1789 – Old County Gaol, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
Architect: Richard Harman
An impressive façade with unusual vermiculation and giant Doric order, it is essentially all that remains of the Old County Gaol, built in 1789 by Richard Harman. Harman was James Gandon’s clerk of works at the Custom House in Dublin. Converted to an arts centre, the interior has been gutted. Harmansucceeded Thomas Ivory as Surveyor of the Revenue Buildings in 1787, but was dismissed for fraud in 1801.
Published February 16, 2026
