Portlaoise (older spelling Portlaoighise; former name Maryborough), is the county town of County Laois (formerly Queen’s County) in the midlands of the Republic of Ireland. The name is Irish for “Fort of Laois”, and properly pronounced /p?rt?li??/; however, a partially anglicised pronunciation as “Port Laois” is common, although the inland town is not a port. The population in 2002 was 12,127.
The town was first established by Queen Mary in 1556 as “the Fort of Maryborough”. Signs of the old garrison remain all over the town, and the old jail has been transformed into an arts centre. Nearby is the Rock of Dunamase, an ancient Celtic fortification, allegedly recorded by Ptolemy in the 1st century. Also nearby are Emo Court, an 18th-century country house designed by James Gandon; Ballyfin House, now a private school; and Mountmellick, the site of a notable Georgian square.
Related Travel Information
Emo (Ioma in Irish) is a village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located near Portlaoise just off the N7 Dublin–Limerick road.
Timahoe (Tigh Machua in Irish: 'House of St. Machua') is a town in County Laois, Ireland between Stradbally and Portlaoise. It contains an 12th century Christian round tower.
Rathdowney (Ráth Domhnaigh in Irish, meaning "Daghda's fort") is a town in southwest County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located south of Portlaoise in the midlands of Ireland. Rathdowney is located where the R433 and R435 meet with some minor roads. The town's names arises from a ring fort, or rath, which was near the town until it was levelled in 1830. Brewing was a major industry in Rathdowney until 1966.
Stradbally (An Sráidbhaile in Irish) is a small town in County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland along the N80 road near Portlaoise. The town's name comes from the Irish, which means a village, or "town of (one) street".
Stradbally is famous for its Steam Rally, an annual gathering of enthusiasts of steam-powered vehicles. Traction engines and steam-powered cars are brought to the rally and displayed - those which are in working order are demonstrated, and a steam railway offers rides along a short track.
Stradbally is also the name of a village in County Waterford, near Bunmahon.
Muff is a small town in County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. It is located a few miles from Derry on the road to Moville on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
It is known for the Borderland dance hall and more recently for the fact that tourists like to stop and get their photo taken by the town sign.
