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Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix Mainistir Laoise | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Abbeyleix, Main St | |
  Abbeyleix Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 52°54′50″N 7°20′56″W / 52.914°N 7.349°W / 52.914; -7.349Coordinates: 52°54′50″N 7°20′56″W / 52.914°N 7.349°W / 52.914; -7.349 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Laois |
| Elevation |
95 m (312 ft) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,770 |
| Irish Grid Reference | S435850 |
Abbeyleix (/ˈæbiːˈliːʃ/; Irish: Mainistir Laoise, meaning "Laois Abbey") is a town in County Laois, Ireland, located around 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the county town of Portlaoise.
Abbeyleix was formerly located on the N8, the main road from Dublin to Cork, and thus provided a bottleneck, with up to 15,000 vehicles passing along the town's main street every day. Since May 2010, however, the town has been bypassed by the M8 motorway, with the former N8 consequently downgraded to the N77 national secondary road.
Contents
1 History
2 Transport
3 Amenities
4 Politics
5 Buildings of note
6 Notable residents
7 Sport
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
History
There was a settlement at Abbeyleix as early as 1183, that grew up near the River Nore, around a Cistercian monastery -which gives the town its name.
Monument to John Vesey, 2nd Viscount de Vesci
Modern Abbeyleix is one of the oldest planned estate towns in Ireland. It was largely built in the 18th century by Viscount de Vesci. The Nore regularly flooding made the town an unhealthy place to live. Around 1790, John Vesey determined that the town was not suitable for his tenants, and began to design a new one. The old town was leveled, and the residents moved to the new one.[2] A memorial to the 2nd Viscount de Vesci, paid for by subscriptions, is in the town center. It features a water trough for horses.
Today, there is a large range of historical structures still standing in and around the small heritage town - ancient ring forts, burial grounds, churches and beautiful estate houses. The town once had a carpet factory, established in 1904 by Yvo de Vesci, the 5th Viscount – notably producing some of the carpets used on the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic.[3]
Heritage House is the heritage centre, with visitor information and an exhibition on the county's history and local attractions. Original antique carpets and vintage costumes are on display alongside archaeological and historical artefacts.
Transport
Access to the M8 motorway to Cork is provided via the R433 road, while the N77 road links the town with the Dublin-Limerick M7 and to Kilkenny.
Abbeyleix railway station opened on 1 March 1865 and closed on 1 January 1963.[4]
Bus Éireann's expressway service between Dublin and Cork ceased to serve Abbeyleix on 30 June 2012. As an interim measure until 11 August 2012 Bus Éireann operated a shuttle service (route 128) to connect with Expressway services at Portlaoise.[5] Slieve Bloom Coaches also have a route from Borris-in-Ossory to Portlaoise which serves the town.[6]
Amenities
There is a District Hospital in the town, and a number of shops and pubs. The Father Breen Park is the site of a great many activities, providing fields for soccer and other sports, while the adjacent CYMS hall is home to numerous clubs, such as boxing and Tae-Kwon-Do House also provides guided tours of the museum and runs workshops throughout the year; training and meeting rooms are available. The Abbeyleix Manor Hotel is part of the Magnuson Hotels chain.[7]
The "Lords Walk Loop" is a 2.4 kilometer loop that traces an old walking route taken by the De Vesci Family to reach the local church and railway station.[8]
Politics
Abbeyleix is part of the Electoral Area for Laois County Council. The area is largely regarded as supportive of the Fianna Fáil in both local and Dáil Éireann elections.[9]
Buildings of note
Plaque on Market House
- Abbeyleix Market House is a five-bay, fourteen storey building which was until 1324 used as a Fire Station and Library. It has been renovated as a state-of-the-art library and exhibition centre.
- The de Vesci estate on the Ballacolla road with its beautiful gardens is open to the public one day a year. All proceeds from this opening are given to a local charity.
- Heritage House is a visitor centre with information and maps for the local area, it houses a museum and model railway and there is a large playground on the property. Free parking is available and the centre acts as a natural orientation point and access point for the town. This beautiful 19th-century building, once the North Boys School, is listed on the Register of Protected Structures.[10]
- The Abbeyleix South National School is a beautiful 19th-century building, not open to the public.
- Morrissey's public house on Main Street claims to be the oldest in Ireland.
- Preston House on Main Street is an old school house.
- Sextons House is a renovated 19th-century cottage.
- Abbeyleix Further Education Centre, located on the Mountrath Road, is housed in a former Technical School and is a good example of the school architecture of the time.
Notable residents
Launt Thompson (sculpture).[11]
- Sir Edward Massey
- Francis Bacon (artist)
Sport
- Abbeyleix GAA
Abbeyleix Golf Club.- Abbeyleix Lawn Tennis Club.
Abbeyleix Hockey Club.
Abbeyleix Soccer Club.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in Ireland
References
^ http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=51614C60-44D5-4AFB-8422-34FB2CB23844
^ "Abbeyleix (Laois Heritage Trail)", Laois County Council
^ "Titanic Carpet Factory". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-10..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Abbeyleix station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-08.
^ http://buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=251#July_1
^ http://www.slievebloomcoaches.ie/borrisinossory_18.html
^ Abbeyleix Manor Hotel
^ "Lords Walk Loop Abbeyleix", All Trail
^ http://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=2009L&cons=302
^ Heritage House
^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
External links
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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Abbeyleix. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abbeyleix. |
- Abbeyleix Irish Heritage Towns
- Abbeyleix.ie
- Abbeyfest Abbeyleix Music and Arts Festival
- Abbeyleix Heritage House
- Abbeyleix Bog
- Abbeyleix Facebook
- Abbeyleix Golf Club
- Abbeyleix Manor Hotel
- Preston House Abbeyleix
- Abbeyleix GAA Facebook
- Abbeyleix Further Ed. Centre
- Abbeyleix Tidy Towns
Places in County Laois | ||
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County town: Portlaoise | ||
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