County Laois Contae Laoise
Location
Statistics
Province:	Leinster
County Town:	Portlaoise
Code:	LS
Area:	1,719 km²
Population (2006)	69,012
Website: www.laois.ie

County Laois (IPA: [liːʃ]), also spelt Laoighis or Leix (Irish: Contae Laoise), is a county in the midlands of Ireland. It is situated in the province of Leinster. Image File history File links Laoiscocologo. ... map File links The following pages link to this file: County Laois Categories: GFDL images ... When under Gaelic rule, Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the túatha. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ... A county town is the capital of a county in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... A number plate for a car registered in 2001 in County Dublin Index marks on Number plates in the Republic of Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are: YY — a 2-digit year (e. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. ... When under Gaelic rule, Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the túatha. ... Statistics Area: 19,774. ...

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'More 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' Mores. Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... This article is about the modern Goidelic language. ... Combatants Irish Republic United Kingdom Commanders Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Cathal Brugha Important local IRA leaders Henry Hugh Tudor Strength Irish Republican Army c. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland involved the seizure of land owned by the native Irish and granting of it to colonists (planters) from Britain. ... The title of Earl of Sussex has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. ...

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. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name of Huguenots came to apply to members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. ... William III of England (The Hague, 14 November 1650 – Kensington Palace, 8 March 1702; also known as William II of Scotland and William III of Orange) was a Dutch aristocrat and a Protestant Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28... For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution. ... -1... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N449076 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Population (2006) 4,137  Website: www. ...

The county was renamed in the early 1920s, following a competition.

Geography

The county is landlocked and, uniquely amongst Irish counties it does not border any other counties with a sea coast. It is therefore considered to be "the most landlocked county in Ireland^[1]"

Economy

Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, with 70 % of the area (1,200 km²), 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 than the national average, 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. Fianna Fáil - The Republican Party (Irish: ), commonly referred to as Fianna Fáil (IPA ; traditionally translated by the party into English as Soldiers of Destiny, though the actual meaning is Soldiers [Fianna] of Ireland[1]), is currently the largest political party in Ireland with 55,000 members. ... Fine Gael (IPA: , though often anglicised to ) (approximate English translation: Family or Tribe of the Irish) and officially, Fine Gael - The United Ireland Party, is the second largest political party in the Republic of Ireland, presently forming the largest opposition party in the Dail (Irish Parliament), and claims a membership... Kevin Christopher OHiggins (Irish name Caoimhín Críostóir Ó hUiginn; June 7, 1892 – July 10, 1927). ... Oliver J. Flanagan (22nd May 1920 – 26th April 1987) was an Irish Fine Gael politician. ... County Laois County Offaly Laoighis-Offaly (formerly Leix-Offaly, soon to be renamed Laois-Offaly) is a parliamentary constituency in the province of Leinster in the Republic of Ireland, which currently returns five Teachtaí Dála (TDs) to Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament). ... This article is about the current Irish body. ...

Population

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.

Towns and villages

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

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Aghaboe is a village and parish in County Laois, Republic of Ireland. ... Ballaghmore (Ballag-more), a small village situated on the western side of County Laois, southwest of Portlaoise. ... Ballickmoyler is a town in the Republic of Ireland. ... Ballinakill (Baile na Coille in Irish, meaning the town of the woods) is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. ... Ballybrittas (Irish: Baile Briotáis) is a small village in the northeast of County Laois, Ireland situated on the R445 about 5 km SE of Monasterevin, County Kildare. ... Ballybrophy (Baile Uí Bhróithe in Irish) is a village in Laois, Ireland, with a population recorded in the 2002 census of 145. ... Ballyfin (Baile Fionn in Irish, meaning Town of Fionn) is a small village and parish in County Laois, Republic of Ireland. ... Ballylinan (sometimes spelt Ballylynan) is a small village on the County Laois/County Kildare border. ... Ballyroan is a small Irish village in County Laois. ... Barrowhouse Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Laois was established in 1919. ... Borris-in-Ossory (Buir os M r Osra in Irish) is a small town in County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland. ... Castletown is a small village and also a parish in the southern half of County Laois in Ireland near the town of Mountrath. ... Clonaslee is a picturesque and well maintained village at the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Laois, Ireland, located about 70 miles from Dublin. ... Cullohill (also spelt Cullahill) is a small village in County Laois in Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference S999999 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Elevation: 1m Population (2006)  - Town:  - Rural:   1  1 Donaghmore is a small village in County Laois in Ireland. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Emo (Ioma in Irish) is a village in County Laois, Ireland. ... Errill is a beautiful village in the south of Laois near to the Tipperary and Kilkenny borders. ... Graiguecullen is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in County Laois. ... Jamestown is a small townsland in Ireland on a crossroads between Ballybrittas in Laois and Monasterevan in County Kildare. ... The church at Killeshin is largely twelfth century in date, although some parts show evidence of later rebuilding, including a late Gothic east window. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference N449076 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Population (2006) 4,137  Website: www. ... Mountrath Mountrath (Maighean Ratha - the fort in the bog) is a small town in County Laois on the N7 midway between Dublin and Limerick, exactly 60 miles from both cities. ... Newtown is a small village in County Laois in Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... There is also a Rathdowney in Queensland, Australia named after the Irish town. ... Rosenallis (Ros Fhionnghlaise in Irish) is a village in north County Laois, Republic of Ireland, situated in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains on the R422 Mountmellick to Birr road. ... Sletty, Slatey or Sleatey (Irish: Sleibte or Slebte) is a civil parish in County Leix or Queens County, in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. ... Stradbally (An Sráidbhaile in Irish) is a small town in County Laois, Republic of Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland along the N80 road near Portlaoise. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference S563825 Statistics Province: Leinster County: Population () The Swan (Irish: ) is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. ... Timahoe (Tigh Mochua in Irish: House of St. ... Vicarstown (Baile an Bhiocáire in Irish) is a village in County Laois, Ireland. ...

