New plan for Portlaoise's Fort could pave the way Laois tourism boost
A new blueprint for the historic Fort in the heart of Portlaoise is set to be launched this week with the organisers hoping the plan can be a roadmap for it to become a big attraction for visitors to Laois.
The Laois Heritage Society is inviting the public to attend the launch, the Fort Protector Plan meeting on Thursday, June 23 in the Midlands Park Hotel.
The plan is collaborative project between Laois Heritage Society, Laois Heritage Office and Laois County Council and the Heritage Council of Ireland.
"The launch of the final report on the status and conservation of the Fort of Maryborough in June 2022 is a very significant project for the Society. It signposts the way to make this unique and historic site, which has significant national and international overtones but was hidden in plain sight in Portlaoise’s old historic quarter for generations, into a major visitor attraction for the town and county," says the society.
The plan will be launched at 8pm by the Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Cllr Conor Bergin. The guest speaker will be Richard McLoughlin of Lotts Architecture.
The launch coincides with the holding of the Old Fort Festival in Portlaoise which celebrates the history of the quarter.
Laois County Council has invested heavily in the area in recent years when the centrepiece of spending being an overhaul of Fitzmaurice Place.