The LoveLaois Podcast

The Laois County Council monthly meeting returned this week and with it came another episode of screaming, shouting, finger-pointing and name-calling. A lot of it was concerned with the proposed streaming of these actual meetings. 
Mark Comerford was reporting on the latest bouts of drama while we also discuss the appointment of a new Council CEO, a prison story - and Steven is joined by Stradbally parish priest Fr David Vard as both of them are jumping out of a plane this weekend. 

We missed a week of the Love Laois Podcast last week because of the Ploughing - and that's where we start, chatting about last week's event in Ratheniska.

The glorious weather helped make for a wonderful event and LaoisToday were proud to record a live episode at the Briggs Equipment stand for Laois Hire, the official sponsors of Laois GAA.

Steven and Alan chat about the occasion, the seemingly improved food offerings, the phenomenon that is the popularity of GAA jerseys - and the large presence of politicians.

From eating Green Party apples to questionable Sinn Féin coffee, Fianna Fáil tea and a brief encounter with Taoiseach Simon Harris, there is no doubt they all have a General Election in their minds.

We also ponder the struggles of the Hippie Chippie, whose prospective customers may not necessarily be Ploughing clientele.

And we chat to Steven Reilly from Abbeyleix, who is fundraising for Childhood Cancer Ireland in the wake of his son Jude's leukemia over the past year.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so by clicking here

The incredible drama at last week's Fine Gael General Election selection convention gets priority treatment on this week's LoveLaois Podcast. 

The long-serving Portlaoise-based councillor Willie Aird will be the party's candidate in the next election, whenever that may be, after his council colleague Conor Bergin withdrew his name at the last minute. 

What brought about the change? What does it mean for the future and why the LaoisToday team hopes the General Election isn't until early 2025!

We also discuss our interview with retiring Portlaoise publican Seamus Donoghue as well as our chat last week with Crettyard author Lorna Sixsmith and the publication of her first novel. 

Plus we chat about the return of the Laois County Council monthly meetings and some of the musings from this week's Municipal District offerings. 

Our latest LoveLaois Podcast is a real mixed bag of topics - with everything from politics to school to agriculture and a potted history of the Rathdowney Outlet Centre. 

It's a big week on the local political scene with the Fine Gael party in Laois set to select their candidate to contest the next General Election. 

The retirement of Charlie Flanagan means there is a wide open contest to see who replaces him and it should make for a fascinating contest in the Killeshin Hotel on Thursday night. 

It has also been a big week for Sinn Féin, with the decision of long-serving Portarlington councillor Aidan Mullins to leave the party. Plus we talk about the Independents and if more candidates will enter the race. 

Away from politics we talk about Dan Donoher's first day at school, our interview with Sean Smyth, the new principal in Scoil Chríost Rí, the heartwarming story of Ballyfin woman Cathy Clear who returned to education in her 70s. 

Plus we discuss the launch of this year's Ploughing, which is in Ratheniska from September 17-19, and the Clonaslee Show, which has it's 70th event on this Sunday, September 8. 

A Portarlington business-owner will run as an Independent candidate in the upcoming General Election.

Elaine Mullally, who owns Clown Around play centre in Portarlington, officially announced her candidacy recently.

She joined us on the LoveLaois Podcast and outlined why she has decided to contest the election.

Elaine said: "In the last four years, I became completely disillusioned with the whole political system and politicians.

"It was complete frustration. I was writing to TDs and emailing them about different issues and getting no response.

"It is like for the last couple of years that they (elected TDs) are not listening to the people who voted for them.

"It is like we don't exist to a lot of them - not all, as there are good people - but the majority.

"And especially the parties. Again, they probably have good people involved, but they are just closed off to listening to people.

"I still am disillusioned. I can't understand how the main parties seem to think they are separate from the people in their towns and villages."

18 months ago, Elaine founded Independent Ireland - a then new political party.

It started out with three TDs and following the European and Local Elections in the summer, had 23 Councillors and one MEP.

However, shortly after, Mullally announced that she had left the party. 

