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heritage · Sunday 28 June 2026 · 2:00pm 
Walking Heritage Tours at the Old Fort Quarter Festival
At Portlaoise Library, Old Fort Quarter · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
At Portlaoise Library, Old Fort Quarter · Portlaoise, Co. Laois
Portlaoise has a medieval past that most people drive straight through without knowing about. These guided walking heritage tours, running as part of the Old Fort Quarter Festival on Sunday 28 June, are your chance to slow down and hear it properly - led by local historians Michael Parsons and Teddy Fennelly, who have been researching and telling these stories for years. The 2026 festival theme is “Then & Now”, tracing the town’s development from the 1500s to the present day. If you have any interest in Irish history, local character, or simply want something more engaging than a museum leaflet, this is worth the afternoon.
Tours depart from Portlaoise Library on the main street, with slots at 2pm and 4pm. The walk takes you through the Old Fort Quarter - the historic core of the town built around the Fort of Leix, whose construction began in 1547 under Sir Edward Bellingham, Lord Justice of Ireland. It was one of the earliest garrison towns planted in Leinster, and the quarter still carries traces of that layered history.
The guides cover battles, town development, and the story of how this corner of Laois grew up around a military stronghold. The 2026 festival has a stronger focus on heritage and community than in previous years - live music has been dropped in favour of family activities, medieval reenactors, storytelling, and tours like this one. Registration via Eventbrite is required, so book ahead rather than turning up on the day.
Portlaoise is directly off the M7 motorway, about 80km from Dublin and 90km from Limerick - one of the most accessible county towns in Ireland by road. The meeting point is Portlaoise Library on the main street (Eircode R32 N7EP), which is a short walk from the town centre car parks. By rail, Portlaoise is on the Dublin Heuston to Cork and Limerick mainlines, with regular Irish Rail services on Sundays. The station is a 10-minute walk from the library.
The Old Fort Quarter Festival itself runs for the full day around the same area, with medieval reenactors, a fire show, and The Big Dig archaeology demonstration - so it is worth making a day of it rather than just the tour slot. There is more to see in Portlaoise and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Portlaoise Library, Old Fort Quarter in Portlaoise? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Portlaoise area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.