Heritage Week promises to take the country by storm again this year – and there are a host of activities around Laois, beginning on August 18 and running until August 26.
There is something for everyone, whether you’re into wildlife or enjoy a good play, there won’t be a dull moment.
The ever popular event touches all corners of Laois and is a wonderful way to appreciate the beautiful scenery, rich history and talented people of the county.
All of the events shown here are free of charge unless stated otherwise.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18
Waterways for Wildlife
When: 11am
Where: Vicarstown Hall (Old Schoolhouse)
Organizer: Irish Wildlife Trust
Description: Explore the wildlife of the Grand Canal Barrow Line. Combining an indoor presentation and canal side fieldtrip, you will learn how to identify and record the biodiversity found along the canal. This event will provide training in bee and butterfly identification and canal natural heritage recording. We will survey a section of the canal for native trees, aquatic life, pollinators, and other wildlife.
Dress for the outdoors. Funded by Waterways Ireland and Laois County Council.
Coins and Measurements for Children
When: From 11am – 2pm
Where: Mountmellick Library
Organizer: Mountmellick Heritage Society
Description: Children’s Interactive Event: Why and how is a horse measured in hands? What do you get if you add a penny, a farthing and shilling? Children, parents, grandparents are all welcome.
Bat Walk
When: From 8:30pm – 10:00pm
Where: The Green, Timahoe
Organizer: Laois Heritage Office and Kildare Bat Group
Description: See and hear the bats of Timahoe, using bat detectors, and learn about how they live and why they’re important, from Kildare Bat Group.
“What Good is Looking Well When You’re Rotten on the Inside?” by Emma O’Grady
When: 8:00pm
Where: Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise
Description: One month before his death, retired civil servant and man of few words Paddy O’Grady had a sudden urge to talk. Using a cassette tape recorder, he recorded hours of absurdist stories and musings on life. Now, Paddy’s granddaughter (Emma O’Grady from Mountrath) has created a show that examines the fragile personas we present to the world with this charming meditation on wasted creativity and emotional inheritance.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19
Family Nature Walk
When: From 11:00am – 1:00pm
Where: Garryhinch Woods
Organizer: Irish Wildlife Trust Laois-Offaly Branch
Description: A family nature walk & talk in Garryhinch Woods between Portarlington and Mountmellick. Led by the volunteers of the Badger Club of the Irish Wildlife Trust Laois-Offaly Branch.
Beekeeping Demonstration
When: From 12:00pm – 2:00 pm
Where: Emo Court
Organizer: Office of Public Works/Dunamaise Beekeepers
Description: A family nature walk & talk in Garryhinch Woods between Portarlington and Mountmellick. Led by the volunteers of the Badger Club of the Irish Wildlife Trust Laois-Offaly Branch.
Emo Court Nature Walk
When: From 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Where: Emo Court car park
Organizer: Laois Outdoor Education
Description: For Heritage Week take a walk on the wild side at Emo Court. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the carpark in Emo Court.
Dress for the weather!
Industrial Steam and Vintage Trains
When: From 12pm – 4pm
Where: Stradbally Woodland Railway, Stradbally Hall, Main St Stradbally
Organizer: Stradbally Railway
Description: Our Steam locomotive built for Bord na Mona in 1949 will be hauling train trips around our 1km line at Stradbally Hall. Vintage diesel locomotives and wagons from Ireland’s turf industry will also be on display. Picnic tables and viewing area allow families to enjoy a snack while watching Industrial heritage come alive.
Historic Portlaoise Tour
When: From 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Outside County Hall, Portlaoise
Organizer: Laois Heritage Society
Description: A walk through the secret history of Portlaoise, with Michael Parsons. We will explore the hidden history of Portlaoise, from the 16th century Fort Protector at the origin of the town, to the development of the streetscapes, and the history of the buildings, families and characters of the area.
The Heath – Prehistoric Connections
When: From 6pm – 7.30pm
Where: Heath, Portlaoise (meet at Heath National School)
Organizer: Gort Archaeology
Description: A walking tour of the Heath, Portlaoise, with Archaeologist Eoin Sullivan. Spot the humps and bumps and learn what they can tell us about our prehistoric past. The terrain on this walking tour is medium to rough, on relatively flat but uneven ground. Please bring suitable footwear and rain jacket.
