- Rock of Dunamase: The Rock of Dunamase, a ruined castle, was a wedding gift from a Norman lord to his Irish bride in the 12th century.
- Emo Court’s Hidden Tunnels: Emo Court, an 18th-century mansion, has underground tunnels used by servants to move unseen between buildings.
- Stradbally’s Steam Rally: Stradbally hosts Ireland’s oldest steam engine rally, held annually since 1965, showcasing vintage machinery.
- Ballyfin’s Roman Sarcophagus: Ballyfin Demesne’s gardens contain a 2nd-century Roman sarcophagus, imported as a decorative piece in the 19th century.
- Heywood Gardens’ Sunken Lawn: Heywood Gardens, designed in 1912, features a sunken lawn encircled by a turtle-shaped fountain.
- Laois’s Electric Picnic: Stradbally Estate hosts the Electric Picnic, Ireland’s largest music festival, started in 2004 with a single day.
- Timahoe’s Leaning Tower: Timahoe’s 12th-century round tower leans slightly due to unstable foundations, a rare feature among Ireland’s towers.
- Portlaoise’s Prison Fort: Portlaoise Prison, built in 1830, was originally an English military fort with star-shaped defensive walls.
- Aghaboe’s Stolen Bell: Aghaboe Abbey’s 7th-century bell was stolen in the 10th century and later recovered, now housed in a Dublin museum.
- Mountmellick’s Quaker Tapestry: Mountmellick is known for its unique white-on-white embroidery, developed by Quakers in the 19th century.
Random facts
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Laois:
Ireland’s county Laois offers a serene blend of historic sites and natural landscapes, with the Rock of Dunamase providing panoramic views from its ancient castle ruins. Emo Court’s elegant Georgian mansion and gardens offer a peaceful retreat, while the Slieve Bloom Mountains provide hiking trails through rolling hills. Laois is Ireland’s ninth smallest county by size (1,719 square km) and tenth smallest by population (91,877). Population peaked at 153,930 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 44,595 in 1966. In terms of hospitality, Laois is Ireland’s 27th most visited tourist county with around 52,000 international visitors per year.
Introduction – Adventure – Anthem – Archaeology – Attractions – Awards – Birdwatching – Camping – Castles – Churches – Contact list – Cycling – Dining – Equestrian – Festivals – Fishing – Folklore – Gardens – Golf – Graveyards – Happening – Haunted – Highest – Hiking – History – Holy Wells – Hotels – Hotels top 8 – Hunting & shooting – Instagrammable – Itineraries – Largest town – Luxury – MICE – Movies – Music – Name – New – Novelists – Off the beaten track – Poets – Pubs – Quotes – Random Facts – Restaurant Awards – Sacred Places – Saints – Songs – Spas – Sports – Sunsets – Sustainable – Things to do – Towns – Video – Villages – Walking – Wanderlist – Weddings – Wild swimming – Writers – 1837 – 1846 – 1852 – 1909 – 1955 – 1980 –
