Showcasing Laois History and Heritage
An Initiative of Laois Library Service

Publications

Laois Local Studies is a reference library and research centre dedicated to the collection of material on all aspects of life in Laois. Local Studies aims to acquire all publications relating to County Laois, all publications by Laois authors and any general publications containing information on Laois.

The Laois Collection contains approximately 4,000 publications relating to the history, archaeology and topography of the county, including general histories of Laois, parish histories, local histories of Laois towns and villages, histories of landed estates and Laois heritage sites. The collection also contains publications relating to the social, political and economic life of the county including publications on Laois schools, architecture, sports clubs, businesses, historical figures, folklore, local government and much more.

The Laois Collection holds relevant local history journals, from general local histories, such as the Laois Association Yearbook and Laois Heritage Society Journal, to journals and periodicals relating to particular areas, such as the Rathdowney Review, Portarlington & Killenard Emigrant Newsletter, Missing Link, Portlaoise Parish Link Up and many more. The collection also includes unpublished works on Laois such as theses, dissertations and research projects.

Local Studies holds a large collection of reference books relating to general Irish history, providing context for the Laois Collection and valuable research supports for users of the research room. The Irish Collection includes important reference works on all aspects of Irish history, including biographical and topographical dictionaries, commercial directories, genealogical reference books, works on education, crime, medicine and government and diocesan and church histories, including works on Quakers and Huguenots.

The Irish Collections also contains many journal titles relating to archaeology, antiquities, folklore, military history and genealogy, including Béaloideas, The Irish Sword, Irish Historical Studies, Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Irish Ancestor, Irish Roots and more. Many of these journal titles and more are also available online through the library website or on the following link

https://www.jstor.org/action/showJournals?browseType=title