Virtual Tour of Historic Portlaoise

A virtual tour of the historic core of Portlaoise town, County Laois, led by Michael Parsons of Laois Heritage Society and the Heritage Council.
The tour looks at the foundation of the town in the 16th Century, with the construction of Fort Protector and Old St Peter's Church in advance of the Plantations of Laois and Offaly. It also explores more recent history of the town, with the arrival of the railway in the late 1800s and the development of schools associated with the Presentation Order, the Christian Brothers and the opening of Portlaoise Vocational School. The contribution to the town of Col James Fitzmaurice is also remembered.
For those who cannot visit Portlaoise, this virtual tour was recorded as part of a "Heritage Unlaoised" series of virtual tours, as part of Heritage Week 2020.