Portlaoise
Port Laoise (older spelling Port Laoighise; former name Maryborough), is the county town of County Laois (formerly Queen's County) in the midlands of the Republic of Ireland. The name is Irish for "Fort of Laois", and properly pronounced /pɔrtˈliʃə/; however, a partially anglicised pronunciation as "Port Laois" (say 'Port Leash') is common. The population in 2006 was 14,275.
History
The present town originated as a settlement around the old fort, 'Fort of Leix' or 'Fort Protector', the remains of which can still be seen in the town centre. Its construction began in 1548 under the supervision of the then Lord Deputy Sir Edward Bellingham in an attempt to secure English control in the county following the exile of native Celtic chieftains the previous year. The fort's location on rising ground, surrounded to the south and east by the natural defensive barricades of the River Triogue and an esker known locally as 'the Ridge', greatly added to its strategic importance.
The town proper was established by an act of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary in 1557. It was renamed Maryborough, and the county of Laois was renamed Queen's County, in Mary's honour. The following year, the fort was garrisoned in response to the threat posed by the O'Mores, the native chieftains of Laois; for the next fifty or so years, they waged a continual, low-scale war of aggression against the inhabitants of the town, who were mostly English in origin.
In 1570, a charter of [[Elizabeth I of England|Queen Elizabeth I] raised the town to the rank of borough. This allowed the establishment of a Corporation of the Borough, a body which consisted of a burgomaster, two bailiffs, a town clerk, and a sergeant at arms, as well as various other officers, burgesses and freemen. Until the Act of Union in 1801 and the abolition of its franchise, the town returned two members to the Irish Parliament. The Corporation itself existed until 1830.
Local government
Portlaoise Town Council is an elected local government body, and mandated under the Local Government Act 2001 to provide civic leadership and a forum for the democratic representation of the community. Responsibilities include amenity support, operation of the Litter Act, contribution to tourism development, event licensing, arts support, etc.
The Town Council executive comprises nine elected Councillors, headed by the Town mayor. The current mayor or Port Laoise is Rotimi Adebari. An Independent member of the city council, Adebari escaped religious persecution in Nigeria, sought asylum in Ireland in 2000, and is the first black mayor in the country[1] [2].
Portlaoise is twinned with Coulounieix-Chamiers in the Dordogne département of France.
Transport & communications
Portlaoise stands at a major crossroads in the Irish roads (major roads to Dublin, Limerick, Cork) network although construction in recent years of the M7 motorway, which bypasses the town, has reduced traffic congestion in the town centre.
The town has a railway station served by intercity trains between Dublin and Cork and by Dublin commuter services.
Local economy
The town is a major commercial, retail, and arts centre for the midlands. It is home to Ireland's maximum-security Portlaoise Prison, which houses the majority of paramilitary prisoners sentenced in the Republic, and to the Midlands Prison. Both establishments are major employers in the town. The prison has recently undergone redevelopment.
There are also several hundred employed in the Department of Agriculture in the town. This is expected to increase further under the governments planned decentralisation of government departments from Dublin.
The National Spatial Strategy for Ireland has identified Portlaoise as an ideal location for an inland port. This designation encourages the town to focus on the growth of distribution, logistics and warehouse uses, which ties in well with its strong transport connections.
The town also has a large and growing commuter population availing of the rail and motorway connections to Dublin.
Tourism
Significant nearby local tourist sites include the ruins of an 800 year old hill-top castle at Dunamaise, a large Georgian estate home and surrounding gardens at Emo, and the Slieve Bloom Mountains & Forest Park. The old jail has been transformed into an arts centre(Dunamase theatre and Cafe Latte). Nearby is the Rock of Dunamase, an ancient Celtic fortification, allegedly recorded by Ptolemy in the 1st century. Also nearby are Emo Court, an 18th century country house designed by James Gandon; Ballyfin House, now a school; and Mountmellick, the site of a notable Georgian square.
People
It is the hometown of footballers Ian Fitzgerald, Colm Parkinson and aviation pioneer James Fitzmaurice.