Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [438]
Mountmellick is on the N80, 10km north of Portlaoise.
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PORTARLINGTON
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Portarlington grew up under the influence of French Huguenot and German settlers and has some fine, but neglected, 18th-century buildings along French and Patrick Sts. The 1851 St Paul’s Church (admission free; 7am-7pm), on the site of the original 17th-century French church, was built for the Huguenots, some of whose tombstones stand in a corner of the churchyard. Portarlington is about 18km northwest of Portlaoise.
About 4km east of town are the impressive ivy-covered ruins of 13th-century Lea Castle on the banks of the River Barrow, once the stronghold of Maurice Fitzgerald, second Baron of Offaly. The castle consists of a fairly intact towered keep with two outer walls and a twin-towered gatehouse. Access is through a farmyard, 500m to the north off the main Monasterevin road (R420).
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EMO COURT
The unusual, green-domed Emo Court ( 057-862 6573; www.heritageireland.ie; Emo; adult/child €3/1, grounds free; 10am-6pm Easter-Oct, last admission 5pm, grounds open daylight hr year-round) is an impressive house, designed in 1790 by James Gandon, architect of Dublin’s Custom House. It was originally the country seat of the first Earl of Portarlington. After many years as a Jesuit noviciate, the house, with its elaborate central rotunda, was impressively restored.
The extensive grounds, littered with Greek statues, contain over 1000 different trees, including huge sequoias, and shrubs from all over the world. Enjoy a picnic or a long walk through the woodlands to Emo Lake.
Emo is about 13km northeast of Portlaoise, just off the R422, 2km west of the M7.
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ROCK OF DUNAMAISE
The Rock of Dunamaise (admission free; daylight hr; ) is an arresting sight: a craggy limestone outcrop rising dramatically out of the flat plains. The rock offered early settlers a superb natural defensive position with sweeping views across the surrounding countryside. It was first fortified in the Bronze Age and was recorded on Ptolemy’s map of AD 140.
Over the centuries that followed, successive waves of Viking, Norman, Irish and English invaders fought over its occupation and control. The ruins you see today are those of a castle built in the 13th century. It was extensively remodelled in the 15th century and finally destroyed by Cromwell’s henchmen in 1650.
You’ll need some imagination to envisage the site as it once was, but the views from the summit are breathtaking on a clear day. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see Timahoe round tower to the south, the Slieve Blooms to the west and the Wicklow Mountains to the east.
The rock is situated 6km east of Portlaoise along the Stradbally road (N80). Portlaoise Taxi Service ( 057-866 2270) will take you out there for about €25 return.
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STRADBALLY
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Strung out along the N80, the pretty village of Stradbally, 10km southeast of Portlaoise, is home to the annual Electric Picnic (www.electricpicnic.ie; 3-day pass €240), an open-air music festival held over three days in early September. Known for its eclectic line up, quality services and more mature attitude, it’s attracted the likes of Björk, Jarvis Cocker, Sigur Rós, Franz Ferdinand and the Sex Pistols over the years.
Appealing to a rather different crowd, the Stradbally Steam Museum ( 057-864 1878; www.irishsteam.ie; admission €5; 2-5pm Sun or by arrangement) is a haven for steam enthusiasts, with a collection of lovingly restored fire engines, steam tractors and steamrollers. During the August bank-holiday weekend, the museum hosts a two-day rally where the 40-hectare estate of Stradbally Hall is taken over by steam-operated machinery and vintage cars. Visitors can also take a short trip on the narrow-gauge railway (admission