Shanahoe () is a small village in
County Laois
County Laois ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, situated in the centre of the county, 8 km west of
Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix (; ) is a town in County Laois, Ireland, located around south of the county town of Portlaoise. Abbelyleix is in a civil parish of the same name.
Abbeyleix was formerly located on the N8, the main road from Dublin to Cork. At one p ...
and 7 km south of
Mountrath
Mountrath () is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. The town lies on the R445 midway between Dublin and Limerick, exactly 96.5 km (60 mi) from both cities. The town was bypassed by the M7 motorway in 2010, leading to a significant ...
.
History and development
Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
urn which was discovered nearby in the 1930s.
The remains of a
ringfort
Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortification, fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are ...
are also recorded in Shanahoe
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
.
Built mainly along the two main approach roads, the village developed as a predominantly
linear settlement
A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical r ...
. Buildings at the village centre include the village church, community hall and
national (primary) school. The
M7/
M8 Motorway Scheme lies to the west of the village.
Education
''Scoil Fionntáin Naofa'', the local
national (primary) school, was built in 1948.
As of 2010, there were 74 pupils enrolled in the school.
Sport
The local
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
club is
Shanahoe GAA, whose pitches are located about 2 km outside the village.
Notable people
*
John Keegan
Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan (15 May 1934 – 2 August 2012) was an English military historian, lecturer, author and journalist. He wrote many published works on the nature of combat between prehistory and the 21st century, covering land, ...
(1816–1849), writer, poet and storyteller, was born in Killeaney near the village of Shanahoe.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Laois