Abbeyleix Famine Documentary - Public Screening

A new documentary about one of the darkest chapters in Irish history comes to the screen this August at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise. Commissioned by Laois County Council’s Heritage Office and directed by filmmaker Oliver Fallon, the film traces the devastating impact of the Great Famine on Abbeyleix and the people who lived, suffered, and died there in the 1840s. If you have any connection to Laois - or simply care about Irish history told with local specificity - this is the kind of screening that stays with you.

What to expect

The documentary draws on the work of local historian Noel Burke of the Abbeyleix and District Historical Society, whose campaign to have the town’s famine history formally recognised led, in part, to the film being made. The camera takes in a set of quietly haunting locations: the “lazy beds” in Oldtown where potato drills are still visible in the landscape; the Famine Memorial Stone at the site of the former Abbeyleix Workhouse, which was built in 1841 to house 500 people but was overwhelmed many times over; and “The Gate to Heaven”, an overflow burial ground on the Carlow Road where an estimated 2,000 people were buried. Footage recorded during National Famine Commemoration Day in May 2026 - when Mass was said for the victims - is woven into the film. It is documentary work that is local in subject but universal in grief.

The screening takes place at the Dunamaise Arts Centre and Theatre on Church Lane, Portlaoise, in association with Laois Arts. Exact timing has not been confirmed at time of writing, so check with the venue or Laois Arts before travelling.

Getting there

Portlaoise is straightforward to reach from most of Leinster. The M7 motorway connects it directly to Dublin (roughly 80 km) and Limerick. Portlaoise train station is served by Iarnród Éireann mainline services from Dublin Heuston and from the south - the Dunamaise is a short walk from the station, heading into town toward Church Street. Bus Éireann and Local Link Laois also serve the town. The Dunamaise has no private car park; on-street parking nearby is free for the first 45 minutes on weekdays, and the multi-storey at the Odeon Cinema is the best option for a longer stay. Arrive in good time - the box office opens one hour before events.

While you’re in Portlaoise

Abbeyleix itself, some 20 minutes south of Portlaoise by road, is worth visiting if you want to see the landscape the documentary covers - the workhouse site and the Gate to Heaven burial ground sit just outside the town. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.

Good to know

• Date: Friday 28 August 2026
• Time: Not yet confirmed - check dunamaise.ie or contact Laois Arts before attending
• Price: Not confirmed; expected to be free or low cost
• Booking: Dunamaise Arts Centre box office - 057 866 3355 or info@dunamaise.ie; also check laois.ie for Laois Arts updates
• Note: The box office opens one hour before events; latecomers may not be admitted once the screening begins