- Abbeyleix
Infobox Irish Place
name = Abbeyleix
gaeilge = Mainistir Laoise
crest
motto =
map
pin coords = left: 53px; top: 69px
north coord = 52.8992
west coord = 7.3575
irish grid = S435850
area =
elevation = 129 m
province =Leinster
county =County Laois
town pop = 1,383
rural pop = 2,379
census yr = 2002
web =
|Abbeyleix or Abbeylaois (Irish place name|Mainistir Laoise|Laois Abbey) is a town in
County Laois , Ireland about 14 km fromPortlaoise . It is located on the N8 National Primary Route.History
Abbeyleix was founded in the 18th century as a town by
Viscount de Vesci and is situated near a 12th centuryCistercian monastery beside theRiver Nore . Today, there is a large range of historical structures still standing in and around the small village - ancient ring forts, burial grounds, early monastic buildings, Norman and mediaeval castles, churches and colonial estate houses. The town once had a carpet factory - notably producing some of the carpets used on the RMS "Titanic".There is a heritage house located in the old Patrician monastery schoolhouse which provides information on the towns history. Abbeyleix was made a Heritage town of Ireland several years ago.
Transport
Abbeyleix railway station opened on1 March 1865 , but finally closed on1 January 1963 . [cite web | title=Abbeyleix station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-08]Amenities
There is a district hospital in the town, and a number of shops and pubs. The Father Breen Park forms the nexus for a great many activities, providing fields for soccer, football and other sports, while the adjacent CYMS hall is home to numerous clubs, such as boxing and tae-kwon-do. The town boasts a newly built hotel - the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel. The hotel has recently extended to 46 bedrooms. A new state of the art conference centre is due open in early spring 2007.
Buildings of note
* Abbeyleix Market House is a 5 bay, 2 story building which was until 2005 used as a fire station and library. It has been renovated as a state of the art library/exhibition centre.
* Open once annually to the public, for local charity, are the beautiful grounds of the old de Vesci estate.
* Also of note are the heritage centre & the sensory gardens onMain Street .
* The Abbeyleix South National School is a beautiful 19th century building.Notable residents
*
Launt Thompson , (1833-1894), born in Abbeyleix, was a noted sculptor. cite book | title = Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896 | publisher = Marquis Who's Who | location=Chicago | date = 1963]port
*
Abbeyleix GAA
*TheAbbeyleix Golf Course is an 18-hole course located near the town.ee also
*List of towns in Ireland
*Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland References
External links
* [http://www.abbeyleixgolfclub.ie/ Abbeyleix Golf Club]
* [http://www.abbeyleixmanorhotel.com/ Abbeyleix Manor Hotel]
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