Street Names

Lower Main Street, Portlaoise

The picture was taken at the turn of the twentieth century. The chief business of Portlaoise took place on the Main Street.

Lower Main Street, Portlaoise

The picture was taken at the turn of the twentieth century. The chief business of Portlaoise took place on the Main Street.

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Grattan Street, Portlaoise

Grattan Street, Portlaoise was originally known as Quality Row.

Grattan Street, Portlaoise

Grattan Street, Portlaoise was originally known as Quality Row.

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Portlaoise consisted principally of one long Main street, in which the chief business of the town was carried out in, with other smaller ones leading from it, along with a spacious Market Square with a turret and a clock. Below is a list of the street names in Portlaoise (Maryborough) in 1850:

Market Square.
Main Street.
Lester's Lane - Beside Bank of Ireland.
Pepper's Lane - Opposite Egans.
Well Road - current name New Road or Timahoe Road
Chapel Lane - Church Avenue.
Church Lane - Railway Street (from Main Street to old Churchyard
Church Street - Church Street (also part is known as Tower Hill
Mill Lane - Mill Lane. also Green Mill Lane
The Green Road - Coote Street to Harpurs Lane, then Green Road to Ballyfin Road
Coote Street or Green Road.
Minister's Lane - Harpurs Lane
Quality Row - Grattan Street.
Factory Lane
Tea Lane (Tay Lane) - Off Grattan Street to Bowe's factory.
Barrack Road (Old). - Old Abbeyleix Road
Stradbally Road.
Turnpike Road – Dublin Road.
Ridge Road - Ridge Road
Ridge Road.
Hackett's Lane - Railway Street from Main Street as far as O'Rourke's.
Mosse's Hill – Upper Borris Road, outside St. Paul's Primary School.
Tin Pan Alley - New Row
The Golden Croft - Area near the Railway Station was occupied by the Christian Brothers
The rampart Field - Area within the walls of the old Fort
Buttermilk Square - possibly the Lower Suare