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heritage · Friday 21 August 2026 · 2:00pm 
Tour of Roundwood House
At Roundwood House · Mountrath, Co. Laois
At Roundwood House · Mountrath, Co. Laois
Hannah and Paddy Flynn open their home at Roundwood House for a guided tour on Friday, 21 August 2026, as part of National Heritage Week. Roundwood is a small Palladian villa at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains outside Mountrath, one of the more intimate historic houses in Laois still lived in as a family home rather than run purely as a visitor attraction. The tour takes in the house, its grounds and outbuildings, and finishes with refreshments and live music in the library.
The tour is led by the current owners rather than a hired guide, so it comes with the kind of detail and personal history that only the people who actually live in a house can give: what has been restored, what still needs work, and the stories attached to particular rooms and objects. Expect a walk through the main house and its outbuildings and grounds, followed by a more relaxed finish in the library, where tea and refreshments are served alongside a short live music performance. It is a shorter, gentler format than a formal estate tour, better suited to visitors who want a real sense of a Georgian house as a home rather than a museum piece. Roundwood is run in association with Historic Houses of Ireland, the network that supports privately owned historic properties opening to the public.
Roundwood House is just outside Mountrath, on the western side of County Laois close to the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Mountrath is on the N7, roughly ten minutes from Portlaoise by car, and the house is signposted from the town. There is no public transport directly to the gate, so a car is the practical option.
Mountrath sits at the edge of the Slieve Blooms and makes a good base for walking as well as house tours like this one. There is more to see in Mountrath and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Roundwood House in Mountrath? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Mountrath area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.