The LoveLaois Podcast

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 im...

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 me...

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...

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...

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 am...

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 LaoisT...

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 acro...

There's always one area that throws up an election thriller. And this year it was in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District where Fine Gael candidates PJ Kelly and Vivienne Phelan slugged it out for the final seat. After the first count Kelly was 191 votes ahead but the transfer-friendly Phelan eat into that lead bit by bit before final getting in front following the distribution of Ai...

Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick have returned the same six candidates to Laois County Council in this year's Local Elections. But there is still a lot to talk about. Conor Bergin's massive vote, the enduring vote-getting ability of Fianna Fail duo Seamus McDonald and Paddy Bracken and how Paddy Buggy missed out on a seat despite a huge first preference showing. As well as looking back on the count,...

Day 2 of the 2024 Local Elections in Laois are ongoing and we now finally have a few results.  Before the first count was announced, Alan Hartnett joined Steven Miller.  The pair reflected on the first two days of the Local Elections and what has, or hasn't, happened thus far.  And Steven also caught up with a number of the candidates who are contesting seats.  Independent James Kelly was up first...

We are one day out from voting in the 2024 Local and European Elections with excitement and anticipation building in equal measure.  So, Alan Hartnett and Steven Miller are here to explain all of the terminology and jargon that you are going to hear over the next few days.  What are tallies? Who are tallymen (and women) and how do they do their work? What is the quota? How it is calculated and wha...

John King from Rathdowney has been a Fine Gael councillor since 2009 when he was elected at the third time of asking having missed out in 1999 and 2004.  Born and raised in Errill, he moved to Rathdowney when he started working and he discusses his varied career - as a butcher, school caretaker, and fireman while he also farms. He chats about some of the work he is proud of over his 15 years as a...

Caroline Dwane-Stanley was first elected to Laois County Council in 2014 and is seeking a third term in the Portlaoise Municipal District. In this wide-ranging chat she chats about how she first got involved in local activism and some of the key projects she'd like to see developed in Portlaoise in the coming years.  She is hoping for a record Sinn Féin representation when the council resumes and...

Pauline Flanagan missed out on a seat at her first attempt in 2019 when she was then a Fianna Fáil candidate and running under her maiden name Madigan.  Now she is an Independent and looking to build on that experience from five years ago as well as her 2020 General Election bid. She chats about her decision to leave Fianna Fáil and discusses some of the issues she sees in Portlaoise, which she'd...

Rosie Palmer is a first-time candidate, from Ballinakill, running for the Green Party in the Portlaoise Municipal District.  Part of Minister Pippa Hackett's parliamentary team, she chats about how she became involved with the Greens, the projects she would like to work on and how becoming a mother at a young age has helped shaped her outlook on local and national issues. 

Thomasina Connell was elected to the Portlaoise Municipal District in 2019, taking the last seat after a mammoth battle as a first-time Local Election candidate.  She has since served five years on the council, including a year as Cathaoirleach and made history by becoming the first Laois councillor to have a baby while in office. She chats about her experience across that five-year term and what...

The first time Willie Aird was eligible to vote, he voted for himself! That was way back in 1979 when he was elected to the then Portlaoise Town Commission and he duly won a seat on Laois County Council in 1985 and has subsequently held his seat at each of the six Local Elections since.  He talks about what has changed over the years, what has stayed the same, how he still has the same energy more...

Marie Tuohy is no stranger to the election campaign trail - having been a key figure alongside her husband Noel when he was successfully elected to Laois County Council in 2014 and 2019 and in the 2020 General Election.  But she is a candidate in her own right on this occasion, having been co-opted to fill the seat left vacant following Noel's retirement on health grounds. She chats about her back...

Bolaji Adeyanju is an Independent candidate running in the Portlaoise Municipal District. A Nigerian native, he chats about how he came to live in Ireland, his involvement in the African community here and his experiences of settling in Ireland.  He also discusses some of the key issues he sees as a council candidate in Portlaoise, why he feels he would make a good councillor and what he'd like to...

Barry Walsh is an outgoing councillor having replaced Mary Sweeney when she stepped down - but fights this election in his own right. The Ballyroan man talks about his involvement in various community groups, how he got into politics, coming into the council mid term and what he'd like to achieve over the next five years. 

Maria McCormack is a new candidate for Sinn Féin in Portlaoise. Originally from Tipperary, she moved to Ballyroan at a young age and has lived in Portlaoise for a long number of years. She brings considerable political heritage through her great-grandfather Jim Lewis from Morette in Emo who was a councillor.  She chats about why she decided to join Sinn Féin, working alongside Brian Stanley and wh...

Dom Dunne came within just over 50 votes of winning the final seat in the Portlaoise Municipal District in 2019, then as a candidate for the Renua party.  He is back on this occasion as an Independent where he is hoping to build on that vote. He speaks about his background, the challenges that he sees around Portlaoise and his main priorities over the next five years if he's elected. 

Aisling Moran is a sitting county councillor, running as an Independent on this occasion, having been elected for Fine Gael in 2019. She discusses why she left Fine Gael and her early memories working with her father who was a councillor for 28 years.  She explains why she loves the job, how she enjoys helping people and the importance of accountability and transparency in public life.