Laois

County Laois (pronounced /ˈliːʃ/ "leash" – Irish: Contae Laoise) is one of the twenty-six counties of the Republic of Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster. Its name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. The population of the county is 69,012 according to the 2006 census. Laois is the 23rd largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 24th largest in terms of population.[1] It is the seventh largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and tenth largest in terms of population.