This is a very pleasant town in the midlands of Ireland. You are very likely to pass through on your tours of Ireland. The Cistercian Abbey, after which the town was named, has long since disappeared. But you can see clearly the work carried out by an improving...
One of Ireland’s most sumptuous houses, Ballyfin was built in 1826 by the 9th baronet Sir Charles Coote to replace a former, plainer dwelling. Most of the architectural and design work was done by Richard Morrison, a pupil of James Gandon. The sober exterior of the...
In the 6th century St Comghan founded a monastery here, which became not only a place of prayer but also a noted centre of culture and learning. The monastery was razed in the late 11th century and the present ruins date from the 12th century....
A dramatic 150ft rock outcrop crowned by the ruined walls of Masg Castle (or Dun Masg) soars above the low Laois countryside. Before the arrival of St Patrick in AD432, the rock and surrounding land were the property of the O’Moore clan chieftain Laois Ceannmor,...
In the 6th century St Comghan founded a monastery here , which became not only a place of prayer but also a noted centre of culture and learning. The monastery was razed in the 11th century and the present ruins date from the 12th century....
This is a midland county in the province of Leinster that you may pass through on tours of Ireland. It covers 664 square miles and has a population of around 60,000. It is dominated by an expanse of agricultural land , and the county is bound to...