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All Episodes

The LoveLaois Podcast — 162 episodes

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Title
1

Meet the Killenard entrepreneur behind golf's newest coaching and fitness app

2

Rows in the chamber | Alan's confession | zoning challenges

3

Le Skinny Chef - the French man behind the award-winning brand representing Laois at the National Enterprise final

4

From Latvia to Laois - The story behind one of Portlaoise's most-loved flower shops

5

Runaway Joe: Wanted for murder, a new identity, living in Rosenallis, escaping to Cyprus - the mad story of Joe Moloney/Michael O'Shea

6

By-election memories | Council meetings | Bertie's comments

7

The people, the fun, the history and the routes behind the Gordon Bennett Classic Car Run

8

Convent housing | Dr Sean | Council goings-on | Greenfields | Tradfest

9

FF decides | Minister in Mountrath and Portarlington | Main Street challenges

10

Growing up with music, European tours, two bands and Portlaoise Tradfest

11

Samanta Danne | Latvian-Irish | Penneys relaunch | Alan to get on his bike

12

Derval O'Rourke interview - business after sport

13

Padraig Fleming | Irish in the Middle East | Laois's first Centenarian Award

14

Gerry Duffy on the resources available to business leaders - but most never use

15

Lessons for business owners from Lean expert John O'Shanahan

16

Portlaoise band The Controversy on Electric Picnic, humble beginnings and plans for 2026

17

Renaming a roundabout, an underground car park in Laois and SNA debacle

18

100 years of Fianna Fáil, movie stars in Stradbally and the Killanure Klassic

19

Willie Aird on life in the Dáil, milking less and being a TikTok star

20

Menswear, the best of frenemies, new school, malting barley and Motion of the Day

21

Council meeting catch up, Young Scientist achievement and a memorial bench

22

A live audience of one, panto experience, a mannerly council meeting and our Dancing Star

23

Laois County Council CEO Michael Rainey on housing, roads and investment across the county

24

Goldilocks and the Three Beours - Portlaoise Panto set to go centre stage again

25

Brian Stanley on Border Poll, Mary Lou and Team Independent Republican

26

The Christmas, The New Year, the Darts, the great Ben Dunne, Netflix and a Charity Sky Dive

27

Pigs in the council and looking back on the highs and lows of 2026

28

Sean Fleming on Jim Gavin, Micheal Martin, Fianna Fáil and a proper private audience with the pope

29

Aaron Doran - Assisting Evan Ferguson, battling set backs and trying to make it in the League of Ireland

30

Pat McDonagh yarns, Musical magic and council observations

31

Meet the young Laois man whose political activism saw him invited to the inauguration of Catherine Connolly

32

The new President, County Council drama, a trip to the Aviva and bottle lids

33

Polling day is upon us at last - and Cumann na mBunscol mayhem

34

Presidential race nears the end, Jim Gavin remembered and the new Portlaoise Bus Service

35

A Fine Gael head - is there such a thing? And observations from Jim Gavin's canvass in Portlaoise

36

Heather in the library, Maria Steen falls short and Jim Gavin making sausages

37

Previewing the IFC final plus B and relegation deciders as well as Junior A and C

38

When the Irish Presidential Election meets Laois County Council

39

Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins on getting her new car, learning to say no and what lies ahead

40

Reviewing Electric Picnic 2025, performing twice and 2026 ticket scramble

41

Leo Moran of the Saw Doctors and Neven Maguire join us ahead of Electric Picnic

42

Electric Picnic fever, press day, Main Stage prep and Alan's excitement

43

Our preview of Sunday's Ladies Intermediate All-Ireland final

44

Cathaoirleach Barry Walsh on his new role, route into politics of love of community

45

The Laois man working at his fourth British and Irish Lions Tour

46

Meet the Laois teenager who is making waves with St Pat's in the League of Ireland

47

Our Leaving Cert columnist Aoife Fitzpatrick reflects on exams and looks to the future

48

Council rows, Laois Abroad and new careers interview series

49

The Timahoe Male Choir take on Pints In A Field 3 with The 2 Johnnies

50

Beniamin Petre, Electric Picnic, Paschal's path and building a museum in Laois

51

Transition Year Series - Eoghan Deegan (Portlaoise CBS)

