Irish Counties - Laois

County Laois (Contae Laois in Irish, pronounced Leash), also spelt Laoighis or Leix, is a county in the midlands of Ireland. Situated in the province of Leinster, this small county is the only one in Ireland not bordered by another county with a coastline.

Created in 1556 by Mary I of England as "Queen's County", Laois received its present Irish language name following the War of Irish Independence. Portlaoise is the capital town, first established by Queen Mary in 1556 as "the Fort of Maryborough". Signs of the old garrison remain all over the town, and the old jail has been transformed into an arts centre. 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 private school; and Mountmellick, the site of a notable Georgian square. The town is a major commercial, retail, and arts centre for the Irish midlands. It is home to the maximum-security Portlaoise Jail, which houses the majority of Northern Irish terrorists sentenced in the Republic, and to the Midlands Prison. Both establishments are major employers in the town.

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• Laois People
• Laois History
• Laois Travel

Writers associated with Co. Laois include:

• Doran, Pat
• Meehan, Patrick F.
• Miller, Liam

Towns and Villages:
Abbeyleix, Aghaboe, Ballaghmore, Ballickmoyler, Ballinakill, Ballyfin, Ballylynan, Ballyroan, Borris-in-ossory, Clonenagh, Donaghmore, Durrow, Emo, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Rathdowney, Rosenallis, Stradbally, Timahoe, Vicarstown