Heritage House
Intro:
Housed in the Old North National School, our Heritage Centre interprets the 
Planned Estate Town of the de Vesci Landlords, once home to the Abbeyleix Carpet Factory, where a number of hand-tufted carpets were made for the state rooms of the Titanic
Location:We are located in the former North Boy’s School, a beautiful cut stone building dating from 1884 and you can find us at the North or Dublin side of the towm on the N8.
Admission Charges:
We charge a small admission fee, the proceeds of which go towards the upkeep and development of our collection of historical memorabilia.
Adult:€3 Student €2.50 Group/Senior €2
Opening Hours:
Mon – Fri: 9am – 5 pm (All year, except bank holidays)
Sat & Sun: 1pm – 5pm (May to Sept)
Website: www.heritagehousemuseum.com
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The History of the North School
The story of the North National School begins with the 3rd Viscount and his marriage to Lady Emma Herbert, daughter o f the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery. The de Vesci’s were intent on the development of the new town of Abbeyleix, to the extent that the terms of marriage of the 3rd Viscount to Lady Emma included an agreement from her father to build a terrace of houses in the new town. Today, Pembroke Terrace remains one of the most striking pieces of architecture and represents a significant piece of the built heritage of Co.Laois
Abbeyleix Heritage Titanic Exhibition
The Titanic exhibition at Heritage House celebrates the initiative of Ivo de Vesci, the 5th Viscount, who was 
instrumental in setting up a very successful carpet factory in Abbeyleix in 1904. Making high quality carpets, the factory supplied carpets to Harrods in London, Marshall Fields in Chicago and supplied specific orders for the coronation of King George V, for the secretary’s office in the Grandstand at Royal Ascot , for the Mansion House in Dublin and many more.
Forced to amalgamate with a factory in Kildare and losing control of the Abbeyleix factory, the Titanic connection was born out of Ivo de Vesci’s determination to win back the factory. Following a personal drive to fill orders for the flagging factory, The White Star Line ordered four hand-tufted rugs for the S.S. Olympic, built at Harland and Wolff and launched in 1911. When the Titanic was being fitted out, The White Star Line, impressed with the quality of the carpets supplied to the Olympic, ordered three hand-tufted carpets for the state rooms of the S.S. Titanic.
Believing the fortunes of the factory to be on the turn, and recognising the power of advertising, Ivo de Vesci had the foresight to photograph the Titanic carpets on the looms at Abbeyleix A copy of that photograph forms part of the Titanic Exhibition, and uniquely, a photograph from the Fr. Brown collection depicting the writing room on the Titanic clearly shows one of the Abbeyleix rugs in situ on the Titanic.
The Titanic exhibition is complemented with some wonderful memorabilia which is on loan from The Shannon Ulster Titanic Society.
Abbeyleix Heritage Company is indebted to Patrick Toms for his continued support of the Titanic Exhibition at Heritage House.
