The Old Fort Quarter Festival 2025 will commence at 6.30pm on Thursday evening in Portlaoise Library with the launch of a 3-D video of the Old Fort, commissioned by Laois Heritage Office. History and technology collide to great effect, allowing us to view the Old Fort as it was and how it fits into the...Read More

Historian Cormac Moore will provide a talk based on his recent publication of the same title. His book provides a comprehensive account of how the Irish Revolution affected all sections of society in Laois and how its effects reverberated for years thereafter. It explores how Laois experienced seismic national events – the third home rule crisis, the First...Read More

David Broderick’s talk, based on his book of the same title, will explore the mystery behind the fate of Henry Ogle, the first master of Portumna Poor Law Union, who absconded from the workhouse in 1864, leaving it in a precarious financial position.   The life and crimes of Henry Ogle is an almost unbelievable...Read More