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 - Castletown Portlaoise Co Laois
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 ...

Golf

Castlecomer Golf Club - Castlecomer County Kilkenny Ireland
Castlecomer Golf Club
Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
Course Type: Parkland
Set in a 200 year old forest, Castlecomer's course provides a great test of golf combined with breath taking views of the local terrain. With the development of this course completed in 2003, it is clear to everyone at Castlecomer Golf Club that ...

Self Catering

Selfcatering
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 ...

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 ...

Tourist Attractions

Emo Court - Emo County Laois Ireland
Emo Court
Emo, Co. Laois
Emo Court is a large neo-classical mansion, formal and symetrical in its design and with beautifully proportioned rooms that was designed by the architect James Gandon (architect of the Custom House and Kings Inns in Dublin) in 1790 for the Earls ...

Wedding Venues

Wedding
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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