The LoveLaois Podcast

A dairy farmer in Portlaoise, Willie Aird is a veteran elected representative of 45 years, having been first elected to the old Portlaoise Town Commission in 1979 and then to the Council itself in 1985.This is his first attempt on a national level and he is looking to hold the seat vacated by Charlie Flanagan.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Pauline Flanagan shocked us all, and maybe even herself, as she announced herself as a candidate at the last minute.Co-opted as a Laois County Councillor by Fianna Fail following the death of Jerry Lodge in 2018, she lost that seat in 2019. She ran for the party in the 2020 General Election and as an Independent in the Local Election in June.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Sean Fleming is now the longest-standing politician on the ballot paper. First elected in 1997, he has held his seat in each of the subsequent elections – 2002, 2007, 2016 (when he topped the poll for the first time) and 2020.This will be his seventh election to contest and if the next Dáil runs its full term, he’ll be on course to serve 29 years in Leinster House.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Jason Lynch was very late to declare but has entered the race as an Independent.A paramedic from Portlaoise, his story is very interesting and he outlines the reasons he put himself forward.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Maria McCormack, who lives in Portlaoise but is a native of Ballyroan, is Sinn Fein’s candidate - replacing Brian Stanley.A candidate in the recent Local Elections in Portlaoise, she got just 276 first preference votes though if the 2020 General is anything to go by, there could be considerable growth on that.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Aisling Moran from Killeen is an Independent – and has enlisted the support of her Laois County Council colleagues Ben Brennan from Crettyard, James Kelly from Mountrath and Tommy Mulligan from Portlaoise.From the Killeen-Ballylinan area, Moran has been a Laois County Councillor since being elected for the first time in 2019. On that occasion she retained the seat for the Fine Gael party, which had been previously held by her late father John.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Portarlington woman Elaine Mullally, who owns Clown Around play centre in the town, was among the first confirmed candidates in Laois for this General Election and certainly the first of the new faces.A founding member of Independent Ireland in early 2023, she was an influential figure in their Local and European Election campaigns – but parted ways shortly after.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

From Ballinakill, Palmer was the Green Party’s candidate in the Portlaoise Municipal District in the Local Elections back in June.But that was a tough day for the Greens and she got just 296 first preference votes and was never in contention. A Parliamentary Assistant with Minister Pippa Hackett, she has fronted up again on this occasion.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Austin Stack entered the race late enough as he was added to the ticket by Fianna Fail HQ.A retired prison officer, Austin is the son of Brian Stack who was murdered by the Provisional IRA after being shot in 1983.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

A Sinn Féin TD since 2011 and a councillor prior to that since 1999, the Brian Stanley/Sinn Fein saga has been well documented at this stage.After resigning from the party, Stanley is now an Independent Republican and looking to to retain his seat.All candidates were asked to address the same three items: how they came to be a candidate, what they would like to see achieved in the lifetime of the next Government and why someone should vote for them.

Ballyfin woman Claire Scott has a bird's eye view of General Election 2024 on a national level. We chatted to her on Tuesday afternoon from her office in Leinster House, where she is based as a political correspondent with the Sunday Times. She chats about her career to date from Ballyfin College to UCD, DCU and her work with Dublin Live, the Mail on Sunday and more recently the Sunday Times. In the past couple of weeks she has been on the national campaign trail, travelling around the country observing Simon Harris, Micheal Martin, Mary Lou McDonald and Roderick O'Gorman. She chats about that, the role of a Sunday newspaper correspondent and the type of coverage she likes to consume herself. 

The latest guest on our LoveLaois General Election Podcast is Gary Murphy, the Professor of Politics in DCU who is a regular contributor on various national radio and TV programmes. Though he is living and working in Dublin for the best part of 30 years now, his distinctive Cork accent is a staple on the airwaves. On top of that he has lectured a remarkable and wide variety of students over the years, including current Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, Oliver Callan and Catriona Perry. In this episode he gets into the nitty-gritty of the Laois constituency in this General Election as well as a potted history on TV debates and his view on the role posters play in election campaigns. 

Apologies for the quality of the audio - and thanks to Paul Dargan for his help in even rescuing this file - but this is our chat with Ivan Yates, recorded last Monday, November 18

The General Election is in full swing now as we are now 11 days from polling day. Steven Miller is joined by Alan Hartnett to look back on the last week. The pair have been 'On the Canvass' with several candidates across the county. They tell of their experiences so far and look ahead to what is to come. 

