Abbeyleix architectural gems to feature in 250th celebration of Laois heritage town

The many architectural treasures of Abbeyleix are set to feature in a new exhibition to be launched this weekend.

Local resident Brian Maher invites all to the Heritage House on Saturday, November 29, from 4 – 6 pm for the event, which is part of Abbeyleix 250 celebrations.

The Abbeyleix man studied architectural technology at Bolton Street College of Technology (DIT, now TUD).

Having spent many years in London, Brian returned to work in Dublin before returning to study town planning at DIT in 2010 and has worked in the profession since.

Growing up in the Heritage Town gave Brian a lifelong love of architecture and planned towns in particular. Included in the exhibition are a series of buildings hand-drawn in ink on tracing paper, printed on watercolour paper and hand-rendered and finally printed on a lightly textured archival quality 255gsm fine art paper and framed in a mix of A3 and A4 size. MORE BELOW ONE OF THE SKETCHES.

The drawings include:

• Pembroke Terrace 1840 (A3) & separate centre 3-storey and end 2-storey houses
• Heritage House – former North School NS 1885 (Brian's old school)
• Memorial Fountain to John, the 2nd Viscount de Vesci 1855 architect J.S. Butler F.R.I.A.I.
• Fountain of the Third Viscount De Vesci 1878 architect Rawson Carroll, F.R.I.B.A.
• Bank of Ireland – former Hibernian Bank 1911 architect James Purcell Wrenn M.R.I.A.I.
• Morrissey Public House 1880’s architect unknown
• Abbeyleix Courthouse c.1820 architect unknown
• Abbeyleix Library – former Market House 1836
• Abbeyleix Town Centre map (A3)

The original town of Abbeyleix was located on the River Nore, on the site of an early Christian abbey. The town developed under the protection of a twelfth-century Cistercian monastery. In 1562, Queen Elizabeth granted the abbey and associated lands to Thomas, Earl of Ormond. Over the next century, the village grew to contain 52 families. However, regular flooding from the River Nore made the town an unhealthy place to live.

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When the de Vesci family acquired Abbeyleix in 1750, they decided that the town would have to move. The de Vescis levelled the old town and moved its people to a new planned town. This led to the construction of many of the buildings and structures which Abbeyleix is famous for and which earned the Laois town Heritage status.