Abbeyleix to mark major milestone with 250th birthday celebration
The memorial fountain in Market Square was erected in 1855 in honour of Viscount John de Vesci, whose parents Viscount Thomas and Lady Elizabeth de Vesci founded the heritage town of Abbeyleix in 1775
Planning is underway to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the beautiful heritage town of Abbeyleix.
An enthusiastic group turned out for a meeting in the town’s Manor Hotel on Thursday 29 August to share ideas and lay the groundwork for a series of events to mark the major milestone in 2025.
An ‘Abbeyleix Celebrates 250’ committee is being formed to organise and promote events throughout the year, which could include a weekend festival as well as cultural, music, arts and sporting events.
Local clubs and groups will be invited to get involved in the plans, coordinated by an overall festival committee.
Organisers thanked everyone who attended the meeting or sent emails of support, as the groundwork begins for a memorable year in Ireland’s Tidiest Town.
The next step is to invite local primary and secondary schools to get involved in the plans over coming weeks.
Among those attending the meeting were Tom Vesey, representatives of AbbeyLeix House and Farm and local councillor John Joe Fennelly, who will engage with Laois County Council to support the anniversary plans.
In a post on social media, organisers said: ‘There were so many great suggestions from the floor and the energy was noticeably positive in the room.’
Individuals, groups, clubs or businesses can get involved by emailing their name or business name to abbeyleix250@gmail.com. They will be put on the committee’s mailing list and informed of upcoming meetings and events.
Abbeyleix was founded in 1775, after the first Viscount Thomas de Vesci and his wife Lady Elizabeth Selina de Vesci had already laid the foundation stone in 1773 for their new home that later became AbbeyLeix House. They had already been working on plans to demolish the existing ‘old town’ and build a new one in the shape of a cross.
The old town near the River Nore, on the site of an early Christian abbey, developed under the protection of a 12th century Cistercian monastery.
In 1562, Queen Elizabeth granted the abbey and associated lands to Thomas, Earl of Ormond. Over the next century, the town grew to contain 52 families but suffered regular flooding from the River Nore.
When the de Vesci family acquired the AbbeyLeix estate in 1750, they decided to demolish the old town and moved its residents to a new planned town. The new town at the time of construction was known as Rathmoyle and later became known as New Town, before finally settling on the name of Abbeyleix. The town continued to grow under the leadership of the second Viscount John de Vesci (1771-1855), a son of Thomas and Lady Elizabeth. The memorial fountain in the centre of the Market Square was built in his honour in 1855.
Next year will also mark a number of other important anniversaries in the town, which will tie in with the overall Abbeyleix Celebrates 250 theme. These include the 130th anniversary of Abbeyleix Golf Club and the 25th anniversary of the landmark blockade in July 2000 at the Killamuck entrance to Abbeyleix Bog, when community activists prevented machinery from entering the site.
The activists’ group AREA (Abbeyleix Residents for Environment Action) was successful in its bid to conserve and protect the bog, which was threatened with harvesting for peat moss. This success led to the establishment of the Abbeyleix Bog Project (ABP), which has transformed an arid site into a magnificent wildlife haven that has become an internationally renowned model of conservation.
The beauty and biodiversity of the bog was showcased this summer, when the area proudly represented Laois in the 2024 All Island Pride of Place competition. The bog was described as 'exceptional' by the Pride Of Place judge who toured the glorious nature and wildlife haven on 25 July.
Nominated in the special Climate Action and Biodiversity category, the bog attracts visitors from all over the world and reflects the powerful impact of local efforts that have preserved a critical habitat, while promoting environmental education and sustainable practices.
Meanwhile, this year marks the 200th anniversary of Abbeyleix parish. Fr Paddy Byrne PP will inform the public in due course about his plans to celebrate the bicentenary.
