County Laois Totally Explained

Everything about County Laois totally explained

County Laois (; Contae Laoise in Irish), formerly also Laoighis or Leix, is a county in the midlands of Ireland, forming part of the province of Leinster.

History

Created in 1556 by Mary I of England as Queen's County, Laois received its present Irish language name following the Irish War of Independence. Portlaoise (previously Maryborough) is the county town. Laois was the subject of two Plantations or colonisations by English settlers. The first occurred in 1556, when the Earl of Sussex dispossessed the O'Moore clan from the area and attempted to replace them with English settlers. However, this only led to a long drawn out guerilla war in the county and left a small English community clustered around garrisons. There was a more successful plantation in the county in 17th century, which expanded the existing English settlement with more landowners and tenants from England. Neither plantation was fully successful due to a lack of tenants and because of continuous raids and attacks by the O' Moores.
Finally, the county became home to a community of French Huguenots in the 1690s, who were settled in Ireland after their service to William of Orange in the Williamite war in Ireland. In addition to this, large numbers of Quakers settled in Mountmellick and developed the area.

Geography

The county is landlocked and, uniquely amongst Irish counties it doesn't border any other counties with a sea coast. It is therefore considered to be "the most landlocked county in Ireland"

Towns and villages

Abbeyleix, Aghaboe, Arles
Ballacolla, Ballaghmore, Ballickmoyler, Ballinakill, Ballybrittas, Ballybrophy, Ballyfin, Ballylinan, Ballyroan, Borris-in-Ossory
Castletown, Clonaslee, Clonenagh, Cullohill
Donaghmore, Durrow
Emo, Errill
Graiguecullen
Killeshin, Killeen, Killenard
Mountmellick, Mountrath
Newtown
Portarlington, Portlaoise
Raheen, Rathdowney, Rosenallis
Stradbally, The Swan, Shanahoe
Timahoe
Vicarstown

Climate

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Demographics

The population of County Laois is expanding rapidly, given its easy commute to the employment centres of Kildare and Dublin, and affordable housing in pleasant surroundings. In the 2006 census the population had increased by 14% to 67,000 people.

Economy

Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, with 70 % of the area, farmed every year. The county is home to over 230,000 cattle, four cows for every person. The remaining area includes considerable stretches of raised bog, and the Sleive Bloom mountains, which are partially covered by coniferous forest.
   The county has a small industrial base, with industrial parks at Portlaoise and Mountmellick. Over 1500 people work in the industrial sector in County Laois.
   However, unemployment is higher than other Irish counties, and annual income is lower at about 88% of the average. Average incomes in Laois are also well below the national average, mainly due to the high incidence of agriculture as the basis of income. The county makes up part of the Border Midlands and West region for the purposes of EU funding.
   Many people in Laois commute to nearby County Kildare, and further afield to County Dublin, where wages are much higher, due to an increased level of direct private sector investment.

Politics

Laois tends to strongly support the Fianna Fáil party in Irish elections. In the last local elections, however, there was a sharp swing to the opposition Fine Gael party. Historically important Irish figures, such as Kevin O'Higgins and Oliver Flanagan were born in County Laois. Laois is in the Laois-Offaly constituency for elections to Dáil Éireann.

Places of interest

Slieve Bloom Mountains

Mountmellick Quaker Museum

Ballyfin House

Dunamase Arts Centre, Portlaoise

List of notable Laois people

John George Adair (1823-1885), builder of Glenveagh Castle and financier of JA Ranch in the Texas Panhandle

Darina Allen (1953- ), TV chef

John Barrett (1753-1821), Vice Provost, Trinity College, 1807-1821

Charles Beale (1850-1930), founding president of the Federated Chambers of Manufactures of Australia

Joseph Beale (1770-1815), Quaker industrialist

Joshua Bewley, tea merchant founder of Bewleys Oriental Cafés in 1840.

Lisa Burke, Sky News weathercaster

Claire Byrne, TV3 news anchor

Rev. Dr. Patrick Collier (1882-1964), Bishop of Ossory, 1928-1964

Evelyn Cusack, meteorologist

William Dargan (1799-1867), responsible for the Industrial Exhibition, 1853

Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972), British Poet-Laureate, 1967-1972

Dr. Daniel Delaney (1747-1814), Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin

Eileen Dunne (1958- ), TV newscaster

Oliver J. Flanagan (1920-1987), Minister for Defence, 1976-1977

Edward Dowling (1982- ), Musician and Poet

Hon. William Russell Grace (1832-1904), mayor of New York 1880-1885

James A. Graves (1827-1910), Australian commissioner of trade and customs, 1881-1883 John Harrison (1979- ), Professional gambler

Stephen Hunt (1981-), professional footballer playing for Reading and Ireland

Rt. Hon. Joseph Hutchinson (1852-1928), Lord Mayor of Dublin 1904-1906

Peter Burrowes Kelly, (1811-1883), author "The Manor of Glenmore"

James Fintan Lalor (1807-1849), Young Irelander

Peter Lalor (1827-1889), leader of the Eureka Stockade miners revolt, Melbourne

John Lalor-Fitzpatrick (1875-1949), Nationalist MP for Ossory, 1916-1818

Dr. Bartholomew Mosse (1712-1759), founder, Rotunda Maternity Hospital, Dublin

Valentine O'Hara (1875-1945), author and authority on Russia and the Baltic States.

Kevin O'Higgins (1892-1927), former Irish Free State Minister for Justice

James Pim, railway engineer, "Quaker father of Irish railways"

John Shaw (1773-1823), U.S. Naval Officer

Kivas Tully (1820-1905), architect, Trinity College, Toronto, the Custom House and the Bank of MontrealFurther Information

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