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22 Oct 2025
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22 Oct 2025
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Pictured: Cones Village, the 'lost village' of Laois. Photo credit: Camhaoir Ní Dubhghaill, Slieve Bloom Mountains group, Facebook.
A Laois County Councillor has called for the erection of signage at Cones Village in Capard, to highlight the location of Laois' 'lost village'.
Cones Village, often referred to as 'the Lost Village', is an abandoned village on the Slieve Bloom mountains. The area was once home to over 15 families, with stone houses and a working mill in the village. Following the famine, the population of the village began to decline, until the last habitant Ms Ann Clear left the village in 1962.
Pictured: The lost village, Laois. Photo: SlieveBloom.ie
The ruins of the village remain untouched, and are frequently explored by hikers along the Glenbarrow trail. Walkers can see the ruined houses, boundary walls, the old mill and an old animal enclosure.
Rosenallis Fianna Fáíl Cllr Seamus McDonald has called for signage to be introduced at the ruined site, allowing visitors to find the historical lost village along the trail.
"This issue came up at a Slieve Bloom meeting two months ago, this is a very scenic part of Laois where there is a lot of history," Cllr McDonald said.
"Sean Flanagan formerly from Tinnahinch, who is now living in Tullamore, wrote a book on the lost village several years ago, and he sold hundreds of copies.
"There is a lot of interest from people into the village, but the problem is that people walking the route cannot find the village, because there is no signage. Hopefully we can get the signs up as quickly as possible," Cllr McDonald requested.
Mr Rory O'Callaghan, Senior Executive Engineer with Laois County Council has said that the Area Office will liaise with the Sports & Leisure Officer on the provision of such signs.
Cllr McDonald welcomed this response, with Mountrath Independent Cllr James Kelly supporting the motion.
"The numbers of tourists are going up around the area now, it's exploding and it's brilliant for the county," Cllr Kelly said.
"Anything at all that would help promote tourism and bring people into the county should be done. It's only a couple of signs, and as Cllr McDonald says, the sooner we can get this done the better," Cllr Kelly finished.
This motion was tabled at an October sitting of Laois County Council's Borris-in-Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District.
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