Abbeyleix was founded in the 18th century as a town by Viscount de Vesci and is situated near a 12th century Cistercian monastery beside the River Nore.

Today, there is a large range of historical structures still standing in and around the small village - ancient ring forts, burial grounds, early monastic buildings, Norman and mediaeval castles, churches and colonial estate houses. The town once had a carpet factory - notably producing some of the carpets used on the RMS Titanic.