Portlaoise

Crann na Beatha · 30-05-2008 1:10pm #1

This post has been deleted.

stevoman · 30-05-2008 3:43pm

work in it, meh, its grand!

BigCon · 30-05-2008 3:57pm

Good:
Leisure Center (pool, gym, astro turf, kids play area)
Nice cinema,
Roll 'n Bowl,
Pubs,
O'Moore Park,
Resturants,
Most big shops (Dunnes, Tesco, Superquinn on the way),
New retail park opening soon (Homebase, hopefully Halfords etc),
Argos on the way,
Close to everywhere (1 hr Dublin, Limerick, 2 hrs Cork etc).

Bad
Traffic,
Parking,
Overcrowded schools (new schools being built)
Some scumbags, drugs etc (same as any big town).

Recommended: Yes!

Peter Walczak · 31-05-2008 9:54am

It's been two years now since I moved. It is not bad. What I'm missing is some good gigs. There is literally two, maybe three a year and I wish there were more. Apart from that, Portlaoise is ok.

kizzyf · 05-06-2008 11:15pm

Agree with big con. There are some good pubs and there used to be great comedy gigs in Kavanaghs also Dunamaise theatre is great. For the amount of people living there now though there isn't a hell of a lot in the town. There are worse towns than Portlaoise for drugs but it still has its problems unfortunately.

New pool is also great. BTW is argos going to be in Dunnes or out by Homebase?

stevoman · 06-06-2008 9:37am

kizzyf wrote: »

New pool is also great. BTW is argos going to be in Dunnes or out by Homebase?

not sure, but i think mcdonalds is going in dunnes. :pac: :pac: :pac:

Steve_o · 06-06-2008 9:43am

I agree with Big Con... also it has an awesome kebab place (zam zam), perfect when you walk (stumble) out of Club 23...

I give portlaoise a 7 / 10 in general.

Ruby-J · 06-06-2008 10:09am

its alright. needs a bit of a revamp. dont sit your driving test there for one! theres heaps of ramps and small roundabouts and the testers are meanies!!!

ports best · 06-06-2008 2:30pm

have to agree with ruby on the test thing... jaysus that why i hate portlaoise, otherwise its not a bad town

token56 · 09-06-2008 12:15pm

Born and raised in portlaoise and still living there.
Ok town getting better hopefully. Plenty of amenities for the kids, new swimming pool and park, bowling, skate park, new running track (all be it a disgrace) etc. Traffic is not terrible, some nice new estates built and being built.

It does have problems though, the lack of primary and soon secondary schools is a major problem. With the town growing at a relatively fast rate, little effort has been put in with regards planning new schools. Any new schools which are too be built have to be fought for, timelines are never met, but this is a wider issue. Another major problem I have is the hospital in portlaoise. Its rather desperate with regards waiting times, quality of services available etc. There's a new A&E unit unused however I recognise this is again a wider issue beyond our county council's control apparently. There is also an increase in the amount of scumbags etc, but this is to be expect as the population also grows (we do have a nice prison for them though).

I would also agree with others about the driving testers.

Sonic_exyouth · 08-05-2009 5:52pm

Steve_o wrote: »

I agree with Big Con... also it has an awesome kebab place (zam zam), perfect when you walk (stumble) out of Club 23...

I give portlaoise a 7 / 10 in general.

Just want to reiterate.. Zam zams = nicest kebabs I've ever had .. nicer htan Zaytouns, or Sultans or Iskanders!

gooner-84 · 09-05-2009 12:29am

not from portlaois but just woundering what its like to go out in..pubs,clubs etc?

Sonic_exyouth · 09-05-2009 8:42pm

gooner-84 wrote: »

not from portlaois but just woundering what its like to go out in..pubs,clubs etc?

Loads of pubs, the pints in Kavanaghs being particularly nice..
If there is not a portlaoise pub you like then there is something wrong with you!

As for clubs, well, there are three.. club 23, egans and one I've never been to..

Was in club 23 there last saturday..
well.. I went in at 1.30 am, and there were 8 other people there.
The DJ was playing a take that song. Within 5 minutes, half the 'crowd' left, and we quickly followed.

