise town centre has been recently restored to create a multi-purpose arts centre, which regularly hosts a variety of cultural delights.

Just outside Portlaoise lies the Rock of Dunamaise, an ancient Celtic fortification that is reputed to have been mapped by Ptolemy in the 8th century. The view from the summit is spectacular and well worth the climb.

Gardens

Gash Gardens

Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Anyone needing the courage to start a garden from complete scratch could do no better than to visit Gash. It was started in 1986 by the late Noel Keenan in a field behind his farm, and what started as a walk to the river Nore became a fully fledg ...

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Golf

Esker Hills Golf Club

Tullamore, Co. Offaly
Course Type: Parkland

Esker Hills Golf Club, a Christy O' Connor Jnr designed masterpiece over 150 acres of testing terrain, is regarded as one of Ireland's leading inland golf courses. It's a challenging 18 hole par 71 championship golf course where no two hole ...

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Self Catering

Roundwood House - The Forge & The Cottage

Mountrath, Co. Laois

Two self-catering units situated on the grounds of Roundwood House, an 18th century Palladian Villa, in a beautiful region of central Ireland at the foot of the unspoilt Slieve Bloom Mountains. Each building possesses immense character and is ...

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What's On

Carlow Market - Carlow - Saturdays

Bridewell Lane, Carlow Town, Saturdays - 9am to 2pm

Stalls include:

Home Bakery, Organic Food and Vegetables, Meat, Flowers, Cheese, Apples, Juices, Hot Food.

E ...

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Tourist Attractions

Castlecomer Discovery Park

Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny

This wonderful 80 acre discovery park & visitor centre, located at Castlecomer Demesne and Estate Yard is a place to escape and reconnect with nature, to discover more about local coal mining heritage and contemporary craft, and to explore an ...

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Wedding Venues

The Wolftrap

Tullamore, Co. Offaly

Gina Murphy and her husband Padraig McLoughlin’s large bar and ‘informal fine dining’ restaurant is named after a mountain in the nearby Slieve Blooms (the border between Laois and Offaly is at its peak), and occupies a large to ...

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