Gleannaglas Lodge
The Slieve Bloom Mountains
Gleannaglas Lodge is located in the Slieve Bloom Mountains, a small mountain range right in the centre of Ireland. This is a relatively undiscovered part of Ireland steeped in natural beauty, culture and interesting traditions. The uniqueness of the Slieve Blooms has been recognised by the Irish Government. THE SLIEVE BLOOM ENVIRONMENT PARK was established during 1987, the European Year of the Environment. The Park aims to promote the environmental resources of the Slieve Blooms for recreation and tourism as part of a programme for sustainable development of this rural area. The park is rich in Fauna and Flora, famous for it's Blanket Bog and it's rich archaeological heritage can be traced back to the Stona Age, over 4,000 years ago.
The area offers a wide range of leisure activities and amenities to visitors. It is a walkers’ paradise with beautiful scenic countryside, quiet roads and a labyrinth of walking trails and forest tracks. It has miles of unpolluted rivers and a number of lakes. The cherished culture and folklore of the area, along with the genuine friendliness of it's people makes Slieve Bloom an ideal location for an enjoyable holiday. Activities include: WALKING, CYCLING ,FISHING,GOLFING, HORSE RIDING, TRADITIONAL MUSIC & DANCE.
The People
The warmth and friendliness of the SLIEVE BLOOM people and their genuine
interest in the visitor is renowned. A well-known Irish geologist, historian
and naturalist who is familiar with the area recently referred to the
hospitality of the people of SLIEVE BLOOM as being ‘difficult to describe
accurately, but wonderful to experience’. Come and try it.
Golf
Whether you’re an accomplished golfer playing off a low handicap, or
an occasional fair-weather one, Gleannaglas Lodge is an ideal base from
which to sample golfing in the midlands of Ireland. The vicinity has
gained a reputation for the quality of its golf courses-with green fees
at most of them being relatively low-in the region of €25. The absence
of the congestion that often occurs on golf courses in graeater population
centres facilitates leisurely and enjoyable golf here Some of the golf
courses are listed below with approximate distance from Gleannaglas
Lodge shown in brackets. A new championship golf course designed by
Severiano Ballesteros at Emo-just 30 km from Gleannaglas Lodge is due
to open in 2004.
A list of courses
Walking
Lofty peaks, ancient bogland, lush forests, riverside walks and tracks
leading to historical sites. These are some of the extraordinary delights
awaiting the walker in the Slieve Bloom area, where the walks encompass
such areas as Mountrath, Clonaslee and Timahoe. Most of the mountain
and forestry routes are freely open to the public and detailed maps
are available. There are a number of qualified walking guides in the
area who for a small fee will escort a walking tour and explain the
history, traditions and the flora and fauna of the area. The Slieve
Bloom Mountains / Environment Park offer some of the best walking opportunities
in Ireland, whether you want just a leisurely stroll or you are looking
for challenging hill-walks. The Slieve Bloom Rural Development Society
and the Slieve Bloom Walking Club have organised a Programme of Walks
on most Sundays from May to September, with local guides to enable you
to get the most enjoyment and to benefit from their local knowledge
of the terrain and of the Flora and Fauna encountered alone the way.
All the organised walks are graded from easy (D) to
difficult walks only suited to experienced long-distance walkers (A)
THE SLIEVE BLOOM WAY This is a signed and marked walk of almost 40 kms,
designed for the serious walker to experience the Slieve Bloom Mountains
to the fullest.
Gardens and
Historic Houses
Laois and it’s surrounding areas have a wealth of history, and nowhere
is this manifested better than in it’s prestigious gardens and historic,
stately houses.
Emo Court House
One of the finest stately homes in Europe, this outstanding neo-classical
house was started in 1790 by James Gandon for the first Earl of Portarlington
but left incomplete in 1798 for a period. Work re-commenced on the house
for the period 1834 to 1836, and then again in 1860 by William Caldbeck.
It was not until C. D. Chomeley-Harrison bought the house in 1869 that
it became the glorious house that Gandon intended.
Guided tours of the house are provided from mid-June to mid-September
from 10 am to 5pm. The house is closed on Mondays. For further information
contact 0502 26573.
Emo Court Garden
The gardens were first laid out in the 18th Century, Emo court itself
having been built in the neo-classical design by James Gandon for the
Earl of Portarlington. The gardens are known for their sweeping formal
lawns, statutory and fine trees. There are also a number of delightful
routes for walkers. Admission to the gardens (open during daylight hours)
is free.
Heywood Gardens, Ballinakill
This elegant 18th Century park contains a number of lakes and inter-linked
gardens, and was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens in the early 1900s.
A central formal lawn, flanked by herbaceous borders, overlooks the
undulating park and countryside. Admission is free and guided tours
can be given by prior arrangement – for details contact Pat Comerford
at 056 21450.
Gash Gardens, Castletown
Located on the banks of the River Nore in a village, which has done
consistently well in the Tidy Towns’ Competition, this four-acre garden
provides an ideal environment for many interesting plants including
a large rock garden with rare alpines.
The gardens are open from May 1 to September 30, from 10 am to 5 pm
daily. Children are not admitted.
Ballagmore Castle, Borris-in-Ossory
Ballaghmore Castle was the chief seat of the Mac Gillpatricks, Lords
of Upper Ossory. Strategically placed on Bealach Mor, the great road
to Munster, it was partially destroyed by the Cromwellians in 1647.
It came into the possession of the Cootes, who leased it to the Elys.
Richard Ely restored it in the 1830s but was murdered, after which it
lay neglected for many decades. It was bought by the present owners
in 1990. Guided tours are given. The castle is available for hire for
parties and functions. For details, phone 0505 21453.
Ballyfin House
Ballyfin House was completed in 1826 in Slieve Bloom sandstone by Sir
Charles Coote. Outside the Portlaoise gate are the old rectory and two
smaller houses made of brick. The house was recently sold and the new
owners arrangements for public viewing are not to hand yet. We will
post them up on the site when available.
Birr Castle and Gardens, Birr, Co. Offaly
The renowned gardens at Birr Castle are the largest in Ireland and feature
thousands of trees that were collected from all over the world by three
generations of Parsons family. The Millennium Gardens, created by the
sixth Earl and Countess of Rosse, are located here. There is also the
historic Science Centre, which was developed in recent years. In the
1840s, the third Earl built what was then the world’s biggest telescope,
which is still functioning. Further details available at 0509 20336.
Fishing
Angling in the Slieve Bloom area is one of the best-kept secrets in
the country. There are many different locations and fish types available
in the area. Some of then details are set out below:
Game Angling
Course Angling
The Pubs
The area has many pubs offering refreshments in a friendly environment.
Some offer night-time entertainment such as traditional music, dance,
and country/ western and modern music. Also, some of the pubs serve
food.
Shopping
All the main towns around Gleannaglas Lodge offer a wide range of shopping
from major fashion outlets to little interesting huckster shops selling
antiques. For last years fashions at allegedly bargain prices visit
the now famous Brand Central shopping Centre at Rathdowney-about 20
km from Gleannaglas lodge.
HORSE RIDING
Slieve Bloom has a strong background in horses. There are a number of
establishments in the area which offer horse riding lessons and treking.
Also, the Laois Hunt holds weekly meets during the season and at least
one point-to-point meeting annually.
Horse Riding centres