Local photography enthusiasts capture life and heritage in Laois

Photographer Alf Harvey led a five-week course with Abbeyleix Vitality Hub

Published 14th Aug 2026, 13:25 BST Updated 14th Aug 2026, 13:30 BST Ellen and Michelle Harvey with Ruby Allen, Alison and Arthur Harvey alongside Ellen’s and Arthur’s photographs at the Abbeyleix Vitality Hub group photography exhibition. Photo: Julie Harvey. Photographer Alf Harvey led a five-week course with Abbeyleix Vitality Hub Sign up to our Laois Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Laois Live within your account.

Photography enthusiasts embarked on a fascinating photography course in Laois recently.

Abbeyleix Vitality Hub has been running a photography course, entitled ‘Creative Encounter with Abbeyleix Heritage’, for the past five weeks.

The established photographer Alf Harvey led the course which was funded by Creative Ireland and administered by Laois County Council.

During the five-week course, the group immersed themselves in the built and natural heritage of Abbeyleix and learned essential photography skills.

They also visited Portlaoise and learned how to photograph people and places at the Youth Electric Music event.

The group embarked on a trip to Abbeyleix Bog where they looked at how to photograph its unique features as well as to Fr Breen Park which is home to the Abbeyleix Vitality Hub.

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The group’s work was displayed at an exhibition, opened by David Broderick of Creative Ireland and Laois County Council, at the Abbeyleix Vitality Hub on Thursday, August 6.

A culture and wellbeing programme, the Creative Ireland Programme is administered through local authorities and is supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

In Laois, a ‘Sense of Place’ is the overarching theme in which culture and creativity are recognised as integral to life within County Laois, with multi-faceted portals for everyone in the county to become involved in creativity and culture be that as initiators and innovators as well as participants and audiences.