Launch of Timahoe Conservation Plan
When: From 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Timahoe Heritage Centre
Organizer: Laois Heritage Office
Description: Launch of Conservation Plan for the Monastic site at Timahoe, written by Margaret Quinlan Conservation Architect in partnership with Timahoe Development Association.
MONDAY, AUGUST 20
Forest fun for families
When: From 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Where: Emo Park Woods
Organizer: Reconnect with Nature
Description: Forest school inspired fun for families: games, crafts and activities exploring nature together. Aimed at families with children aged 5-12, but all ages welcome. Spaces limited. Booking required.
Talking Towns Talk and Townscape Art Exhibiton
When: From 1:15pm – 2pm
Where: Irish Architectural Archive, 45, Merrion Square, Dublin 2
Organizer: Laois Arts Office & Irish Architectural Archive
Description: Members of the team from the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2018,will discuss their installation “Free Market”, which highlights the possibility in the common spaces of Ireland’s market towns. Small town market places, once the economic and social hubs of rural Ireland, have undergone fundamental change and many have seen their function as places of exchange and congregation diminished. Mountmellick Co Laois is among 10 towns explored in the installation. Supported by Creative Ireland Laois. Tour of exhibition “Townscape” by artist Mary Burke after the talk.
Women in the Woods
When: From 6:30pm – 8:30 pm
Where: Emo Park Woods
Organizer: Reconnect with Nature
Description: An evening of nature connection activities for women – exploring nature through games, crafts and reflective practice. Limited spaces. Please email for booking form.
Historic Map of Mountmellick
When: From 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Where: Mountmellick Library
Organizer: Laois Heritage Office
Description: Talk on the historic maps of Mountmellick and area, by Dr Arnold Horner, who has been researching the maps of Laois, and writing a book on Laois Historic Maps, due out later this year.
Young Yarns with Micheal Creagh
When: From 8:00pm – 10:15pm
Where: Rathdowney Library
Organizer: Rathdowney Library
Description: Join storyteller Michael Creagh for a night of music, poetry and storytelling by local young people on the theme of ‘My Home Place.’ Participants can tell a story, read a poem or sing a song, either their own composition or a favourite borrowed from another. Sausages and colcannon will be served.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21
Family Nature Walk
When: From 11:00am – 12:30pm
Where: The park/Kiln Lane Mountrath
Organizer: Kiln Lane residents
Description: Family nature around the estate and surrounding area. All welcome, refreshments provided after in the community building Kiln Lane.
Talk on Glenbarrow by Tom Joyce
When: From 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: Mountmellick Library
Organizer: Mountmellick Library
Description: Join local artist Tom Joyce for a talk on Glenbarrow, a source of inspiration for much of his artwork.
The Dipper, in its Natural Habitat
When: From 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Where: Castletown Bridge
Organizer: Birdwatch Ireland Laois Branch
Description: Join BirdWatch Ireland to observe these beautiful river birds in their natural habitat along the Nore in Castletown, and check for ringed birds at their roost. Part of an ongoing research and conservation project.
The Folklore of County Laois
When: From 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: Abbeyleix Heritage House
Organizer: Abbeyleix Heritage Company
Description: Learn about the folklore of Abbeyleix and Laois as we delve into the National Folklore archive. In the 1930s, the Irish Folklore Commission sought to record the folklore and traditions of Ireland. From old cures to ancient proverbs, the records illuminate our past and remind us of the values and beliefs that have shaped Ireland of today.
Violence Ridicule and Silence
When: From 8:00pm – 9:30pm
Where: Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise
Organizer: Laois Heritage Society
Description: Violence, ridicule and silence: the archives of women’s votes, 1918- 2018: Exploration of the archives and records that allow understanding of this critical period in our history. Everyone has a story, but not everyone’s story gets told. For much of Irish women’s history, this is because the archival evidence has been lost. The talk will focus on lesser-known archival evidence for the struggle for the female vote in 1918.
Dr Jane Maxwell is curator of a TCD exhibition on female suffrage.
Straw Craft for Adults
When: From 11:00am – 2:00pm
Where: Portlaoise Library
Description: This workshop with Melanie Lorien combines hands on straw craft making with an exploration of the traditions and folklore associated with the harvest.