Places of interest

• Slieve Bloom Mountains
• Rock of Dunamase
• Emo Court
• Castle Durrow
• Stradbally House
• Mountmellick Quaker Museum
• Ballyfin House
• Dunamase Arts Centre, Portlaoise

The Slieve Bloom Mountians rise from the central plain of Ireland to a height of about 560 metres. ... Dun Masc or the fort of Masc, as it was known by the Celts, is one of the most historic sites in Ireland. ... Emo Court, located in the village of Emo in County Laois, Ireland, is a large neo-classical mansion, formal and symmetrical in its design and with beautifully proportioned rooms inside. ... Castle Durrow is a country house in Ireland, built between 1712-1716 by Colonel William Flower (later to become Viscount Ashbrook) as a family home. ...

List of notable Laois people

• The rock group 79Cortinaz hail from both Laois, and Carlow Ireland.
• John Harrison (1979- ), Professional gambler
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Kevin O'Higgins (1892-1927), former Irish Free State Minister for Justice
• James Pim, railway engineer, "Quaker father of Irish railways"
• Kivas Tully (1820-1905), architect, Trinity College, Toronto, the Custom House and the Bank of Montreal
• [[Stephen O'Reilly (1988-present) sex machine and famous porn star.

Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Carlow Code: CW Area: 896 km² Population (2006) 50,471 Website: www. ... Darina Allen is an Irish chef, T.V. personality and founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland. ... Bewleys is an old Irish tea house chain, established in 1840. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Sky News is a 24-hour British domestic and international television news channel that started broadcasting on 16 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television service. ... TV3 Ireland is the sole commercial television channel in the Republic of Ireland. ... The diocese of Ossory in south central Ireland (in the province of Leinster and counties Kilkenny and Laois) took its name from a former a petty kingdom , Osraige. ... William Dargan Mural in Bray railway station William Dargan (1799-1867), an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways came from County Carlow, Ireland. ... Cecil Day-Lewis (or Day Lewis) CBE (27 April 1904 – 22 May 1972) was a British poet, the British Poet Laureate from 1967 to 1972, and, under the pseudonym of Nicholas Blake, a mystery writer. ... Daniel Delany (b. ... Eileen Dunne Eileen Dunne is a newsreader on the Nine OClock news bulletin on RTÉ. She alternates presentation with Anne Doyle. ... Oliver J. Flanagan (22 May 1920 – 26 April 1987) was an Irish Fine Gael politician. ... William Russell Grace (born May 10, 1832, Cobh (Ireland); died March 21, 1904, Nw York) was the first Roman Catholic mayor of New York City and the founder of W. R. Grace and Company. ... James Fintan Lalor (March 10, 1807–December 27, 1849) was an Irish radical journalist and revolutionary. ... The Hon. ... Bartholomew Mosse (1712 - February 16, 1759), was an Irish surgeon and impresario responsible for founding the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. ... Kevin Christopher OHiggins (Irish name Caoimhín Críostóir Ó hUiginn; June 7, 1892 – July 10, 1927). ... The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is the senior minister at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (An Roinn Dlí agus Cirt, Comhionannais agus Athchóirithe Dlí) in the Irish Government. ... Kivas Tully (1820–April 24, 1905) was an Irish-Canadian architect. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.laoissurfclub.com

External link

• Official website of Laois County Council