The Swan, County Laois
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The Swan
An Eala | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 The Swan Inn, from which the village takes its name | |
  The Swan Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 52°53′20″N 7°09′37″W / 52.888828°N 07.160244°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Laois |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | S563825 |
Swan or The Swan (Irish: an Eala)[1] is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. Around 20 km south-east of Portlaoise, it lies near the County Kilkenny border where the R430 regional road crosses the R426. The village lies within the townland of Slatt (Lower), in the civil parish of Rathaspick.
Amenities
The village is largely linear, developed along the R430 regional road. There are no shops in the village, and it is served primarily by the pub, and a community centre in the centre of the village. Other community amenities include an outdoor playground and playing pitches.[2] The local national (primary) school is Swan National School.[citation needed]
Economy
Fleming's Fireclays was started by PJ Fleming in 1935. It generated employment for the village and the surrounding areas and provided housing for many of its workers. These houses constituted nearly all the dwellings in the village until 2003, when two new housing projects began and the number of houses has almost doubled as a result. The factory utilises fireclay, which is an abundant local resource, to make bricks and chimney flues. The factory was rebranded as Lagan Brick when Flemings Fireclay was absorbed into the Lagan Group.[citation needed]
