Port Laoise
Encyclopedia
Portlaoise or Port Laoise (icon or p), historically spelled Port Laoighise or Portlaoighise, is the county town
of County Laois
in the midlands of Ireland
. The population was 14,613.
as Port Laoighisi during the 16th century. The present town originated as a settlement around the old fort, "Fort of Leix" or "Fort Protector", the remains of which can still be seen in the town centre. Its construction began in 1548 under the supervision of the then Lord Deputy Sir Edward Bellingham in an attempt to secure English control in the county following the exile of native Celtic chieftains the previous year. The fort's location on rising ground, surrounded to the south and east by the natural defensive barricades of the River Triogue and an esker known locally as 'the Ridge', greatly added to its strategic importance.
The town proper was established by an act of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary
in 1557 bc. It was named Maryborough and the county was named "Queen's County" in her honour. The area had been a focus of the rebellion of Rory O'More, a local chieftain who had rebelled and had lost his lands, which the Crown wanted to be settled by reliable landowners. For the next fifty or so years, the new English settlers in Maryborough fought a continual, low-scale war with the Gaelic chieftains who fought against the new settlement.
In 1570, a charter of Queen Elizabeth I
raised the town to the rank of borough
. This allowed the establishment of a Corporation of the Borough, a body which consisted of a burgomaster, two bailiffs, a town clerk, and a sergeant at arms, as well as various other officers, burgesses and freemen. Until the Act of Union
took effect in 1801 and the abolition of its franchise, the town returned two members to the Irish Parliament
. The Corporation itself existed until 1830.
is an elected local government body, and mandated under the Local Government Act 2001
to provide civic leadership and a forum for the democratic representation of the community. Responsibilities include amenity support, operation of the Litter Act, contribution to tourism development, event licensing, arts support, etc. The Town Council executive comprises nine elected Councillors, headed by the town mayor
. The current mayor is Willie Aird. The current make up of the Town Council is three Fine Gael, two Sinn Féin, two Fianna Fáil and two Independent members.
A national anti-litter group identified Portlaoise as the dirtiest town in Ireland on 10 January 2011. It was nominated as the only town in the country to have a serious litter problem.
The town forms part of the seven member Portlaoghaise Local Electoral Area
for elections to Laois County Council
.
Portlaoise is twinned with Coulounieix-Chamiers
in the Dordogne
département of France
.
; a large Georgian estate home designed by James Gandon
and surrounding gardens at Emo
; the town of Mountmellick
, the site of a notable Georgian
square; and the Slieve Bloom Mountains
and Forest Park; a 12th century Round Tower in Timahoe
.
Within the town itself, the former jail has been transformed into the Dunamaise Arts Centre comprising a cinema, performance space and exhibition space.
The town has many leisure facilities with the new Portlaoise Leisure Centre, town park and a Storm Cinema located in the town centre. The town has three main hotels Maldron located off Junction 16 M7 containing Subway and Little Caesars, Heritage Hotel and the Kileshin Hotel located on the old Dublin Road R445.
, the Midlands Prison, and the Department of Agriculture are all large-scale employers in the town. This number is expected to increase further under the planned decentralisation of government departments from Dublin.
The National Spatial Strategy for Ireland has identified Portlaoise as an ideal location for an inland port. This designation encourages the town to focus on the growth of distribution, logistics and warehouse uses, which ties in well with its strong transport connections.
The town has a vibrant retail scene with the Laois Shopping Centre, Kyle Centre and Parkside Shopping Centres. The town has an Aldi, two Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Boots, Eurospar, Superquinn and a new Tesco Extra. The town has a new retail park on the Timahoe Road containing Halfords, Heatons, Homebase, Mothercare.
, formerly Self Help Development International, the Irish development agency engaged in implementing long term rural development programmes in Sub-Sahara. Established at the time of the Ethiopian Famine of 1984, Self Help is the chosen charity of the Irish Farmers Association.
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
in the midlands of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The population was 14,613.
History
The site where the present town is situated is referred to in the Annals of the Four MastersAnnals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
as Port Laoighisi during the 16th century. The present town originated as a settlement around the old fort, "Fort of Leix" or "Fort Protector", the remains of which can still be seen in the town centre. Its construction began in 1548 under the supervision of the then Lord Deputy Sir Edward Bellingham in an attempt to secure English control in the county following the exile of native Celtic chieftains the previous year. The fort's location on rising ground, surrounded to the south and east by the natural defensive barricades of the River Triogue and an esker known locally as 'the Ridge', greatly added to its strategic importance.