By this day two weeks, all of the talking will be over and the people will be exercising their vote.But we have another two weeks of the campaign to go and have assembled a panel to discuss all that has gone on to date.Steven Miller is in the presenters chair and is joined by a number of political personalities.Fine Gael Councillor for the Graigueculllen-Portarlington area, Vivienne Phelan, is here.While Brian Phelan, who ran for Fianna Fail in the Borris-Mountmellick area in the Local Elections in June, also features.Helen Campion who ran for Sinn Fein in the same area during the summer also contributes.While the panel is completed by Labour's Eoin Barry who ran for the party in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington district in June.In what is at times a robust discussion, all four get their views across.

The second episode in our Transition Year series where we hear from Portlaoise CBS student Andrew Whelan.Our Transition Year series is brought to you in association with People First Credit Union.  People First Credit Union support young minds in shaping their future.People First believe in the power of community and the potential of youth. People First Credit Union – building a future of opportunity, one saver at a time.

We had a bit of a mishap recording this week.On Monday afternoon we chatted with broadcaster Ivan Yates, the former Fine Gael Government minister turned pundit. Unfortunately we ran into trouble with the file, which is now being examined to see can it be retrieved.In any case, Steven and Alan sat down for a midweek General Election chat.What has Alan’s favourite viral moment been? Steven looks back at the last time a General Election was held in November, in 1992, and what it’s like going on the campaign trail with the candidates.We chat about our interview with Brian Stanley this week, our podcast plans and a variety of other topics along the way.

The date has been confirmed and the countdown to General Election 2024 is well an truly underway. Here at LaoisToday, we plan to produce three Podcasts a week in the run up to November 29. This is the first one and Alan Hartnett is joined by Steven Miller to review what has happened to date. From Brian Stanley v Sinn Fein to various election launches, the lads cover it all. 

Moving school at any age can never be easy but it's something that Megan Kavanagh did when she and her family moved to Ireland, having lived previously in London. Megan had done all her primary school education in London before moving to Portlaoise ahead of her starting second year in Scoil Chríost Rí. Now in Transition Year and on work experience in LaoisToday, she is the first guest on our new Podcast series. "I moved over from England so I missed out on first year," she explains. "Transition Year was definitely a good chance to catch up on anything I missed. A lot to catch up on myself. "I was told it was a good break year - you get a lot of opportunities like musicals and trips and obviously work experience and you don't get that in England. "There are some teachers and students that still call it a doss year," she jokes. (But) I am definitely enjoying it. So much stuff has happened, so many opportunities have opened ... it's great fun."In a good-humoured chat, she goes through some of the differences between growing up in Ireland and England, trying to explain to her English friends about the GAA and not having to do Irish in school. "Mainly the curriculum is a lot different - Irish history and English history are two very different things!"I don't know if this is just me but the teachers are so much calmer here. In England I feel they were very serious about school. Obviously they are here too but just more friendly and easier to talk to."And she describes how nervous an experience it was moving to a new school - and how she remembers how warm a welcome she was give.  "I was shaking walking in ... I was terrified," she recalls now. "I was only shown around the day before in. I didn't have a clue what I was doing."But it didn't take long to settle in. "It didn't take too long because I met a great group of girls. They welcomed me, they showed me around, they just hung out with me."They were great fun, still friends with them now. It was easy enough settling in because of them and the teachers as well once they understood I had never been here."

The clue is in the name: People First Credit Union. "We are very heavily involved in the community," says Carol Murphy, their Marketing Manager, speaking on this week's LoveLaois Podcast as People First Credit Union have come on board to sponsor our new Transition Year Podcast series. "We like to think we are member first, they are our people they are what make our credit unions."Formed in 1969 as Portlaoise Credit Union, but more recently taking in branches in Abbeyleix, Stradbally and Athy to form People First Credit Union, it's an organisation that has helped countless people over the years. Whether it's for a student loan, a holiday loan or, in more recent times, a farm loan or a mortgage, People First Credit Union can be with you right throughout your life. Many savings accounts start with the Communion or Confirmation moment. "You see so many people that come back again and again and again because they might have been refused in other places or didn't meet certain criteria or whatever it might be," explains Carol. "You have had your loan and then maybe your daughter or son will come to them because you will start to process in the family. It is so rewarding for us to see, there is 'Tommy', he took his first car loan with us and now he is there with 'Nicola' and they're taking out a mortgage. Then they're coming in with their first child and it is lovely to see that progression."And she says that people dealing with their local Credit Union has the circular effect of helping someone else. "They are helping us by taking loans. You are helping other people in the community by trusting us with your finances."And they are quick to give back to the community too in other ways - their annual Community Champion award gives €10,000 to a local group; last year they gave €42,000 in supports through their Community Fund; they give a €1,000 scholarship to one student in each of the seven secondary schools in their Common Bond area; they have quizzes and art competitions for the primary schools and organise a massive careers night every second year for Leaving Cert students. You can listen to the interview in full with Carol in this week's Love Laois podcast as she discusses the range of services offered by People First, memories of her own first job and teaching her own children about saving.