racetrack
Mondello Park
Ireland's only permanent motorsport circuit, located in County Kildare and the home of Irish national racing since 1968.
44 km · about 50 min drive
EuropeIrelandLeinster
Portlaoise
Leinster, Ireland · Europe
About Portlaoise
Portlaoise sits on the route: 15 minutes from Mountmellick, 56km from Clonmacnoise.
Portlaoise is in Leinster, Ireland, with about 14,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Mountmellick, about 9 km away.
Portlaoise ( port-LEESH, Irish: Port Laoise), known until 1929 as Maryborough, is the county town of County Laois, Ireland.
It is in the South Midlands in the province of Leinster.
Portlaoise was the fastest growing of the top 20 largest towns and cities in Ireland from 2011 to 2016. However, the 2022 census showsRead more
that the town's population increased by 6.6% to 23,494, which was below the national average of 8%. It is the most populous and also the most densely populated town in the Midland Region, which has a total population of 317,999 at the 2022 census.
It was an important town in the sixteenth century, as the site of the Fort of Maryborough, a fort built by English settlers during the Plantation of Queen's County.
Portlaoise is fringed by the Slieve Bloom mountains to the west and north-west and the Great Heath of Maryborough to the east. It is notable for its architecture, engineering and transport connections.
On the national road network, Portlaoise is located 94 km (58 mi) west-southwest from Dublin on the M7 motorway, 170 km (106 mi) north-east from Cork on the M8 and M7, and 114 km (71 mi) east-northeast from Limerick on the M7.
It was once known for the manufacture of iron and steel buildings, tennis balls, rubber seals, tyres, electrical cabling, and Ireland's first aircraft. Today, Portlaoise is a commercial centre with the economy dominated by the service sector, and a hub of shopping, transport, and events for the surrounding catchment.
Where to Stay in Portlaoise
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Portlaoise?
Within an hour or so of Portlaoise: Mondello Park (44 km), Clonmacnoise (56 km).
Are there any good drives near Portlaoise?
The nearest famous roads are Wicklow Gap, Sally Gap and The Vee.
Where is Portlaoise?
Portlaoise is in Leinster, Ireland, about 9 km from Mountmellick.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 13,622
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Ireland
- Region
- Leinster
- Timezone
- Europe/Dublin
- Coordinates
- 53.0344, -7.2998
Tags
Worth the detour from Portlaoise
2 notable places within an hour's drive.
ancient ruins
Clonmacnoise
Monastic city founded by St Ciarán in 544 on an esker above a bend of the Shannon: two round towers, a cathedral, high crosses and hundreds of early Christian grave slabs. Once one of Europe's great centres of learning.
56 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Portlaoise
- 60 kmWicklow GapHigh mountain pass on the R756 across the Wicklow Mountains between Hollywood and Glendalough, following the medieval pilgrims' route of St Kevin's Road through wild granite moorland.
- 64 kmThe Spinc, GlendaloughA boardwalk ridge walk high above the Upper Lake at Glendalough, climbing beside the Poulanass waterfall.
- 67 kmSally GapA high crossroads pass over the Wicklow Mountains amid blanket bog, with the famous Military Road running through.
- 69 kmLough Tay (Guinness Lake)A dark lake with a pale sand beach at one end, viewed from the R759 above; used as the Viking village in the series Vikings.
- 75 kmVale of AvocaA wooded river valley on the R752 in Wicklow at the meeting of the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers.
Driving in Ireland
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€2.10/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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