52

Transition Year Series – Sean Tuohy (Portlaoise CBS)

53

Meet Conor and Ross Dunne - the Portlaoise twins behind Mooving.ie

54

New Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins - electrician, farmer, dancer and looking forward to Tralee

55

Alison O'Kelly on her business journey, educational stereotypes and hopes for the future

56

Nina Carberry on adjusting to life as an MEP and who she'd love to see as President

57

April Fool's gone wrong, housing situation, Laois company sold and much more

58

Austin Stack on his new book 'Justice for My Father'

59

Ballyfin's Dash to 44 - a wonderful, novel, community event and brilliant fundraiser for local school

60

Shane Buggy - the Laois man in New York on pub scene, their history and the Irish community

61

Reflecting on a week in New York and Electric Picnic attendance increase

62

The New York parade, Mike Dunphy, Michael Rainey, Padraig Fleming and much more

63

Manhattan, Mumbai and Minnesota - Timahoe Male Choir make themselves known to US audience

64

The Friday Panel joined by tillage farmer, brewery owner and now TV star - David Walsh-Kemmis

65

Friday Panel on council drama, school issues, the Laois man in San Fran and unspeakable local tragedies

66

Transition Year Series - Doireann Brennan (Presentation Thurles)

67

Senator Maria McCormack, whirlwind year, Justice for Joe and JP's 40 years

68

New Friday Panel, Seanad elections, double-barreled names and those we have lost

69

Friday Panel returns - New Year's Resolutions, Government, Seanad and Alan says No!

70

John Whelan, poetry and Pogueology's Fairytale of New York

71

LaoisToday live from Dáil Eireann

72

Transition Year Series – Joe Larkin (Portlaoise CBS)

73

The Friday Panel returns - with a new guest and a quiz!

74

Our comprehensive General Election review, winners and losers plus The Monk

75

Day 1 at the Laois General Election Count Centre

76

Transition Year Series - Cathal Carroll (Knockbeg College)

77

Our final General Election preview as Laois set to go to the polls on Friday

78

Charlie Flanagan interview

79

Week 3 of the General Election with the finish line now in sight

80

Debates, coalition options and predictions - our Friday panel is back!

81

10 minutes with Brian Stanley (Independent)

82

10 minutes with Austin Stack (Fianna Fail)

83

10 minutes with Rosie Palmer (Green Party)

84

10 minutes with Elaine Mullally (Independent)

85

10 minutes with Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)

86

10 minutes with Jason Lynch (Independent)

87

10 minutes with Pauline Flanagan (Independent)

88

10 minutes with Willie Aird (Fine Gael)

89

10 minutes with Aisling Moran (Independent)

90

10 minutes with Sean Fleming (Fianna Fail)

91

From Ballyfin to the Sunday Times - Claire Scott on General Election 2024

92

DCU Politics professor Gary Murphy chats Laois, posters and the history of TV debates

93

Our General Election chat with Ivan Yates

94

Week 2 of the General Election campaign as we go 'On the Canvass'

95

General Election discussion as we introduce our panel

96

Transition Year Series - Andrew Whelan (Portlaoise CBS)

97

General Election latest – recording woes, campaign trails, memories and plans

98

Our preview as runners and riders saddle up for General Election 2024

99

Transition Year Series - Megan Kavanagh (Scoil Chríost Rí)

100

People First Credit Union: 'It is so rewarding for us to see progression'

101

Council streaming war, new CEO and jumping out of an aeroplane with the parish priest

102

Ploughing, politicians and the Abbeyleix man fundraising for Childhood Cancer Ireland

103

Fine Gael drama, publicans, authors and county council meetings are back!!

