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Portlaoise Places to Visit

Portlaoise or Port Laoise, is located in the Midlands region of Ireland. The town is renowned for its diverse and vibrant mix of shops, bars and restaurants. History fans are catered for brilliantly with attractions like The Heath. The town has been transformed in recent years from a quiet area to a richly exciting destination.

Places to Visit in Portlaoise, Laois

Portlaoise offers a range of big-name retail outlets and independent shops. It is home to the Dunamaise Arts Centre, which plays host to a theatre and an art gallery. Food lovers are drawn to the town due to its wide range of culinary delights, whilst historians regularly venture to the 800-year-old Dunamase hill-top castle. Other key landmarks include the vast Georgian estate home and gardens at Emo as well as Timahoe's 12th Century Round Tower. A popular golf course can be found at Abbeyleix Road.

Portlaoise has acted as a significant arts and retail centre for many years. Much of its history is linked to flour milling and worsted fabric, though the government is now one of the town's major employers. The town has been identified as a possible location for a future inland port.

Key retail spaces in the town include the Laois Shopping Centre, Parkside Shopping Centres and the Timahoe Road retail park. Portlaoise plays host to various festivals on an annual basis including the Rose of Tralee and Halloween Howls Comedy Festival. It has also become the home of the annual Electric Picnic, which takes place in September.

Egan's Restaurant is a popular place to dine in Portlaoise.

Why not try the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel if you need somewhere to stay?

Transport in Portlaoise, Laois

The town is found at a major crossroads offering links to Dublin, Limerick and Cork. The M7 motorway has helped to reduce traffic in the centre significantly. The town's railway station, Maryborough, also provides links to Cork and Dublin. Bus Eireann offer a number of services including an intercity service between Dublin, Cork and Limerick which stops at Portlaoise.