Melanie is a member of the International Guild of Straw Craftsman and their representative in Ireland. She regularly demonstrates at The National Museum of Country Life and other heritage events around the country. Melanie is also an organic gardener and a former Woodland Conservation Ranger. Booking required.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22
Mountmellick Embroidery Workshop
When: 2:00 pm
Where: Mountmellick Embroidery Museum
Description: Workshop on Mountmellick Embroidery by Master Practitioners of the craft.
The Wolfhill Coalmine Project
When: 7 pm – 9 pm
Where: Dunamaise Arts Centre
Organizer: Wolfhill Coalmine Project
Description: Wolfhill miners and their way of life. A collaborative mixed-media exhibition preserving the memories and stories of Wolfhill miners, with contributions from David Delaney, Ciara Drennan, Pauline Mc Evoy, Stephen Murphy, Jayne Louise Kelly and Joseph Kavanagh. The exhibition is open through Heritage Week, with a special reception on Wednesday 22nd at 7pm.
‘On Raglan Road’
When: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Portlaoise Library
Organizer: Portlaoise Library
Description: Gerard Hanberry introduces the great Irish love songs and the women who inspired them. Enjoy an evening of stories and songs as Gerry combines live performances of well known Irish love songs with engaging
biographies of the songwriters and their muses.
Straw Craft for Children
Description: Join Melanie Lorien will for a hands-on workshop on straw craft, helping children to make a good luck charm and a gift for someone special.
Melanie brings customs and traditions to life as children learn how to make straw items and examine a large collection of unusual straw objects from around the world. Booking required.
10:30am – 12:30pm – Mountrath Library
2:30pm – 4:30pm – Mountmellick Library
Genealogy Clinic in the Library
Description: Would you like to do your family tree but don’t know where to start? Have you started your family tree but need helping moving forward with your research?
If so, the Genealogy Clinic could be for you. Book in for a free 30-minute, one-to-one advice clinic with library staff, who will provide guidance and pointers on your specific research problems.
August 21, 10am-1pm – Mountmellick Library
August 22, 10am-1pm – Portlaoise Library
August 24, 10am-1pm – Abbeyleix Library
Irish History Live
Description: Michael Moylan brings history to life with costumes and artefacts of historic periods. Booking required.
August 21
11am-12noon – Mountmellick Library
2pm-3pm- Mountrath Library
5:30pm-6.30 pm – Stradbally Library
August 22
11am-12noon – Abbeyleix Library
3pm-4pm – Rathdowney Library
August 23
11am-12noon – Portarlington Library
3pm-4pm – Portlaoise Library
Naturally Wild with Dale Treadwell
Description: Dale Treadwell reads from his books ‘Harry the Hedgehog’ and ‘Robby the Robin’ and explores lots of Irish wildlife. You might even meet some in person! Suitable for children aged 6-12 years.
10:00am – 11:00 am – Portarlington Library
12:00pm – 1:00 pm – Mountmellick Library
3:00pm – 4:00 pm – Abbeyleix Library
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23
Guided Walking Tour of Abbeyleix
When: 10:00 am – 11:30 am and 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Where: Abbeyleix Heritage House
Organizer: Abbeyleix Heritage Company
Description: A terrace of houses modelled on a Crimean Palace, a pub from the 1700s, site of the Titanic carpet factory, over 60 historic listed buildings; Abbeyleix has it all! Hear the stories of the town and share your own as we take a stroll back in time.
Tour of Landlord’s Georgian House
When: 10am – 4pm
Where: Mount St. Anne’s, Killenard
Organizer: Elizabeth Maxwell
Description: A Guided Tour of the house and walled gardens built by Landlord Edward Randal Skeffington-Smith in 1820 will help visitors appreciate the beautiful architectural heritage which is part of the legacy of the great houses of Laois.
Today the house is a Retreat and Conference Centre and welcomes local, national and international guests. Once derelict stables have been converted into a Heritage Centre.
Sharing Our Story of Dance
Description: Sharing our story of dance and connecting Irish set dancers with a group of set dancers from Provence, France. Dance instruction by Maureen Culleton each day, from 10am to 1.30pm with a break for tea, coffee and home made scones. Cost is €10 per day.
