Port Laoise

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Portlaoise
Port Laoise

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
53.0309° N 7.3008° W

Irish Grid Reference
S465986

Statistics

139m (459ft)

Population (2006)

18,275

Port Laoise (older spelling Port Laoighise; 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 /pɔrtˈliʃə/; however, a partially anglicised pronunciation as "Port Laois" (say 'Port Leash') is common. The population in 2006 was 14,275.

1 History
2 Transport & communications
3 Local economy
4 People
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

The town was first established by Queen Mary in 1556 as "the Fort of Maryborough" and was renamed 1922 to "Portlaoise". Very few signs of the old garrison remain in the town.

Portlaoise

[edit] Transport & communications

Portlaoise stands at a major crossroads in the Irish roads (major roads to Dublin, Limerick, Cork) network although construction in recent years of the M7 motorway, which bypasses the town, has reduced traffic congestion in the town centre.
The town has a railway station served by intercity trains between Dublin and Cork and by Dublin commuter services.

[edit] Local economy

Tourism: Significant nearby local tourist sites, include the ruins of an 800 year old hill-top castle at Dunamaise, a large Georgian estate home and surrounding gardens at Emo, and the Slieve Bloom Mountains & Forest Park. The old jail has been transformed into an arts centre(Dunamase theatre and Cafe Latte). 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 school; and Mountmellick, the site of a notable Georgian square.
The town is a major commercial, retail, and arts centre for the midlands
It is home to Ireland's maximum-security Portlaoise Prison, which houses the majority of paramilitary prisoners sentenced in the Republic, and to the Midlands Prison. Both establishments are major employers in the town. The prison has recently undergone redevelopment.
There are also several hundred employed in the Department of Agriculture in the town. This is expected to increase further under the governments planned decentralisation of government departments from Dublin
The town also has a large and growing commuter population availing of the rail and motorway connections to 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.

[edit] People

It is the hometown of well known footballers Ian Fitzgerald, Colm Parkinson, famous aviation pioneer James Fitzmaurice and RTE sports presenter Padraig Lodge.

[edit] See also

List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

[edit] External links

http://www.portlaoisepictures.com This very comprehensive site has many photographs of contemporary Portlaoise plus photos of, and documents relating to, old Portlaoise. An added unusual feature is a number of short stories set in and around the town.(** Should be integrated into the article**)