The Laois Heritage Trail offers an extensive tour of the County of Laois which would be of interest to anyone – tourist or local!
Click Here to view the Laois Heritage Trail Map and read more about the Heritage Trail and the new, free app here
Blog
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Laois Mapping Now Online!
Laois.ie now hosts a new mapping section! The application contains a variety of maps that may be of interest foranything from Administrative boundaries to playground locations, heritage trails to national monuments. Click Here to try it out or use the Laois Mapping link in the menu
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Report Litter the Simple Way – See It? Say It!
The See It? Say It! App makes it really easy to report environmental pollution with the GPS location and a photo submitted at the touch of a button. We hope that you will use the App’s simple reporting methods to protect the environment throughout the County of Laois and it’s surrounds.
If you spot environmental pollution or dumping, open the App, take a photograph, add a few simple details including your contact details, and submit the complaint. The app will send the GPS coordinates and will make it easy for those investigating to locate the problem. This will allow our Environment section to follow up on the complaint.
- Download the See It? Say It! App on iTunes or Google Play
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Laois Business Awards 2017
Laois County Council in association with the Laois Local enterprise Office is delighted to announce the Laois Business Awards 2017. The event which is being sponsored by AIB, will be held in The Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise on Friday 28th April 2017. The purpose of the awards is to recognise the innovation, diversity and talent of business across all sectors in County Laois.
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Heritage Council funding available in 2017
The Heritage Council is offering three grant schemes in 2017. An outline of the grant schemes is available now, to give groups more time to plan projects. The full application forms will be available online from March 1st 2017. You must submit your application online (including supporting documents) by 5pm on March 24th 2017.Schemes available are:- Community Heritage Grants Scheme
- Grant Scheme for Museum Standards Programme of Ireland Participants (MSPI)
- Thatch Conservation Grant Scheme
16th Century Map of Fort Protector. A Conservation Plan for the fort at the historic centre of Portlaoise was supported by the Heritage Council in 2016
Guidelines for Applicants
Broadly speaking, the information required is:- A clear description of your project
- How you believe the project will benefit heritage and people and your local community
- A breakdown of the costs associated with the project
- Documents such as maps, photographs, diagrams or drawings for example, will usually be required for projects.
Getting Started
If you have an idea for a project, please contact us for information and advice. The national network of Heritage Officers has a great depth of expertise, knowledge ‒ and interest ‒ and will be happy to provide guidance and help in identifying useful resources that might help with your application. A full list of Heritage Officers is here.Have a look at previously funded projects, to get an idea of the type of project likely to be successful. Bear in mind however that the criteria may change slightly from year to year. The full criteria for this year’s Community Grant Scheme, including which project types are excluded, are here.
The Lea Castle Conservation Group received Heritage Council funding for geophysical research around the medieval site in 2016. Picture: Alf Harvey 
Have you checked your Well Water supply?
Make sure the water from your well is clean and uncontaminated to protect your family’s health.
Information about checking your Well Water
Transition to New Library Management System – Sierra
Laois County Library Service Transition to new national National Library Management System (Sierra)
All branch libraries will close at 5pm on Tuesday 21st February
and will re-open at 2pm on Thursday 23rd February to facilitate transition to Sierra.
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We’d love your feedback!
We appreciate any feedback you would like to give us about www.laois.ie in general. Please feel free to tell us any issues you may be having with the site, improvements you’d like to see and any feedback you may have in general.
Temporary Closure of the Linear Park Portlaoise
Temporary Closure of the Linear Park
Portlaoise, Co Laois
The Linear Park will be closed from Monday 20th February to Friday 24th February to allow for repair work to the pedestrian Footbridge over the river Triogue
We regret any inconvenience caused. Please contact Laois County Council (057)86 64000 if you have any queries regarding same.
LAOIS COUNTY COUNCIL
“In Partnership with the Community”
Forgotten Archaeological Monuments Wanted
Heritage Council launches 2017 Adopt a Monument Scheme
Thursday 2 February: The Heritage Council has today issued a call for communities to nominate the forgotten and lonely monuments in their community, that are desperately in need of care and attention, under the 2017 Adopt a Monument Scheme.
Aimed at empowering communities to become actively involved in the conservation and interpretation of their local archaeological and heritage sites, the Heritage Council is looking for four monuments to join the scheme for 2017.
Ireland’s landscapes, cities, towns and villages are dotted with an incredible variety of heritage sites, ranging from prehistoric tombs or stone circles, early monasteries, medieval walled towns, mighty castles, churches and graveyards and landed estates to industrial and agricultural heritage.
“The Adopt a Monument Scheme offers communities expertise, mentoring and support to help them to care for their local heritage, work collaboratively to develop and understand the story of their locality”, commented Ian Doyle, Head of Conservation at The Heritage Council. “For the monuments, the scheme has the potential to ensure ongoing maintenance and care, and greater protection through increased civic value, and much higher standards of interpretation and knowledge. Ireland has some of the finest archaeology in Europe and to date we have not really understood how valuable a resource this is”.
Last year six sites across Ireland were chosen to take part in the Scheme. They ranged from Anglo-Norman motte fortifications, a seventeenth century church, a stone fort, industrial heritage and a handball alley. Training and assistance in recording, understanding and surveying these sites was provided to the community groups that adopted them. “While spaces are limited this year, we want to hear from groups who would like to play a leading role in conserving a local monument that they feel passionate about”, added Doyle.
The Adopt a Monument Scheme is managed by Abarta Heritage on behalf of The Heritage Council.
The closing date for applications is 19th February 2017. To apply or for more information log on to http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/projects/adopt-a-monument
Free Internet in Mountmellick Library
Mountmellick Library now has a Happy Hour on internet. From 10-11am every morning, library members can get a free 15 minute internet session. For more information about our events and promotions, follow us on Facebook or check out our Events Page.
Grants for conservation of historic buildings
Grants are now available for the conservation of historic buildings in Laois. Two grant schemes are available:
- The Structures at Risk Fund, for buildings in imminent danger of collapse
- The Built Heritage Investment Scheme, for more routine conservation works.
The closing date for both schemes is 28th February. Buildings must be either on the Record of Protected Structures or within an Architectural Conservation Area to be eligible for funding.
All Saints Church, Ballinakill The schemes are funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Rural, Regional and Gaeltacht Affairs. Full details of the schemes including application forms are available here.
