Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [436]
Cafe Odhráan ( 057-875 7380; Main St; dishes €4-8; 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat) Small and cosy, with a warm, friendly atmosphere, this simple little place serves up a tempting selection of salads, quiches, crostini, panini and wraps, as well as homemade cakes and scones. Ingredients are locally sourced and include such delicacies as Ballacolla blue brie and Mossfield goat’s cheese.
Morrissey’s ( 057-873 1281; Main St) This half-pub, half-shop is one of those increasingly rare places that has withstood the onslaught of modernisation. Ancient biscuit tins, jars of sweets, boxes of tea and a hodgepodge of oddities line the shelves above the pew seats and pot-belly stove. It’s a wonderful place to soak up the atmosphere while you cradle a pint at the sloping counter.
Getting There & Away
Abbeyleix is on the Bus Éireann route to Dublin (€13, 1¾ hours) via Portlaoise, and Cork (€13, 2¾ hours) via Cashel and Cahir. There are six buses each way daily.
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DURROW
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Another planned estate village, Durrow’s neat rows of houses, pubs and cafes surround a manicured green. On the western side stands the imposing gateway to the 18th-century Castle Durrow ( 057-873 6555; www.castledurrow.com; d from €250; ), one of Ireland’s top country-house hotels. The rooms here vary from opulent suites with four-poster beds and heavy brocades to more intimate oriental-style rooms. Even if you can’t stay overnight, it’s worth popping in for a coffee on the terrace overlooking the vast grounds. The excellent restaurant (5-course set menu €55; 7-8.45pm) is supplied by the castle’s organic kitchen garden.
Durrow is 10km south of Abbeyleix and is accessible by bus (€3.40, 10 minutes, six buses daily in each direction).
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SLIEVE BLOOM MOUNTAINS
One of the best reasons for visiting Laois is to explore the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Although not as spectacular as some Irish ranges, their sudden rise from a great plain and the absence of visitors make them highly attractive. You’ll get a real sense of being away from it all as you tread the deserted blanket bogs, moorland, pine forests and isolated valleys.
The highest point is Mt Arderin (528m), south of the Glendine Gap on the Offaly border, from where, on a clear day, it’s possible to see the highest points of all four of the ancient provinces of Ireland. East is Lugnaquilla in Leinster; west is Nephin in Connaught; north is Slieve Donard in Ulster; and southwest is Carrantuohil in Munster.
For leisurely walking, Glenbarrow, southwest of Rosenallis, has an interesting trail by the cascading River Barrow. Other spots to check out are Glendine Park, near the Glendine Gap, and the Cut mountain pass.
For something more challenging, you could try the Slieve Bloom Way, a 77km signposted trail that does a complete circuit of the mountains, taking in most major points of interest. The recommended starting point is the car park at Glenbarrow, 5km from Rosenallis, from where the trail follows tracks, forest firebreaks and old roads around the mountains. The trail’s highest point is at Glendine Gap (460m).
You can walk alone or join a guided walk organised by the Slieve Bloom Walking Club ( 086 278 9147; www.slievebloom.ie; per person €5; Sun May-Nov). The website has lots of information on a variety of walks in the mountains and is a good place for initial planning. Alternatively, pick up a Laois Walks Pack at local tourist offices.
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DETOUR: POVERTY’S LAST STOP AT DONAGHMORE
The farm village of Donaghmore is home to a grim survivor of the Famine. The Donaghmore Workhouse ( 086-829 6685; www.donaghmoremuseum.com; adult/child €5/3; 11am-5pm Mon-Fri, 2-5pm Sat & Sun Jun-Sep) opened as a last resort for the destitute in 1853. Conditions were intentionally grim, the idea being that if things were especially bad, the poor wouldn’t stick around. Overcrowding was rife,