Midlands-Our-Past-Our-Pleasure.Pdf
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Guide The MidlandsIreland.ie brand promotes awareness of the Midland Region across four pillars of Living, Learning, Tourism and Enterprise. MidlandsIreland.ie Gateway to Tourism has produced this digital guide to the Midland Region, as part of suite of initiatives in line with the adopted Brand Management Strategy 2011- 2016. The guide has been produced in collaboration with public and private service providers based in the region. MidlandsIreland.ie would like to acknowledge and thank those that helped with research, experiences and images. The guide contains 11 sections which cover, Angling, Festivals, Golf, Walking, Creative Community, Our Past – Our Pleasure, Active Midlands, Towns and Villages, Driving Tours, Eating Out and Accommodation. The guide showcases the wonderful natural assets of the Midlands, celebrates our culture and heritage and invites you to discover our beautiful region. All sections are available for download on the MidlandsIreland.ie Content: Images and text have been provided courtesy of Áras an Mhuilinn, Athlone Art & Heritage Limited, Athlone, Institute of Technology, Ballyfin Demense, Belvedere House, Gardens & Park, Bord na Mona, CORE, Failte Ireland, Lakelands & Inland Waterways, Laois Local Authorities, Laois Sports Partnership, Laois Tourism, Longford Local Authorities, Longford Tourism, Mullingar Arts Centre, Offaly Local Authorities, Westmeath Local Authorities, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Kilbeggan Distillery, Kilbeggan Racecourse, Office of Public Works, Swan Creations, The Gardens at Ballintubbert, The Heritage at Killenard, Waterways Ireland and the Wineport Lodge. Individual contributions include the work of James Fraher, Kevin Byrne, Andy Mason, Kevin Monaghan, John McCauley and Tommy Reynolds. Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in the information supplied no responsibility can be accepted for any error, omission or misinterpretation of this information. Where such are brought to our attention future guides will be amended accordingly. 07 OUR PAST OUR PLEASURE OUR PAST 07 OUR PLEASURE Laois Heritage Abbeyleix Heritage House Abbeyleix, County Laois Donaghmore Famine Workshouse Museum +353 (0)57 8731653 Donaghamore, Portlaoise, County Laois [email protected] + 353 (0)505 46212/44196 www.laois.local.ie/abbeyleix [email protected] www.donaghmoremuseum.com Housed in the historic north boys’ school, the museum at Heritage House will transport you This workhouse museum is a unique attraction in back in time allowing you to journey with the Ireland and aims to tell the story of the families pre-Christian warring tribes of Laois, witnessing who lived and died within the workhouse walls their conversion to Christianity and the rise of during and after the Great Famine. The museum monastic Laois. Learn of the Norman influence, is housed in a restored workhouse originally built the suppression of the monasteries at the in the early 1850s. As a result of the great famine hands of Henry VIII and our progress through of 1845-1849 about 1,200 people, or 10% of the plantations, the influence of the landlords and population of the area, were forced to seek our brush with the industrial revolution. Learn refuge here. The building acquired a new lease of how an enterprising landlord created much life in 1924 when the Donaghmore Cooperative needed work for women and in a landlocked Society began operations. It was later owned by county exported carpets worldwide even Avonmore Foods plc who donated it for use as carpeting the staterooms of the ill-fated a museum in 1989. On visiting Donaghmore you Titanic. will see the original dormitories, a kitchen and a waiting hall authentically restored. The building today houses an agricultural museum. 2 OUR PAST 07 OUR PLEASURE Irish Fly-Fishing and Hunting Museum Rock of Dunamaise Attanagh, Durrow, County Laois Stradbally, Co. Laois +353 (0)57 8736112 +353 057 8664132 | [email protected] [email protected] www.laoistourism.ie www.irishfishingandhuntingmuseum.com Mapped by Ptolemy in 140 A.D., plundered by The only one of its kind in Ireland, the Fly Fishing Vikings in 842 A.D., the dowry of a princess in Museum has a comprehensive collection on 1169, seat of the O’More’s of Laois in the 14th fishing, shooting, hunting, poaching and more. century and attacked by Cromwell’s forces Reels dating from 1848, rods, game licences, in 1650, the Rock of Dunamaise is one of the traps, hatching pens, boats, books, pictures great monuments and fortresses of Ireland. and flies all form part of the collection. Situated on the Portlaoise / Stradbally road, the Rock of Dunamaise offers breathtaking views of County Laois. Today, the Rock of Mountmellick Museum Dunamaise is managed by the State. Mountmellick, County Laois + 353 (0) 57 8624525 |[email protected] www.mountmellickdevelopment.com The main focus of the Museum is to conserve and display original pieces of Mountmellick Work (Embroidery) and to protect the memory of Mountmellick’s