Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [435]
For all you need to know about the county, check out www.laoistourism.ie and pick up the excellent Laois Heritage Trail booklet at tourist offices, which does a good job of tying together the county’s history. The handsome heritage town of Abbeyleix makes a much better base than the busy but workaday county town of Portlaoise.
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ABBEYLEIX
pop 1568
Abbeyleix (abbey-leeks) is a pretty heritage town with a Georgian market house, graceful terraced housing and a wide leafy main street. The town grew up around a 12th-century Cistercian monastery, but problems with frequent flooding led local 18th-century landowner Viscount de Vesci to level the village and create a new, planned estate town in the present location. During the Famine, de Vesci proved a kinder landlord than many, and the fountain obelisk in the square was erected as a thank you from his tenants.
The town’s Georgian character remains intact despite a near-constant flow of traffic. A bypass, which is due to open in late 2010, will transform the town and return it to its former glory. Abbeyleix makes a good base for exploring Laois, with its wonderful food and accommodation options and a chance to sip a pint in one of Ireland’s most atmospheric pubs.
Sights
In an old school building at the northern end of Main St is Heritage House ( 057-873 1653; www.heritagehousemuseum.com; adult/child €3/2.50; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri year-round & 1-5pm Sat & Sun May-Sep; ), a museum and tourist office that details the town’s colourful history. One room looks at the town’s carpet-making legacy: the Turkish-influenced carpets once made here were chosen to grace the floors of the Titanic, but the factory closed soon after the ill-fated liner’s demise.
In the town centre, the elegant 1836 Market House has been restored and now houses a library and exhibition space. Unfortunately for visitors, de Vesci’s magnificent mansion, Abbeyleix House, is in private ownership and is not open to the public. Designed by James Wyatt in 1773, it’s an elegant mansion set in roaming parklands 2km southwest of town.
Southeast of town, the lavish Heywood Gardens ( 057-873 3563; www.heritageireland.ie; admission free; 8.30am-9pm May-Aug, to 7pm Apr & Sep, to 5.30pm Oct-Mar; ) were landscaped by Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll and were completed in 1912. The centrepiece is a sunken garden, where circular terraces lead down to an oval pool with a magnificent fountain. The gardens are 7km southeast of Abbeyleix, off the R432 to Ballinakill, in the grounds of Heywood Community School.
Garden lovers should also make their way to the Abbey Sense Gardens ( 057-873 1325; Dove House, Main St; admission by donation; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri year-round & 2-6pm Sat & Sun Jun-Sep; ). Set in the walled gardens of a Brigidine convent, the vibrant planting, wind chimes, humming stone and fragrant blooms aim to stimulate all the senses.
Sleeping & Eating
Farran House Farm Hostel ( 057-873 4032; www.farmhostel.com; dm €20; ) In a beautifully restored limestone grain loft on a working family farm, this quirky independent hostel has 45 beds in rooms with a bathroom and up to five bunks. When you call, ask for directions and about the possibility of meals, as the hostel is well secluded, about 6km west of Abbeyleix.
Sandymount House ( 057-873 1063; www.abbeyleix.info; Oldtown; s/d €65/100; ) Once the home of the de Vesci estate manager, this lovely old country house has been beautifully restored to seamlessly blend modern style with period features. A grand sweeping staircase, marble fireplaces and mature gardens give it an elegant charm, while the spacious rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs and individually designed bathrooms. Sandymount House is 2km from Abbeyleix down the R433 towards Rathdowney.
Preston House ( 057-873 1432; www.prestonhouse.ie; Main St; d €130, dinner mains €15-27; ) A restored Georgian town house on the main street, the grand rooms here are decked out in period style, with dark elegant furniture,