Welcome to Portarlington Antiques & Fine Art.

The business in now in its seventh year and has advanced from selling a combination of antique furniture, a small amount of Irish 19th & 20th century paintings, prints and top of the range costune jewellery to an Art Gallery, Jewellery Shop and Antiques. I also sell a range of quality gifts in Sterling Silver, wood and leather and I now have a small selection of natural fabrics in silk, linen, cotton and wool for curtaining and upholstery. The fabric is mostly 'end of rolls' and is at very competitive prices.

Portarlington is approximately 45 miles from Dublin.  The most direct route is to take the Monasterevan exit from the N7, drive through and about a mile outside Monasterevan take a right turn at a road sign for Tullamore and Portarlington.  This road brings you directly down the Main St. of Portarlington.

Alternatively, there are about 33 trains from Huston Station travelling to Galway, Westport, Limerick and Cork which stop at Portarlington.

Portarlington is a Huguenot town and has a very French appearance. The town is named after its founder Sir Henry Bennet, Lord Arlington and dates to 1666 when Charles 11 granted a large area of land belonging to the O'Dempseys to Sir Henry Bennet.  The town was laid out by George Rawdon in 1667 and settlers were planted there soon after. About 1686 Portarlington was sold to Sir Patrick Trant who forfeited it at the end of the Jacobite wars.  It was then granted to Henry de Massue, Marquis de Rouvigny who was created Baron Portarlington about 1691.  Shortly afterwards Rouvigny created a colony of French Huguenot settlers, mainly drawn from the officers and soldiers of William 111's army.  Around 1696 he established two churches, St. Michael's and St. Paul's for the English and French settlers in the town and also two schools.  Later he sold his interest in the town and it passed via the London Hollow Sword-blade Company to the Dawson family who were closely connected with the town until the 19th century.

The 17th century cruciform layout of the town is still evident to-day.  The main street is long and narrow flanked by tall mechant houses whose facades belong to the early 18th century and are not typically Huguenot.  A memorandum dating from c.1666 describes the layout of the town and houses in detail and states that the houses 'have dormant windows to the streets'. Only one house remains that somewhat resembles a Huguenot house and that is on Patrick Street.

Emo Court, designed by James Gandon and built by the Dawson Family is nearby.  It is the most important large late 18th century house in Co. Laois.nearby.  Gandon also designed  the nearby Church of  Ireland church at Coolbanagher which is the only church known to be designed by him.  Emo Court is now in the care of the Office of Public Works and is open to the public. 

Just outside the town are Corrig Wood and            wood with its manmade lake which has been stocked with fish. These are excellent ammenity areas.   A little further afield are the Slieve Bloom Mountains with their vast array of wild life.

A few miles to the west en-route to Mountmellick is the Golf Club at Garryhinch in a very tranquille setting.  The town is also close to the Seve Balasteros designed Golf course at the Heritage complex in Killenard.

I hope you can visit my shop and spend some time in the area which has a lot to offer.  There are some nice boutiques, pubs and restaurants in the town where you could while away a few interesting hours.

Thank you for visiting my Website.