Portlaoise Courthouse

Building in County Laois, Ireland

Portlaoise Courthouse

Portlaoise Courthouse

Portlaoise Courthouse

Location within Ireland

General information
Architectural style| Neoclassical style
Address| Portlaoise, County Laois
Country| Ireland
Coordinates| 53°02′03″N 7°17′59″W﻿ / ﻿53.0342°N 7.2998°W﻿ / 53.0342; -7.2998
Completed| 1805
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Sir Richard Morrison

Portlaoise Courthouse is a judicial facility in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland.

## History

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The courthouse, which was designed by Sir Richard Morrison in the neoclassical style and built in ashlar stone, was completed in 1805.[1] It was re-modelled to the designs of James Rawson Carroll in 1875.[1] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of five bays facing Main Street with the end bays forming pavilions; the central section of three bays, which slightly projected forward, featured a doorway flanked by Doric order columns supporting an entablature and a panel; there were three sash windows on the first floor and a modillioned cornice at roof level.[1]

The building was primarily used as a facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, which established county councils in every county, the Grand Jury Room also became the meeting place for Laois County Council.[2] After the courthouse became inadequate, the county council moved to County Hall in May 1982.[3][4][5] In order to accommodate the large caseload of the court, which had become the second busiest in Ireland,[6] in May 2019, the county council announced plans to build a new courthouse outside the town.[7] A site for the new building was secured in November 2019.[8]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "Court House, Maryborough, County Laois". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
2. ^ "About Us". Kilkenny County Council. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
3. ^ "Our town c. 1850 - 2000". Portlaoise Pictures. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
4. ^ "Survey of Architectural Heritage of Portlaoise" (PDF). Laois County Council. 1 December 2008. p. 17. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
5. ^ "1979 Election Memories: The men in suits, the dealing in Donoghues, and Charlie McDonald loses out to Paddy Lalor for Europe". Laoise Today. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
6. ^ "Portlaoise Courthouse now second busiest in Ireland says judge". Leinster Express. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
7. ^ "New courthouse for Portlaoise takes a step forward". Leinster Express. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
8. ^ "Site for new courthouse has finally been secured". Laois Nationalist. 21 November 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2020.