Take the Portarlington Walking Tour audio guide to discover the stories of this heritage town

Take the Portarlington Walking Tour audio guide to discover the stories of this heritage town

This Portarlington Walking Tour Audio Guide will lead you through the streets of this charming Laois town.  On our journey, we will discover the origins of Portarlington and we’ll hear stories about how the town became known as the ‘Paris of the Midlands’.  Portarlington has many hidden gems and stories to discover, from Jonathan Swift being inspired to write his classic Gulliver’s Travels while staying in the town, to the story of how Portarlington gained a reputation as a centre of education and learning.

Portarlington was established in the 1600s, nestled in a bend of the mighty River Barrow. The area was originally named Cúil an tSúdaire meaning ‘The Tanners Nook’, a reference to the tanning and leather working industry that once thrived on the banks of the river. Throughout its history, Portarlington grew to accommodate French Huguenot refugees; over two hundred years later it again provided a safe sanctuary for more refugees that were fleeing the horror of World War I.  Throughout the history of this fascinating town there have been stories off economic prosperity and decline.

Today, Portarlington maintains its strong connections with its colourful past. While wandering through the town you can see echoes of the Huguenot settlement, and view the wonderful architectural heritage of the nineteenth century, you may even catch sight of jargonelle pear trees, which were planted by the French settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. Explore the stories and set off on this self-guided walking tour.

PORTARLINGTON AUDIO GUIDE

PORTARLINGTON AUDIO GUIDE

Title: Portarlington Audio Guide

Duration: 49 mins.

Summary:

This audiobook is an Abarta Heritage Production on behalf of  Laois County Council, Laois Partnership and Laois Tourism. This project was part funded by Laois Partnership through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. It was written by Neil Jackman, and recorded in 2014 at Bluebird Studios, Kildare, where it was narrated by Eve Macklin with sound engineer Declan Lonergan and producer Róisín Burke.

This audio guide is also available on

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