Organizer: Maureen Culleton
Where: An Sean Chistin, Irey, Ballyfin
August 23 – 10am – 1.30pm
August 24 – 10am – 1.30pm
August 25 – 10am – 1.30pm
August 26 – 10am – 1.30pm
Tales of a Small Estate
When: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: Castlewood Farm shop, Durrow
Organizer: Dominic Leonard
Description: Join Dominic and Alison – owners of Castlewood organic farm – for an informal talk about the people and stories of Castlewood through the ages while enjoying a stroll around the picturesque farm.
The DNA Atlas of Ireland
When: 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Portlaoise Library
Organizer: Portlaoise Library
Description: Talk by Edmund Gilbert on the DNA Atlas of Ireland, a collaborative study of the historic DNA of the Irish population by the RCSI and the Genealogical Society of Ireland.
Are you a Gael, a Celt, a Viking or British? According to a new study, it may depend on where you live in Ireland. The first genetic map of the Irish reveals geographic clusters that reflect the impact of immigration, invasion, and plantation.
Stradbally Hall in the 18th Century
When: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: Stradbally Library
Organizer: Stradbally Library
Description: A talk by Clair McDonald on the 18th century’s profound impact on the landscape of the Cosby Estate, as viewed from the diverse perspectives of the owners, tenants, cartographers and visitors.
County Laois Swift Survey 2018
When: 8pm-9pm
Where: Portlaoise Parish Centre
Organizer: Birdwatch Ireland
Description: Join BirdWatch Ireland to hear the preliminary results of the 2018 Laois Swift Survey. The survey, supported by the Heritage Council, has identified Swift nest locations throughout the county, and options for Swift conservation in the future will be discussed.
A Talk on Rathdaire House
When: 8pm-9.30pm
Where: Midlands Park Hotel Portlaoise
Organizer: Laois Heritage Society
Description: An architectural and historic appraisal of Rathadair House in Co. Laois by Mairtin D’Alton
Lea Castle Conservation Update
When: 8-9pm
Where: Portarlington Library
Organizer: Lea Castle Conservation
Description: The Lea Castle Conservation Project Working Group are delighted to give a public update on the work, with presentation by leading historical author, John Stocks Powell.
In Search of the Pine Martin
When: 8:00pm
Where: The Forum Mountmellick
Organizer: Mountmellick Heritage Society
Description: A five year photographic project at Lower Forest bog Mountmellick, by Paul Lalor culminating in him receiving an Associateship from the Irish Photographic Federation. Paul will tell his story from the beginning in 2013 up to receiving his award in 2018. This will be of interest to all with an interest in nature or photography.
Kid’s Shipwreck Dig
When: 11:00am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Abbeyleix Heritage House
Organizer: Abbeyleix Heritage Company
Description: Sift, search and dig through the sand to discover the history buried beneath our feet! Children aged 6-12 will become archaeologists and excavate a shipwreck site in search of buried treasure!
What will you discover?
Heritage Cycle Rally 2018
Sunset of the Rock of Dunamase
Whiskey tasting evening
Farm and Brewery tour
Description: Come and hear the stories of Ballykilcavan on a farm tour including a look at the new on-farm brewery that will open soon. Come and hear about the rebellious gardener, the fairy curse, the drunken councillors and the hangman’s tree, and enjoy a tour of the 18th century stone farmyards and 19th century walled garden. It’s a farm and outdoors, so good footwear is recommended.
MUSEUMS, OPEN DAYS AND EXHIBITIONS
Description: Free tours of Emo Court with Guides in Historical Costume. Visit the “Unravelling Laois” Exhibition during Heritage week and collect a Laois passport to many interesting sites.
Story of Mountmellick Embroidery
“Unravelling” Laois
Where: Emo Court
The Wolfhill Coalmine project
When: Daily during Heritage Week, everyday from 2pm to 5pm
Where: The Forum Mountmellick
Organiser: The Forum Mountmellick
Description: An exhibition of photographs by Paul Lalor, based on a five year project at Lower Forest Bog, to capture the elusive and beautiful pine marten in photographs. Paul has recently been awarded an Associateship from the Irish Photographic Federation for his work. The exhibition tells his story from when he started up to receipt of his award in March 2018.
Nostalgia: Irish coins and measurements
Be a tourist in your own town!
Mountmellick Work exhibition
Through My Eyes: Photo exhibition
