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Laois is an inland county to the south-west of County Kildare. It forms part of the central plain, though the Slieve Bloom Mountains (Highest point Arderin, 1,734 feet) are a prominent feature in the north-west of the county.
There is much interest and beauty in the quiet by-ways of this area, away from the main roads that lead from Dublin to Limerick and Cork. Sporting attractions include fishing, hunting, shooting and golf. Laois (pronounced LEASH) is another of Ireland's 12 land-locked counties. "The Turf Board", have for the past 50 years harvested the bog land in this area, stripping the wet turf in thin layers, drying it and using the turf for the production of Briquettes, a modern day version of 'sods of turf'. This is Ireland's prime source of fuel for fireplace/cooking/electricity generation, Portlaoise and Portarlington are the two main towns, which though far from the sea, were actual ports for the barges that plied the Canals linking Dublin and the rest of Ireland, before the railways were built. |
