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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Mountmellick
Móinteach Mílic
Skip as a base unless you are hiking the Slieve Bloom: one night, or a half-day stop between Portlaoise and Tullamore.
Mountmellick is a small County Laois town of about 4,900 people, once a Quaker industrial centre of breweries, mills and glassworks. Almost none of that survives; the embroidery museum is the one indoor sight and the Slieve Bloom Mountains to the west are the real reason to come. Most travellers pass through on the Bus Éireann 73 or use it as a cheap bed for a hiking day.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Móinteach Mílic
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, short days, trails muddy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire 112 · Police, ambulance, fire (alternative) 999
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | €3–4 |
| Fish and chips or a burger | €10–15 |
| Chinese takeaway main | €9–14 |
| Pint of stout in a local bar | €5–6 |
| Taxi Portlaoise to Mountmellick | €18–25 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DUB · Dublin Airport
- Bus to Portlaoise, then Bus Éireann 73 or a taxi; about 2–2.5 h door to door
Typical fares
- Bus Éireann 73, Portlaoise → Mountmellick
- about €4, 20 min
- Taxi Portlaoise station → Mountmellick
- €18–25
- Slieve Bloom Coach 841, Mountmellick → Tullamore
- about €8–10, 1 h, Mon–Sat only
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. For Glenbarrow, Brittas Forest or any Slieve Bloom trail you need a car or a lift: there is no local bus to the trailheads. Portlaoise, 10 km (6.2 mi) east, is the rail and bus hub.The town is walkable in 15 minutes end to end. For Glenbarrow, Brittas Forest or any Slieve Bloom trail you need a car or a lift: there is no local bus to the trailheads. Portlaoise, 6.2 mi (10 km) east, is the rail and bus hub.
See and do
Known for
- Mountmellick embroidery and lace
- Quaker industrial history
- Slieve Bloom Mountains access
- Glenbarrow and the River Barrow
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Glenbarrow, Slieve Bloom Mountains | Drive R422 west, then minor roads to the Glenbarrow car park | About 20 min by car |
| Brittas Forest, near Clonaslee | Drive north-west via Rosenallis and Clonaslee | About 30 min by car |
| Portlaoise | Bus Éireann 73, or drive the R422/N80 | About 20 min |
| Portarlington and Emo Court | Drive east via the R422 | About 30 min by car |
| Tullamore | Slieve Bloom Coach 841, three times Monday–Saturday | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Town centre (O'Connell Square, Market St)
- Walk to pubs, shops and the bus stop; very few beds, so book ahead.
- Irishtown / outskirts
- Self-catering and B&B options 1 km (0.6 mi) out; you need a car for the mountains.Self-catering and B&B options 0.6 mi (1 km) out; you need a car for the mountains.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the bus stop? | Cá bhfuil an stad bus?kaw will an stad bus |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No train station: Portlaoise is the nearest, about 10 km east.
- Local Link 558 from Portlaoise runs on Tuesdays only; check the timetable before you rely on it.
- The embroidery museum has been closed for long stretches: confirm it is open before travelling for it.
- Trail car parks at Glenbarrow fill on sunny weekends; go early.
A quiet, low-crime town; the real risks are wet, unlit rural roads at night, muddy mountain trails and long waits if you miss the last bus back from Portlaoise.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mountmellick yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mountmellick embroidery and lace
- Quaker industrial history
- Slieve Bloom Mountains access
- Glenbarrow and the River Barrow
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bus Éireann: www.buseireann.ie/
- Wikivoyage: Mountmellick, revision 4879572 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4879572
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MountmellickMóinteach Mílic
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Mountmellick; most are in Dublin. US citizens: the US Embassy is in Dublin (check the address).
Bus stop is central on Market Street; the nearest rail station is Portlaoise, about 10 km (6.2 mi) east.Bus stop is central on Market Street; the nearest rail station is Portlaoise, about 6.2 mi (10 km) east.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mountmellick). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.