History
About the Old Fort of Maryborough
The military fort began construction in 1547-48 during the tenure of Sir Edward Bellingham, Lord Justice of Ireland. It was originally known as Fort Protector, named after Edward Seymour, the Protector of England during the minority of his nephew, King Edward VI, the “Boy King.”
The fort was established to protect the Pale, the English enclave around Dublin, against the formidable and warlike native Irish clans, particularly the O’Moores and O’Connors. A town grew up around the fort walls from the 1560’s and was named Maryborough in honour of Queen Mary, the new English monarch.
A church located on present day Railway Street was added in the 1580’s as the town expanded and was granted a market by Royal charter. The defiant O’Moores and other native clansmen of the county constantly harassed the new English settlers. The town and fort were attacked and placed under siege several times by Rory Oge O’More and his son Owney Mac Rory O’More.
Although burnt down in 1597/1598, the garrison recovered enough power by the following year to capture and slay 35 rebels who had their heads placed on spikes along the fort walls as punishment for their uprising.
By the early 1600’s the native Irish were broken, and many were transplanted against their will from Laois to marginal lands in Kerry. However, conflict arose again during the Cromwellian campaign in Ireland in the mid-1600s. The Fort of Maryborough surrendered to the Catholic leader Owen Roe O’Neill in 1646, gave refuge to the Papal Nunico Cardinal Rinnuccini in 1648, but was recaptured and dismantled by Cromwell’s Generals Hewson and Reynolds in 1650. The fort was used briefly as a barracks for a Leinster Dragoon Regiment up until the early 1800’s.
A castle located near the present-day corner of Main Street and Railway Street was pulled down in 1835. What remains today of the once mighty fortification is the rounded bastion tower on the corner of Church Street and Fitzmaurice Place and large sections of defensive walls along Church Street, Church Avenue and the rear of Main Street and Railway Street. The modern town of Maryborough (now Portlaoise) continued to expand and develop around the site of the declining fort.
Portlaoise Library, located in the heart of the Old Fort Quarter, is looking forward to its second year as a venue for the festival’s heritage events. On Saturday 28 th June the library will host talks and activities on the history of Portlaoise and its people.
Heritage events for the younger audience will feature ‘The Big Dig,’ a fun hands-on interactive experience allowing children to become archaeologists as they excavate a Viking House site. Suitable for children aged 6-12 years. For more information and to book your place contact Portlaoise Library.
The Local Studies Coffee Morning will celebrate the Old Fort Quarter Festival with a series of short talks on a wide variety of town related topics, along with light refreshments and
friendly discussion. The coffee morning runs on Saturday 28 th from 11am-1pm in the Portlaoise Library Community Room.
Outdoor heritage events will take place from midday on Sunday afternoon on Church Avenue and Fitzmaurice Place. Experience a taste of life in the ‘medieval village’ with period
cooking, medicine, music, singing, storytelling and re- enactments.
Renowned local historians Teddy Fennelly and Michael Parsons will provide walking history tours of the Old Fort Quarter on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, 28 th and 29 th June 2025.
Leaving from the site of the new library on the main street of Portlaoise, be brought through the historic cultural quarter of Portlaoise town as Teddy and Michael regale you with stories of battles won and lost, the development of the town and the history of the fort.
Along the way you will stop to hear the story of the famous Portlaoise Plane, built right across from the fort in Aldritt’s garage. The plane was inspiration for the career of Colonel James Fitzmaurice who was part of the first ever east to west transatlantic flight.
Book A Walking Tour
Walks will leave at 2.30pm from the door of the Portlaoise Library (Eircode R32 N7EP). For more information and to book a place click on this LINK.
To learn more about the history of County Laois visit the Laois Heritage Society stand on Fitzmaurice Place. Talk to friendly local history enthusiasts about what is happening in Laois heritage, places to visit, local history publications and ways to get involved.
Whether you are descended from the Seven Septs of Laois or recently moved into the area from another county or country embrace the history of our shared home.
