The Big Story

A community is coming together to raise funds in memory of a young Westmeath woman who lost her life while on holiday in Spain last month. Michaela Newcombe, Michael McCullagh-Crichton and Amy McCullagh died after a road crash in Malaga and will all be laid to rest in the Mullingar area this week. 'Moving for Michaela' is a raising money for the Kevin Bell Repatration Trust which plays a crucial r...

A Westmeath family has narrowly escaped devastating wildfires in Europe with just their passports and the clothes on her back. Around 10,000 people have been evacuated near the French/Spanish border. Mullingar's Orlaith Darcy was camping in Perpignan when a fire struck their site without warning. She has been speaking with Will Faulkner on Midlands Today and says it was a traumatic experience:

A Westmeath man is set to represent Italy alongside his son at the GAA World Games next week.  Rosemount's James Kinahan, who's been living in the northern city of Milan since 2001, will be lining out for Italy GAA, with his son Sean also taking part. The games are an international celebration of Gaelic games, uniting players, clubs, and communities from around the world for a week of Gaelic footb...

A Mullingar woman will represent Westmeath in this year's Rose of Tralee. Caoilfhinn Ní Choiligh impressed judges by sharing her story of living with alopecia since the age of 15. The 25-year-old wants to support others experiencing hair loss so she founded The Hair Loss Haven, a community that offers advice, support and meet ups for members. She will now represent Westmeath at the 2026 Rose of Tr...

Applegreen is set to create up to 40 new jobs in Laois. The American fast food restaurant Popeyes is partnering with its forecourts, with the first one opening at Midway Junction 17 off the M7 in Portlaoise in the coming weeks. It's part of a €6m investment to open outlets at more locations over the next four years. Applegreen's Managing Director in Ireland, and Emo's Seamus Stapleton has been spe...

A Westmeath psychotherapist is warning of the dangers of gambling addiction, by sharing his own experience with it. Daniel Coulter was first exposed to betting as a teenager when he placed and won his first one. He says he use the money his mum gave him for food while he was in college to gamble. He eventually went into treatment to overcome it, studied psychotherapy and opened his own business, S...

13 teachers from a Laois school are taking to the sky this September - and doing a parachute jump to raise funds for a therapy dog. Presentation Primary School in Portarlington is looking to raise €15,000 euro to cover the costs to train and own one through charity My Canine Companion. They were inspired to start fundraising after the visit of another therapy dog from another Laois school. Karen M...

Forest Fest 2026 is almost here. Echo and the Bunnymen, Madness and James wil headline this year's event in Emo from 24th - 26th of July. Mary Coughlan will also be returning after a successful performance last year. She's been speaking to Midlands 103's Sinead Hubble about why she's looking forward to the event:

Portlaoise is set to welcome a vibrant new outdoor space for its youth. Local youth group 'Comhairle na nÓg Laois,' designed the outdoor space to be located in the People's Park in Portlaoise. The new space will feature amphitheatre-style seating, a stage. Páirc an Phobail is scheduled to open at the end of July. Rori Keane from Comhairle na nÓg has been speaking with Midlands 103's Ann Marie Kell...

Shane Ross says there has been secrets in RTÉ since it began in 1961.  The former politician says the book "RTÉ Saints, Scholars and Scandals", came from the 2023 revelations regarding secret payments to star presenter Ryan Tubridy. He says even the board seemed to be unaware of what presenters were being paid in the 1980s. Mr. Ross has been speaking with Will Faulkner on the Midlands Today Show. 

An Offaly manufacturing company is investing €8m in its production facilities. Grant Engineering says the money will fund an expansion of its production facilities and the launch of a new range of hot water cylinders. The Birr based comany has been operating for over 45 years, employing more than 400 people, supplying markets in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and New Zealand. Grant says the investment u...

Businesses across the region are celebrating after picking up awards at the Midlands 103 Customer Service Awards. 61 awards were handed out at the Tullamore Court Hotel last night recognising individuals and companies for their excellence service. Legal Firm of the Year was picked up by Byrne Carolan Cunningham Solicitors, Athlone, while Damian Foy, TF Building Contractors from Rhode took the titl...

