Laois County Council has welcomed €7.65m in support for the county under Round One of the Town and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund, announced by Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD.

Of this, €7.5m is earmarked for The Fort Museum and Event Centre in Portlaoise. The project builds on completed works in the Cultural Quarter and is intended to energise the town centre by broadening visitor attractions, cultural amenities and heritage interpretation.

The investment will progress plans to transform the historically significant Fort Protector, delivering museum, exhibition, performance and community facilities within a refurbished Granary Building, alongside a suitable display space for the Portlaoise Plane, a key Laois heritage artefact.

The programme also includes the redevelopment of the Old Barracks Site as a flexible arts, culture and community venue.

-- Advertisement --

A further €150,000 has been awarded for Portarlington Town Centre Regeneration. The aim is to create a more viable and visually attractive town centre through sensitive building rehabilitation and enhancements to connectivity, public realm and amenities, aligned with the Portarlington Joint Local Area Plan 2025–2031.

The refurbishment of Market House, officially opened in April, marked the first phase. The proposed works will deliver on the Portarlington Regeneration Strategy 2030, with this funding enabling the design of a town centre featuring high-quality civic space and a better pedestrian environment to spur economic activity and renewal.

Michael Rainey, Chief Executive at Laois County Council, said: "I am delighted to see the Fort Protector project has been awarded €7.5 million under the first round of the Town and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund. This will contribute to the improvement of a key historical location in our county town and support its redevelopment into a modern cultural and community space.

"As the conditions of the Fund meant that Portlaoise and Portarlington are the only Laois towns eligible, I am also delighted to see that Portarlington has received €150,000 in funding for design and planning which will in due course facilitate a further application to a future round of the Town and Cities Regeneration Investment Fund for the Market Square area of the town.

"Laois County Council welcomes this government support which compliments the ongoing regeneration of our towns across the county."