"Modern Abbeyleix is one of the oldest planned estate towns in Ireland. It was largely built in the 18th century by Viscount de Vesci. The Nore regularly flooding made the town an unhealthy place to live. Around 1790, John Vesey determined that the town was not suitable for his tenants, and began to design a new one. The old town was leveled, and the residents moved to the new one. A memorial to the 2nd Viscount de Vesci, paid for by subscriptions, is in the town center. It features a water trough for horses."
Titanic connection
"Today, there is a large range of historical structures still standing in and around the small heritage town - ancient ring forts, burial grounds, churches and estate houses. The town once had a carpet factory, established in 1904 by Yvo de Vesci, the 5th Viscount – notably producing some of the carpets used on the RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic."Source: Wikipedia.