Ireland.com

County Laois

Giant twig sculpture and festival revellers at the Electric Picnic in Stradbally

This lush, hidden corner of Ireland is often missed by visitors but Laois has a wealth of historic houses, heritage towns and quiet walking trails to explore.

The county town of Portlaoise flourished in the Celtic Tiger but has lost some of its soul in the process.

Nearby heritage towns such as Mountmellick and Abbeyleix with their graceful Georgian streets and Huguenot Portarlington with its French charm have more to offer the visitor.

While Portlaoise's main claim to international fame was once its high security prison and IRA inmates, in recent years Laois has become most famous as the home of the Electric Picnic, the boutique arts and music festival held at the Stradbally Hall estate in late summer.

Laois has always been a prosperous county and stately homes abound. Some remain in private hands or have been turned into plush country hotels but you can visit the gorgeous gardens at Heywood and tour the grand neo-classical Emo Court for a taste of the high life.

One of the first written mentions of Laois was on Ptolemy’s map of AD140 when the Rock of Dunamaise made an appearance. This ruined fortress on top of a jagged limestone outcrop is a spectacular site at sundown.

For walking, the Slieve Bloom Mountains offer quiet woodland trails, bleak moors and blanket bog above the conifer plantations.

Laois's most famous son was William Dargan, an enterprising engineer who was responsible for building most of Ireland's rail lines. He also organised the Great Dublin Exhibition in 1853 and was instrumental in the establishment of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Points of Interest

Stately Emo Court was designed by James Gandon (architect of Dublin’s Custom House) in 1790 and is approached through a mile-long avenue of giant sequoias. The opulence of the house with its giant rotunda is matched by the extensive grounds which are home to over 1000 species of tree, sweeping lawns and an ornamental lake.