Laois Heritage Society wants to hear from you

A Laois society wants to hear from anyone who would like to play their part in nurturing, preserving and promoting the rich heritage of county.

Speaking ahead of the Laois Heritage Society AGM, its PRO Regina Dunne outlined what it does and invited people to get involved.

“The society would especially like to welcome new members with an interest in Laois heritage, history, folklore, culture and archaeology. Our society hosts several public lectures annually, supports the Old Fort Quarter Festival, and is involved in many projects locally to support and conserve our local heritage.

“Joining the Laois Heritage Society offers a great opportunity for those with an interest in local heritage to meet like-minded people, or for any new members to our community to find out about the history of their new home,” said Ms Dunne.

The Society was founded in the early 1970s. It replaced the Old Laois Society which had operated from the 1950s. It has been involved with many important programmes and projects over the years.

These have included the relocation of the War Memorial in Portlaoise to a new site at Tower Hill and the takeover of Emo Court by the State.

The Society also spearheaded the conservation work at the Rock of Dunamaise, the county’s most important and visible heritage site.

Among the major projects being pursued is the establishment of a County Museum at the site of the Old Fort of Maryborough.

The society has worked on many other initiatives down the years which contribute to making Laois an interesting county to live in and visit.

The Society recently began compiling articles for the 2024 edition of the Laois Heritage Journal.

The Laois Heritage Society Committee say they would like to welcome all interested parties to attend the 2024 AGM on Thursday, February 15 at 8pm in the Midlands Park Hotel.

Membership annually is €20 or €30 for family membership. For enquires please contact PRO Regina Dunne laoisheritagesocietywebsite@ gmail.com