Never been to the other two

CCCP^ · 10-05-2009 9:01pm

The nightclubs in town are not great, there is basically 3. Egans is further down the main street and while generally it can be a laugh, it's a bit rough but they actually play dance music. Hang around afterwards and you may just see a fight! I was there one night and the paddywagon showed up, hurray!

Club 23 is in the middle of main street, attached to O' Loughlin's hotel, it's ok. I'm not too fond of the crowd who go there, last time I was there I was sure I was the oldest person at the place (I'm 25 ffs) but the DJ's are ****e and it tends to get mobbed.

The newest place is Coppers on Market Square. Now, if you can actually get inside the fecking place, as the bouncers can be muppets, it's not too bad. Generally an older crowd, ok DJ's, large smoking area.

All in all, Portlaoise is an alright town. I have some gripes. I don't think there's enough to do in the place but that has changed alot since I was younger. The scumbag element has always been there, but it's got desperately worse in recent years with the influx of drugs. Now, for a town with 2 ****ing prisons and a pretty big copshop, that just shouldn't be happening.

Planning in the town has been a mess especially on the Mountmellick road. Infrastructure has not been upgraded, as other posters have already mentioned, what is the story with schools and the hospital? It's not on. It wouldn't happen in Tullamore/Biffoland because Cowen can swing things to his constituency. I also really hate the small town mentality, the lack of community spirit (outside of the GAA or other sports, there's no real coming together of people for the sake of the town)

Well, thats my 2 cents.

Darlie · 13-05-2009 4:17pm

Moved here nearly two years ago, and even in that space of time there have been loads of improvements (retail parks, leisure centre, etc). As said already, great town for pubs, huge choice and variety. The clubs are absolutely brutal though, and thats being kind! My main gripes would be the absolute mess of a transport infrastructure (not only the pedestrian crossing-roundabout fest in the centre, but the hames they made of the Mountmellick Road), and the whole school fiasco.

johnnydepp · 16-10-2009 5:08pm

they are doing some work on club23 at the moment. looks like a smoking area or something!in all fairness i would way rather clubthan any other late place in town. coppers is a warehouse and egans is full of knackers.

athlonelad · 11-11-2009 2:58am

work for club??

Crann na Beatha · 11-11-2009 6:55pm

This post has been deleted.

johnnydepp · 12-11-2009 10:31am

Funnily enough, I dont work in Club but i have just started this whole boards thing and came across this thread and said i'd give my opinion. I have been going to club for a good while and I would prefer it to the other options. Egans is a non runner for me because of the fact that there has always been a rough element to it that i just don't like. coppers to me, even though they are still working on it has a terrible layout, is actually too busy a lot of the time and i find the bouncers to be very ignorant. I would rather pay into a nightclub and feel safe and be treated well as opposed to not paying in and not feeling comfortable. Thats just my opinion. I'm also pretty interested in what they are doing in club. It seems to be a a strange time to invest what seems to be a good bit of money on the club. I didnt get down to see it this weekend but am going to go on sat night out of curiosity. I have a lot of fond memories from club despite all thats wrong with it.

STILETTOOO · 05-12-2011 6:26pm

St. Brigids Place, Portlaoise-is it ok place for family with small children?

Corruptable · 06-12-2011 6:55pm

STILETTOOO wrote: »

St. Brigids Place, Portlaoise-is it ok place for family with small children?

Generally, Portlaoise is a craphole.

In specific answer to the above poster. it is absolutely not an ok place for small children, or for anyone else for that matter.

adser53 · 06-12-2011 9:39pm

Corruptable wrote: »

Generally, Portlaoise is a craphole.

In specific answer to the above poster. it is absolutely not an ok place for small children, or for anyone else for that matter.

Ah cop on to yourself, its no worse than any other place and significantly better than most towns.

Moved here in March 2008 from Dublin and love it.

laois gael · 07-12-2011 11:05am

St Bridgits not a bad place at all...Yes one or two dodgy families like everywhere else in a Town astate in Ireland but good location and some lovely people up there....Portlaoise is a decent town with everything you want in it ....Great location as its close to Dublin Limerick cork etc