Port Laoise or Portlaoise is the county town in the South Midlands of County Laois, Ireland. There are lots of tourist attractions in Portlaoise making it an ideal place to visit every year.
READ MORE: Best Hotels In Portlaoise.
This town is gaining popularity as one of the best day trips from Dublin and it’s also a perfect stopover for anyone driving between Dublin and Limerick.
if you happen to stop by in this city, here are the top things to do in Portlaoise.
Things you'll find in this article
Things To Do In Portlaoise (For 2024)
1. Rock Of Dunamase
The Rock of Dunamase is a popular historic attraction overlooking the valley of the O’Moores. The ruin is just a few of the remains of the original structure of the castle that was all destroyed some 200 years after it was built in the 12th century.
It was the location of an early Christian settlement known as Dun Masc and later became an important Anglo-Norman fortification.
Address: Dunamaise, Carlow Road, Portlaoise, County Laois
Opening Hours: open all hours
Admission Fee: free
Phone: +353 (0) 57 8664129
2. Portlaoise Farmers Market
Portlaoise Farmers Market produce fresh local goods such as fruit and vegetables, cakes, cheese and jams directly from the farmers and producers.
Address: Market Square, Portlaoise, Laois, Republic of Ireland
Opening Hours: 10am to 3pm every Friday
Admission Fee: free
Phone: +353 87 9458458
Email: mandylowry19@hotmail.com
3. Treacys The Heath
Treacy’s Pub is one of Ireland’s oldest traditional pubs that offer delicious bar food. The pub is of Portlaoise best-known landmarks, famed for its quality food, golden straw-thatched roof, and unique character.
A visit to Treacy’s promises you a unique experience whether it’s for a quick lunch or dinner in the restaurant or a pint of Guinness in the bar which is over 200 years old.
Address: Greatheath, Portlaoise, Co.Laois, R32 X803, Ireland
Opening Hours: daily from 8am to 9pm
Admission Fee: free
Phone: +353 57 864 6539
Email: info@treacys.ie
4. Poet’s Cottage
This replica thatched cottage gives visitors a sense of what daily life must have been like for most people in rural Ireland in the 1800s.
Although the cottages in Ireland evolved over centuries, it maintained the absolute simplicity of Irish cottages and this is what makes these cottages beautiful.
The stone walls and thatched roofs look completely at home in the countryside.
Address: Camross, Portlaoise, Ireland
Opening Hours: 10am to 5pm daily
Admission Fee: none
Phone: (057) 86 64000
5. Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum
The Donaghmore Famine Workhouse Museum is well worth a visit. The visit is through a guided tour and is very reasonably priced. It aims to tell the story of the families who lived and died within the Famine Workhouse walls before, during and after the Great Famine.
Address: Ballyhegadon Glebe, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday from 11am to 5pm
Admission Fee: Family €10.00, Adult €5.00, O.A.P/Students €3.00
Phone: +353 86 829 6685
Email: info@donaghmoremuseum.com
6. Hire a bicycle in M Kavanagh Bicycle Hire
There are a lot of things to explore from the 800-year-old hilltop castle ruins at Dunamase to the natural beauty of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
Slieve Bloom is a cyclist’s paradise as cyclists will find quiet lanes, gentle, challenging slopes and new mountain bike trail planned for the Slieve Blooms.
M Kavanagh Bicycle Hire provides both locals and visitors to Portlaoise, County Laois, the opportunity to rent a bike and explore the surrounding area.
Address: Railway Street, Portlaoise, Laois, Republic of Ireland
Opening Hours: 8am to 5pm
Admission Fee: rent is depending on the length. Call in advance to verify.
Phone: +353 57 8621357
7. Portlaoise Golf Club
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Your vacation is not complete without hitting a golf course at least. Portlaoise Golf Club is one of the finest 18 hole parkland courses in Laois. The golf course is situated on the site of the original Maryborough Golf Club which dates back to the 1800s.
Address: Abbeyleix Rd, Meelick
Opening Hours: 24/7
Admission Fee: For rates, click here.
Phone: +353-57-8661557
Email: portlaoisegolfclub@gmail.com
8. Dunamase Antiques
Dunamase Antiques is located right in the heart of Portlaoise town. It’s only a small shop but the amount of stuff is spectacular and the prices are reasonable. Highly recommended for anyone looking for anything from a small gift for both women and men to large furniture.
Address: 60 Main Street
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 am – 5.30 pm
Admission Fee: free
Phone: 0857657206
Email: info@dunamaseantiques.com
Planning a visit to Portlaoise and don’t know where to stay yet? You can check out this guide for the best hotels to stay in Portlaoise.
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15 Best Hotels in Portlaoise, Ireland - Ireland Travel Guides
Monday 26th of July 2021
[…] where you can find an 800-year old hilltop castle in Dunamase, historical sites, parks, and lots of things to do. Portlaoise is definitely a great addition to your Ireland […]