The town proper was established by an act of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
in 1557 bc. It was named Maryborough and the county was named "Queen's County" in her honour. The area had been a focus of the rebellion of Rory O'More, a local chieftain who had rebelled and had lost his lands, which the Crown wanted to be settled by reliable landowners. For the next fifty or so years, the new English settlers in Maryborough fought a continual, low-scale war with the Gaelic chieftains who fought against the new settlement.
In 1570, a charter of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
raised the town to the rank of borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
. This allowed the establishment of a Corporation of the Borough, a body which consisted of a burgomaster, two bailiffs, a town clerk, and a sergeant at arms, as well as various other officers, burgesses and freemen. Until the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
took effect in 1801 and the abolition of its franchise, the town returned two members to the Irish Parliament
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
. The Corporation itself existed until 1830.
Local government
Portlaoise Town CouncilTown Councils in the Republic of Ireland
The term Town Council was introduced into Local government in the Republic of Ireland by the Local Government Act 2001. From 1 January 2002 the existing Urban District Councils and boards of Town Commissioners were renamed as Town Councils....
is an elected local government body, and mandated under the Local Government Act 2001
Local Government Act 2001
The Local Government Act, 2001 was enacted by the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland on 21 July 2001. Most of the provisions of the Act came into operation on 1 January 2002....
to provide civic leadership and a forum for the democratic representation of the community. Responsibilities include amenity support, operation of the Litter Act, contribution to tourism development, event licensing, arts support, etc. The Town Council executive comprises nine elected Councillors, headed by the town mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. The current mayor is Willie Aird. The current make up of the Town Council is three Fine Gael, two Sinn Féin, two Fianna Fáil and two Independent members.
A national anti-litter group identified Portlaoise as the dirtiest town in Ireland on 10 January 2011. It was nominated as the only town in the country to have a serious litter problem.
The town forms part of the seven member Portlaoghaise Local Electoral Area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
for elections to Laois County Council
Laois County Council
Laois County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Laois in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach...
.
Portlaoise is twinned with Coulounieix-Chamiers
Coulounieix-Chamiers
Coulounieix-Chamiers is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a suburb of Périgueux.-Population:-International relations:It is twinned with the town of Portlaoise in Ireland.-References:*...
in the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
département of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Places of interest
Significant nearby local tourist sites include the ruins of an eight hundred year old hill-top castle at DunamaseRock of Dunamase
The Rock of Dunamase is one of the most historic sites in Ireland. Its ruins date back many hundreds of years...
; a large Georgian estate home designed by James Gandon
James Gandon
James Gandon is today recognised as one of the leading architects to have worked in Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century. His better known works include The Custom House, the Four Courts, King's Inns in Dublin and Emo Court in Co...
and surrounding gardens at Emo
Emo, County Laois
Emo is a village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located near Portlaoise on the R422 regional road just off the M7 Dublin–Limerick motorway.The late 18th century village of Emo originally sprang up around the gates of Emo Court...
; the town of Mountmellick
Mountmellick
Other than that its a 15th-century settlement on the narrow Owenass river with an encampment on its banks at Irishtown. Overlooking this valley with its trees and wildlife was a small church called Kilmongan which was closed by the Penal Laws in 1640...
, the site of a notable Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
square; and the Slieve Bloom Mountains
Slieve Bloom Mountains
Situated close to the geographical centre of Ireland The Slieve Bloom Mountains rise from the central plain of Ireland to a height of 527 metres. While not very high, they are extensive by local standards...
and Forest Park; a 12th century Round Tower in Timahoe
Timahoe
Timahoe is a village in County Laois, Ireland, 12 km south of Portlaoise on the R426 regional road.-Features:The village of Timahoe is situated in a broad and fertile valley. The houses are built around a large central green, known as the Goosegreen...
.
Within the town itself, the former jail has been transformed into the Dunamaise Arts Centre comprising a cinema, performance space and exhibition space.
The town has many leisure facilities with the new Portlaoise Leisure Centre, town park and a Storm Cinema located in the town centre. The town has three main hotels Maldron located off Junction 16 M7 containing Subway and Little Caesars, Heritage Hotel and the Kileshin Hotel located on the old Dublin Road R445.
Economy
The town has long been a major commercial, retail, and arts centre for the Midlands. Until the early 20th century, the main industries of the town were flour milling and the manufacture of worsted fabric. Since their respective declines, the government has been one of the major employers in the town: the maximum-security Port Laoise Prison, which houses the majority of the Irish Republican political prisoners sentenced in the RepublicRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the Midlands Prison, and the Department of Agriculture are all large-scale employers in the town. This number is expected to increase further under the planned decentralisation of government departments from Dublin.
The National Spatial Strategy for Ireland has identified Portlaoise as an ideal location for an inland port. This designation encourages the town to focus on the growth of distribution, logistics and warehouse uses, which ties in well with its strong transport connections.