While Ciaran Mullooly's decision to join Renew in the European Parliament upset many in Independent Ireland, Mullally says this wasn't the only factor in her choice to depart. 

She said: "I got on very well with everyone in the party but I just felt my voice wasn't being heard. 

"For me, I felt I was the voice of the people. I wasn't elected and I was on the ground, talking to people. 

"For the Referendums, I was hearing directly from people that they were voting 'No' 'No' - I was a complete advocate for that and I got it very hard to convince party members to come around to that."

Elaine has set out eight 'priorities' on which she will fight her General Election campaign - housing, cost of living, immigration, mental health, small business, farmers, education and crime. 

As she embarks on her campaign, Elaine will be hosting a series of public meetings across Laois.

She says that these meetings are designed not just for her to speak, but to listen to the concerns of her constituents.

"My public meetings are less about me talking and more about hearing the deep-held concerns of the people of Laois.

"I want to ensure that I am truly representing their interests on the ground."

The first meeting is scheduled for September 3 at 8PM in the Portlaoise Parish Centre.

Further meetings will be held in Portarlington Community Centre (Sept 4), Morrisey's Pub in Abbeyleix (Sept 10), Clonaslee Heritage Centre (Sept 12), Mountmellick MDA (Sept 18), Bloom HQ in Mountrath (Sept 19) and Killeshin Hall (Sept 25) - all scheduled for 8pm.

We chatted with Zach Tuohy, who recently announced his retirement from his Australian Rules career. 
Zach chatted about why he chose to retire now, his career in general and what comes next. 
He's committed to playing with Portlaoise and Laois, if possible, in the coming seasons. 
He also discusses his upcoming book The Irish Experiment which will be published before Christmas. 

Our latest LoveLaois Podcast is here and this one is all about the 2024 Electric Picnic Arts and Music Festival. 

Steven Miller is joined by Alan Hartnett and Liam Cunningham to look back at a memorable few days in Stradbally. 

The lads pick out their top three acts and reflect on the success of the first ever LaoisToday QuizCast. 

The episode also hears from people who were part of the massive amount of Laois talent who performed.

Damien Bowe is on hand to talk about the success of the Timahoe Choir while Roisin Barrett of the Mary Wallopers also speaks about her experience on the Main Stage. 

We also hear from Alice Laffan who opened the Croí stage as Just Alice. 

The episode ends with her song 'Wait'.

John Maye is returning to Knockbeg College as principal of the school for the forthcoming academic year.

After leaving in 2018, he became the deputy principal in St Conleth's Community College in Newbridge before taking up the role of principal in Duiske College in Graiguenamanagh.

Now, after Michael Carew’s retirement, John is set to return and before hand, he spoke to Alan Hartnett on the LaoisToday Podcast.

The Local Elections are behind us now and this final Podcast on the subject wraps it all up. 

Steven Miller is joined by Alan Hartnett to pick out the main talking points from the election. 

After inadvertently leaving it out of the Portlaoise Podcast, we also hear from Tommy Mulligan. 

While the lads then return to give out some 'awards' from the election itself.  

The most impressive breakthrough performance in this Local Election campaign in Laois was that of Independent candidate Tommy Mulligan.

He took the third seat in Portlaoise, with outgoing Fine Gael candidate Thomasina Connell the one to lose out.

Marie Tuohy was also a considerable success story as she held on to the seat she was co-opted into, impressively picking up a raft of transfers from across the board. Naeem Iqbal had polled strongly initially to be only eight votes behind Tuohy on the first count.

We look back at the count in detail as well as hearing from Tommy Mulligan (Independent), Naeem Iqbal (Fianna Fail), Catherine Fitzgerald (Fianna Fail), John Joe Fennelly (Fianna Fail), Marie Tuohy (Labour) and Barry Walsh (Fine Gael).

Plus, this episode plays out with an airing of the Skies oer Ballyroan, the famous Ballyroan song which gets an airing on big moments for that community as it did on this occasion when their man Barry Walsh was elected.