New Laois monument in Portlaoise to famous 'Maryborough' man
A new monument has been erected in Portlaoise to Frank Meehan, a well-known champion for the heritage and history of the town and county.
The Irish Kilt Club, of which Frank was the founder, arranged the making of a limestone seat to commemorate the memory of Frank Meehan, who lived in Portlaoise from 1926-2012. The seat was made by McKeon Stone.
A request was made to Laois County Council to provide a ‘home’ for the seat, which County Hall facilitated alongside James Fintan Lalor Avenue not far from Frank's homeplace off Main Street.
Frank was from a long-established Portlaoise family. The Meehan farm was where the modern centre of Portlaoise or as Frank insisted on calling it 'Maryborough' which was the name of the town between 1557 to 1920.
Frank was an erudite historian and had a lifelong interest in heritage. He was a lifetime member and vice president of the Laois Heritage Society. He published a number of books, including The TDs and Senators of Laois Offaly and the MPs of Queens County.
His grandfather and granduncle were MPs for Queens County. His grandfather, Patrick F Meehan, was an Irish Parliamentary Party MP for Leix Division of Queen's County, from 1906 to his death in 1913. A wine and spirit merchant, in 1880 he became Chairman of Maryborough Town Commissioners, where he helped set up the local Land League. He subsequently joined the National Land League. He was a chairman of the County Council of Queen's County and an early member of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Teddy Fennelly of the Laois Heritage Society was pleased to see Frank Meehan honoured.
"am delighted Frank is being remembered because he retained more knowledge of the history of Portlaoise, of Laois or indeed of the country than anyone else I have known and he kept heritage issues in the public eye for a long long time before it was fashionable or popular to do so.
"Frank Meehan was a one-off and if anyone deserves lasting recognition for his lifetime of dedication and service to his town and county, Frank Meehan, certainly is the one," he said.