Irish Holocaust survivor Tomi Reichental has died at the age of 90. The Slovakian born Jew lost 35 members of his family during the Holocaust and was imprisoned as a child in Bergen Belsen concentration camp in Germany. In 1959, he moved to Ireland and spent his retirement giving talks to thousands of school children about the horrors he witnessed. Speaking in Tullamore six years ago, he shared hi...

Two brothers are undertaking their 31st Marathon in 31 days in order to raise awareness about Dementia. Jordan and Cian Adams carry the gene for frontotemporal dementia and lost their mum at the age of 52 to the illness. The brothers ran through Portlaoise yesterday and are running in the Tullamore area today. Supporters gather in Llyod town park this morning to join them in today's marathon. Midl...

The family of a Laois woman, who died after her partner stabbed her at least 13 times, says her little boy is going to grow up without a mammy, because she was killed by a monster. 39-year-old Sean Egan, who was formerly of Rathmiles in Portarlington, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility of Sharon Crean on 14 December 2022 at College Avenue in Moun...

A Westmeath activist says she was beaten while she was detained by Israeli forces. Moate's Louise McCormack returned home to Ireland on Saturday among 13 other Irish citizens. She had been a boat organiser on the Global Smud Flotilla providing aid in the form of food, baby formula and medicine to Gaza. Ms. McCormack has been speaking with Will Faulkner on "Midlands Today" and says she was grabbed...

A Laois man says he aims to bring closure and comfort to those who have lost their family pet through his business. Tom Moore founded the Rainbow Bridge Pet Cremation centre in Portlaoise last summer, after considering a career change during the Covid pandemic. It provides personalised cremation options, memorial keepsakes, and a donation to Laois SPCA with every cremation. Mr Moore has been speak...

The President of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann met King Charles and Queen Camilla in Belfast this week. The Royals were welcomed to the Titanic Quarter, with Irish traditional music, as the first-ever Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann will be hosted in Belfast this August. The Monarchs performed with a folk group, sipped whiskey, and met charity beneficiaries, during a visit. Offaly's Attracta Brady has bee...

A new book undercovering serial fraudster, and her deception across the Midlands and Ireland has been released. 'Unmasking Samantha Cookes, The Many Lives Of A Serial Fraudster' is by Alan Bradley, and it uncovers fresh allegations involving fake illnesses, false identities and scams targeting families, charities and universities. The book details how she slipped seamlessly from au pair and nanny...

Families across the Midlands are highlighting the importance of saving a life through organ donation. Killeigh's Carol and Willie Grennan, who lost their son Tiernan in May 2023 to a brain aneurysm at just 20 years old, donated kidneys and liver donated and Mullingar's Orla Thornton's sister Nicola died at the age of 18 in 1995. The family donated her liver and corneas successfully. Organ Donor Aw...

An Olympic swimmer with connections to Laois is set to compete at the first ever Enhanced Games this week. Shane Ryan, who retired from competitive action last October, will be one of athletes taking part in this week's event, which will allow athletes to use performance-enhancing substances during the competition. His dad is from Portarlington. Each event winner is set to earn about €22,000, whil...

A midlands woman, who is running one of the most successful sales company, says it's all about building relationships. Lorraine Butler, who is the of CEO CPM Ireland & UK, commutes from Laois to the London. She says it takes six hours from door to door. She has been speaking with Will Faulkner on Midlands Today.

Nearly half of workers in Ireland believe their teams are understaffed. The survey by human resources software company SD Worx found that many feel their skills are being wasted, and almost four in ten are already searching for a new job. So what’s really driving this wave of frustration? Is it burnout? Poor management? A lack of training and career growth? Or are employers simply struggling to ke...

People are being asked to think big and come up with ideas to improve a midlands town. Over 70 people attended the Tullamore Chamber of Commerce's Tullamore Think big and Plan Mór public meeting last night. Issues around housing, employment, and derelict buildings were raised. A call was made for the local authority to hire a Development Officer for the area to ensure projects are realised. Midlan...

A Hollywood A-lister has been spotted in the Midlands this week. Brad Pitt is in Laois filming his new movie, The Riders. The Oscar winner was seen waving to fans as he left set in Ballyadams yesterday. The film is a adaptation of the Booker prize shortlisted Tim Winton book of the same name, which sees the story's protagonist setting up a new life in Ireland. Antoinette Brennan, PRO of St. Joseph...