Abbeyleix, County Laois
An image of the Main Street in Abbeyleix in County Laois
WikicommonsAbbeyleix, County Laois
Wikicommons
Wikicommons
Abbeyleix, County Laois
An image of the Main Street in Abbeyleix in County Laois
WikicommonsAbbeyleix in County Laois is a town roughly 14km from the county's main town of Portlaoise. It was founded as a town by the Viscount de Vesci in the 18th century but its history runs much deeper than that. Its name is taken from a Cistercian abbey founded here in 1183 by Conor O'More.
There is still a large number of ancient monument structures still standing in and around Abbeyleix. They include ancient ring forts, Norman castles and early monastic buildings. At one time it was famous for its carpet industry. Many carpets from the district were used in stately homes, with some of the most notable being those used on the Titanic.
John Vesey
John Vesey, who was the 2nd Viscount de Vesey decided in 1770 that the old town of Abbeyleix was an unsuitable town for his tenantry, and unlikely to prosper. He also felt that the village was too close to the River Nore which was prone to flooding. He decided to build a new town which would be a credit to his family and to the natives of Abbeyleix. What he came up with was a Planned Estate Town.