rich Quaker industrial past. Stradbally Steam Museum The Museum is situated on the banks of the river Stradbally, County Laois Owenass giving visitors a chance to glimpse +353 (0)57 8641878 / (0)86 1258813 at the inspiration behind the designs used. www.irishsteam.ie The museum houses many steam, fire and farm engines. These include a Land Rover Fire Engine, which was stationed at Stradbally fire station in approximately 1950. A Guinness loco engine is also displayed, which was used around the streets near the Guinness Brewery, in Dublin over fifty years ago and there is even a home-made steam tractor. The Irish Steam Preservation Society holds its Steam Rally here during the August Bank Holiday. The Stradbally Hall Narrow Gauge Railway is the longest established steam powered narrow gauge railway in Ireland. The railway runs on bank holidays, and on request 3 OUR PAST 07 OUR PLEASURE Monastic Sites Timahoe Round Tower Aghaboe Abbey Timahoe, County Laois Aghaboe, County Laois +353 (0) 57 8664132 +353 (0) 57 8664132 Timahoe is a complete tower, though without Founded by St Canice in the sixth century, floors or ladders. It has one of the finest four- Aghaboe Abbey is the site of four different order Romanesque Doorways in Ireland, it phases of Christian life in Ireland. Visitors can is elaborately carved and decorated with also see the tree covered remains of a Norman interlace, human heads, chevrons and capitals. Motte nearby. Admission Free. It is unique in round tower architecture. Killeshin Monastery Killeshin, County Laois +353 (0) 57 8664132 Killeshin is an important mediaeval monastery and the centre of learning and culture since early Christian times. The beautifully carved 5th century Hiberno- Romanesque doorway on the 12th century church is one of the finest in the country. OUR PAST 07 OUR PLEASURE Castle Durrow Durrow, County Laois +353 (0)57 8736555 | [email protected] www.castledurrow.com Between 1713 and 1732, the Flower Family, Viscounts Ashbrook, built Castle Durrow, one of the great houses of Ireland. In the mid- 1990s, Castle Durrow was renovated into a fine country house hotel. Today visitors can wander through the walled organic garden, where a number of old apple trees still produce. Perennial borders adorn the outside of the walled garden and the terraces. An 18th century pleasure garden of conifers, including a monkey puzzle, leads to a magnificent Houses, Castles & Gardens copper beech. Ballaghmore Castle A path along the river joins the ‘Leafy Loops,’ Borris-in-Ossory, County Laois a series of walks through Durrow’s scenic +353 (0) 505 21453 countryside which run along the Erkina river. www.castleballaghmore.com Along here bluebells and wild garlic grow under [email protected] the trees, which were planted in Victorian times. The walk ends behind the Church of Situated between Roscrea and Borris-in-Ossory, Ireland graveyard where the original castle Ballaghmore Castle was built in 1480 by the owners the Ashbrooks are buried. Gaelic Chieftain Mac Giollaphadraig (now called Fitzpatrick). Ballaghmore Castle is a Open during daylight hours, except from unique and beautiful place, and is the perfect Christmas until mid-January. setting for a relaxing rural break in luxurious and historic surroundings next to a sixteenth century manor guest house. Ballaghmore Castle is located on the N7 between Borris-in- Ossory and Roscrea. OUR PAST 07 OUR PLEASURE Heywood Gardens Emo Court House & Gardens Ballinakill, County Laois Emo, Portlaoise, County Laois +353 (0)57 8733563 | [email protected] +353 (0)57 8626573 | [email protected] www.opw.ie www.opw.ie The centrepiece of the gardens is the Lutyens Emo Court demesne is the second largest Garden designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, dating walled park in Europe, after the Phoenix Park from 1912. A pond with turtle fountains is in Dublin. The parkland with formal lawns, surrounded by a range of plants. From the mature trees and a nursery lake all located elliptical, sunken garden, a hidden staircase against the backdrop of Emo Court, a neo- leads to a series of “rooms” which are divided classical mansion designed in 1790 by James by Taxus baccata hedging. A pleached lime Gandon. alley planted leads from the Lutyens Garden to the Upper Terrace, where there are Alliums, At the front of the house the Wellingtonia wild rose, Erinus alpinus, hardy cyclamen, Avenue runs for 1 mile. It is named after the and Kniphofia. Nearby the Pergola has been Sequoiadendron giganteum, which line recently planted with Hydrangeas, Wisteria, it. Behind the house the arboretum covers and Fuchsia. Along this drive visitors can admire approximately 20 acres. Here grass pathways the exterior of the partially restored Orangery, meander through an impressive variety of the Sham Castle and the old window. The trees such as the Bhutan Pine, the Tulip Tree landscape also includes the woodland of (Liriodendron Tulipefera) the Handkerchief ancient oaks and beech, an obelisk, Claude’s Tree (Davidia involucrata) and cedars. Also Seat and the bath house.