Explore 300 years of history through local, regional and national newspapers from the British Newspaper Archive. The subscription website is now available, free of charge, in the Laois Local Studies reading room located on the first floor of the new Portlaoise Library. Offering online access to millions of pages of British and Irish newspapers from...Read More

Portlaoise Library is hosting a Local Studies coffee morning next Saturday 23rd September at 11.30 am. The intention is to bring together like-minded adults of all ages to listen and share local stories of the past, ancient and recent.Read More

Want to do your family tree but don’t know where to start? Then you should join the Portlaoise Library Genealogy Club. The Genealogy Club returns next Wednesday 20th September following its summer break. The club will meet in the Community Room of the new Portlaoise Library at 7pm. The Genealogy Club is a friendly group...Read More

The Laois Heritage Society talk for September is 'Big Houses', Divided land and the 1923 Land Act by historian Terry Dunne. The talk takes place ion Thursday 14th September at 8pm n the Midland Park HotelRead More

With National Heritage Week 2023 fast approaching its time to check out what’s happening here in Laois. This year Heritage Week will run from 12th – 20th August, with a huge range of events taking place across the county, including lots of talks and events in Laois Libraries. Children’s Events in Laois Libraries Dinosaur Show...Read More

Laois Local Studies reopened this week in its new home on Portlaoise main street. Local Studies is part of the new Portlaoise Library, a state of the art facility with a dedicated Local reading room for the Laois Collection.Read More

Laois County Council, with financial support from Creative Ireland, seeks to award grants to communities and artists working together to explore and present aspects of Laois’s heritage through varying art forms.Read More

To give a background to the history of the Old Fort Quarter and discuss the conservation process, Conservation Architect Richard McLoughlin will host a presentation ‘The History and Architecture of Fort Protector,’ in partnership with Laois Heritage Society, tonight (22nd June) at 7pm in St. Peter and Paul’s Parish Centre in Portlaoise.Read More

A Spectacular Celebration of History, Culture, and Entertainment The much-anticipated Old Fort Quarter Festival is back and ready to transport visitors to a bygone era of history, culture, and entertainment. The festival promises to be a sensational event that will captivate attendees of all ages. Set against the backdrop of Portlaoise’s historic Old Fort, this...Read More

In this episode we have moved into the summer of 1920, agrarian protest has expanded and Sinn Féin are trying to put a halter on it with a new system of Dáil courts – supplanting London’s authority while doing so. We’ll have a deep dive into two court cases from near Mountrath – one in...Read More