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Mountrath

Mountrath is located on the N77, 13km from the County Town of Portlaoise and 8km from Junction 18 on the M7 Motorway.

Mountrath has a compact form, with its shape largely influenced by the Mountrath River flowing northwest to southeast, and the local road network. Typically the town is urban in character, with the majority of buildings fronting directly onto the main road, one building deep. Buildings within the town are diverse in terms of age, height, roof profiles and elevational treatments. This diversity is particularly notable in Market Square and the streets leading onto Market Square. The layout of the town has changed little over time retaining its original relationship with the river and features such as the Market Square.

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Overall population base

   1,774

Local labour force

809

Labour force 30 mins

41,332

Labour force 60 mins

268,562

Education

There are a number of primary and secondary schools in Mountrath. Mountrath is served by two primary schools, Clonenagh National School and Scoil Bhride, which have a combined enrolment of 173, and one secondary school, Mountrath Community School, which has an enrolment of 779 students.

Primary School M F Total
Clonenagh N.S. 37 31 68
Scoil Bhride 105 105
St Fintan’s N.S 71 71
Secondary School M F Total
Mountrath Community School 383 396 779

Transport Infrastructure

Mountrath is the focus of a number of Regional Roads, with the R423 Portarlington-Mountrath Road, R430 Carlow Town-Mountrath Road and the R440 Birr-Mountrath Road converging on the town and the R445 former Dublin-Limerick Road also routes through the town centre. These Regional Road routes provide the town with a high degree of regional connectivity. Junction 18 on the M7 Motorway is also located 8km from Mountrath, providing access to both the M7 Dublin-Limerick Motorway and the M8 Dublin-Cork Motorway.

Local Amenities

Mountrath is located in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, an area rich in ecology and wildlife and popular for walking and trekking. Tourists accessing the Slieve Blooms from the M7 will do so via Mountrath. The town itself is provided with a range of amenities, including Mountrath Amenity Park in the centre of town, Mountrath Golf Club, St. Fintan’s GAA and there are a number of walking routes within and surrounding the town. The Slieve Blooms also provide a significant outdoor amenity for Mountrath and the surrounding communities, providing a variety of walking routes and recreational areas.

Population Base

Mountrath has a population of 1,774 with a labour force of 809 locally and 41,332 within a 30 minute drive (CSO 2016 ). The town benefits from a young population, with 29% of total population aged 19 years or younger, compared to 28% nationally and 51% aged 34 years or younger, compared to 47% nationally.

Broadband

Mountrath benefits from the provision of fibre broadband, with a number of fibre cabinets located within the town and providing reliable broadband speeds. The town will also benefit from further improvements in broadband speeds, as part of Eir’s rollout of improved broadband services throughout the country.

Planning Context

Mountrath is designated as a ‘Service Town’ within both the Laois County Development Plan 2017 – 2023 and the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Midland Region 2010 – 2022 and it provides an important retail, residential, service and amenity function for the local hinterland and support for the Principal Town of Portlaoise. Mountrath is provided with zonings for the provision of additional Residential, Commercial, Enterprise & Employment, Industrial, Community-Educational-Institutional and other sustainable development in the future. The Laois County Development Plan 2017 – 2023 zones lands for development in Mountrath as follows:

Land use Ha
Residential 9
General Business 11
Community-Educational-Institutional 20
Industrial 6
Enterprise & Employment 12

Testimonials

“I believe Mountrath has a number of benefits that ensure an advantage to firms operating here. Our central location in the country gives an excellent advantage; Trucks can be anywhere in the country within a couple of hours and as the town is ideally placed beside the M7 motorway, access to and from the area is free flowing. Mountrath has an excellent secondary school, and good fibre broadband in the town is seen as a very important aid to existing businesses and also to attract new employers into the area.”

Martin Meade, Manager, Telfords