1680s – Ballykilcavan House, Stradbally, Co. Laois
Ballykilcavan has full-height wings like flanking towers at the corners of the entrance front while similar towers on the rear of the house are now hidden by later extensions.
Ballykilcavan has full-height wings like flanking towers at the corners of the entrance front while similar towers on the rear of the house are now hidden by later extensions.
A seven-bay, three-storey over basement with dormer attic Classical-style country house, begun 1773, with a pedimented breakfront having a cut stone Doric door-case to the ground floor.
Designed by the architect James Gandon in 1790 for John Dawson, the first Earl of Portarlington,
Still intact, sited in the centre of the market square, but now much defaced by its usage as a service station.
A design published in “A collection of designs for rural retreats” by James Malton, with two elevational treatments.
An early 19th century cottage ornée, originally designed by Nash but built by Robertson to a cut down version of the design.
Now obscured by more modern security measures, Portlaoise (formerly Maryborough) Prison had a magnificent entrance gateway worthy of a Norman castle.
Replaced by an unremarkable exercise in 1950s Romaneque sited on the then edge of town. This church was pulled down and the site is still a surface carpark.
When the 3rd Viscount de Vesci married Lady Emma Hubert, daughter of the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery. The Earl built this stone terrace of houses for the town as part of his daughter’s dowry.
St. Patrick’s is a simple rectangular church with a flat-ceiling interior.