104

Politics, back to school, Rathdowney Outlet Centre and the Ploughing

105

Meet Elaine Mullally who will contest the General Election as an Independent candidate

106

Zach Tuohy interview - looking back on his amazing career and the prospect of playing with Portlaoise and Laois again

107

Our Electric Picnic review featuring Damien Bowe, Roisin Barrett and Alice Laffan

108

Meet John Maye - the new principal of Knockbeg College

109

Talking Points, Tommy Mulligan interview and LaoisToday Awards

110

Portlaoise: Mulligan breaks through, Tuohy holds on, Connell loses out and Skies oer Ballyroan

111

Reflecting on the gripping contest in Graiguecullen-Portarlington

112

Looking back on the battle in Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

113

Conor Bergin, James Kelly, Ollie Clooney, John Joe Fennelly, Joey Kennedy, Aaron Kelly and John Moloney

114

What are tallies? How does PR work? What's the quota? Local Elections in Laois explained

115

10 minutes with John King (Fine Gael) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

116

10 minutes with Dom Dunne (Independent) - Portlaoise

117

10 minutes with Maria McCormack (Sinn Féin) - Portlaoise

118

10 minutes with Barry Walsh (Fine Gael) - Portlaoise

119

10 minutes with Bolaji Adeyanju (Independent) - Portlaoise

120

10 minutes with Marie Tuohy (Labour) - Portlaoise

121

10 minutes with Willie Aird (Fine Gael) - Portlaoise

122

10 minutes with Thomasina Connell (Fine Gael) - Portlaoise

123

10 minutes with Rosie Palmer (Green Party) - Portlaoise

124

10 minutes with Pauline Flanagan (Independent) - Portlaoise

125

10 minutes with Caroline Dwane-Stanley (Sinn Féin)

126

10 minutes with Aisling Moran (Independent) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

127

10 minutes with PJ Kelly (Fine Gael) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

128

10 minutes with Padraig Fleming (Fianna Fáil) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

129

10 minutes with Eoin Barry (Labour) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

130

10 minutes with Charlie Hackett (Green Party) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

131

10 minutes with Paschal McEvoy (Fianna Fáil) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

132

10 minutes with Ben Brennan (Independent) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

133

10 minutes with Vivienne Phelan (Fine Gael) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

134

10 minutes with Aaron Kelly (Sinn Féin) - Graiguecullen-Portarlington

135

10 minutes with Paddy Buggy (Fine Gael) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

136

10 minutes with Conor Bergin (Fine Gael) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

137

10 minutes with Fintan Cuddy (Fianna Fáil) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

138

10 minutes with Lorna Holohan-Garry (Sinn Féin) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

139

10 minutes with Kevin Drennan (Independent) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

140

10 minutes with Helen Campion (Sinn Féin) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

141

10 minutes with James Kelly (Independent) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

142

10 minutes with Brian Phelan (Fianna Fáil) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

143

10 minutes with Fiona Dunne (Green Party) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

144

10 minutes with Bryan Corrigan (Labour) - Borris-in-Ossory/Mountmellick

145

Stephen Dowling from Dunmasc Genetics on his business story and representing Laois at National Enterprise Awards

146

What happens when 'the establishment' tell people that something is 'wrong'?

147

'Tis the season for Local Elections with launches in the air

148

Referendums fallout, businesses open and up for sale and St Patrick's Day parades

149

From Mountmellick to Toronto and back again - the incredible story of Laois author Gary Colton

150

Nightclub closures, Local Election and Referendums, Pat Critchley and Schools QuizCast

151

Francie Gorman on his bid to become the next IFA president

152

Blaise Brosnan on his Owner-Manager Development Programme with Local Enterprise Office Laois

153

David Walsh-Kemmis on family history, beer, brewing and his plans for Ballykilcavan

154

Crime, live streaming, political convention and a new bus route

155

Philip Meagher interview - the man behind Forest Fest, Laois's newest music festival

156

Time to Shine, poster saga, housing issue and paying tribute to Will Sherlock and Jim McDonald

157

LoveLaois Podcast: Meeting the Housing Minister, a Laois man in Offaly and more Ditch discussion

158

Photographing the Irish community in Australia, Fianna Fáil getting ready for battle and the Laois man on Dublin Bus

159

Political movement, The Ditch and legendary photographer Michael Scully on his life and times

160

Roundabouts, rights of way, election countdown and festival fever

161

Laois Rose interview - plus Biden, Kolbe, Mr Personality and Shergar

162

Harry and Meghan reaction, meeting Hilary Clinton and big excitement in Abbeyleix