The town has a vibrant retail scene with the Laois Shopping Centre, Kyle Centre and Parkside Shopping Centres. The town has an Aldi, two Dunnes Stores, Lidl, Boots, Eurospar, Superquinn and a new Tesco Extra. The town has a new retail park on the Timahoe Road containing Halfords, Heatons, Homebase, Mothercare.
Transport
- Portlaoise stands at a major crossroads in the Irish roadsRoads in IrelandThe island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
(major roads to Dublin, LimerickLimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
) network although construction in the 1990s of the M7 motorway, which bypasses the town, has reduced traffic congestion in the town centre. - The town has a railway station served by intercityInter-city railInter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
trains between Dublin and CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and by Dublin commuter services. Maryborough railway station opened on 26 June 1847. - Córas Iompair ÉireannCóras Iompair ÉireannCóras Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
opened a new rail depot south-west of Portlaoise town centre in March 2008 (officially opened on 25 July 2008). The depot provides a high quality maintenance and servicing facility for the 183 new intercity railcars and some facilities for outer suburban railcars serving the Kildare Route. - Bus EireannBus ÉireannBus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
operates an expressway service between Dublin and Cork which calls at Port Laoise, whilst AircoachAircoachAircoach is a Republic of Ireland based subsidiary company of the United Kingdom based FirstGroup. It provides airport bus express coach services from Cork, Greystones, Bray, South Dublin and Dublin City Centre to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus service for airport car parks...
operate a similar service that also calls at Dublin Airport. - Portlaoise is the first stop on the bus service Dublin Bus. It is the last stop when it is coming from Dublin as well. The bus stops at both Stops on James Fintan Lawlor Avenue and also at Kilminchy
Charity
Since early 2008 Portlaoise has been the Irish base of Self Help AfricaSelf Help Africa
Self Help Africa is an international charity that promotes and implements long term rural development projects in Africa. It was established in mid-2008 following a merger between Irish agency Self Help Development International and the UK agency Harvest Help - both of which were set up in the wake...
, formerly Self Help Development International, the Irish development agency engaged in implementing long term rural development programmes in Sub-Sahara. Established at the time of the Ethiopian Famine of 1984, Self Help is the chosen charity of the Irish Farmers Association.
Sport
- Portlaoise RFCPortlaoise RFCPortlaoise RFC is an Irish rugby team based in Portlaoise, Leinster. They play in Division One of the Leinster League. The club is based on the main roundabout at the intersection of the motorway and the Cork road....
is the local rugby club, located just outside the town at Togher - Portlaoise GAAPortlaoise GAA% !!!5 TIMES COUNTY CHAMPIONS!!!Portlaoise GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling and gaelic football club in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland....
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club and the most successful GAA club in Leinster. - Portlaoise AFC is the local soccer club in the town in Rossleighan Park.
- Port Laoise Leisure Centre - 25meter pool, huge gym, FIFA approved 2* Astro pitch, soccer pitch and large children's playground
- Portlaoise Basketball Club - PBC is playing in ST.Mary's Hall currently playing in Division 1.
People
- Portlaoise is the home town of aviation pioneer James FitzmauriceJames Fitzmaurice (pilot)James Fitzmaurice DFC was an Irish aviation pioneer. He was a member of the crew of the Bremen, which made the first successful Trans-Atlantic aircraft flight from East to West on 12–13 April 1928.-Early life:...
. - Poet Pat BoranPat BoranPat Boran is an Irish poet. Born in Portlaoise, Boran has lived in Dublin for a number of years. He is the publisher of the Dedalus Press which specialises in contemporary poetry from Ireland, and international poetry in English-language translation, and was until 2007 Programme Director of the...
was from the town. - Bartholomew MosseBartholomew MosseBartholomew Mosse was an Irish surgeon and impresario responsible for founding the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin.-Early life:...
, the founder of the Rotunda HospitalRotunda HospitalThe Rotunda Hospital is one of the three main maternity hospitals in the city of Dublin, the others being the The Coombe and The National Maternity Hospital...
, Dublin - Rotimi AdebariRotimi AdebariRotimi Adebari is a Nigerian-born Irish politician. He was elected as the first black mayor in Ireland.A convert from Islam to Christianity, he fled Nigeria in 2000, and made a claim for asylum on the grounds of religious persecution...
, Nigerian-born Irish politician was elected as the first black mayor in Ireland, in Portlaoise. - Stephen Hunt (footballer born 1981), was born in Port Laoise.
- Pádraig Mac Lógáin, the only two-time President of Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
owned a pub on Main Street. - Actor Robert Sheehan, best known for the comedy drama MisfitsMisfits (TV series)Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television series about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was...
, is from the town. - Conor Egan, an engineer famous for his contributions to Australian mining was born in Portlaoise.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland