Irish Grid Reference S435850 Population 2,569 (2006) | Elevation 95 m Local time Tuesday 7:16 AM | |
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Weather 2°C, Wind W at 23 km/h, 90% Humidity | ||
Abbeyleix town co laois ireland
Abbeyleix (/ˈæbiliks/; 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.
Contents
- Abbeyleix town co laois ireland
- Map of Abbeyleix Co Laois Ireland
- Road trip from ballyragget co kilkenny to abbeyleix co laois
- History
- Transport
- Amenities
- Politics
- Buildings of note
- Notable residents
- Sport
- References
Map of Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Ireland
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.
Road trip from ballyragget co kilkenny to abbeyleix co laois
History
Abbeyleix is one of the oldest planned estate towns in Ireland. It was largely built in the 18th century by Viscount de Vesci and is situated near a 12th-century Cistercian monastery beside the River Nore. 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.
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.
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. Slieve Bloom Coaches also have a route from Borris-in-Ossory to Portlaoise which serves the town.
Amenities
There is a District Hospital in the town, and a number of shops and pubs, such as Morrisey's which aims to be the oldest in Ireland. 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 has 46 bedrooms and includes a new state-of-the-art Conference Suite.
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.