Caroline Allen
Caroline Allen is a freelance journalist based in Portlaoise. She has written for numerous local and national publications and lives outside Portlaoise with her husband Martin and sons Evan and Colin
Award winning actor who spent years working in Portlaoise set to stage a comeback
An award-winning actor who spent several years working in Portlaoise Post Office and who won awards at Laois Drama Festival in the past, will...
Laois family celebrate triple Mother’s Day delight
For one Laois family, St Patrick’s Day wasn’t all about the wearing of the green but rather being pretty in pink in a cuteness...
Two Laois canines among the top dogs at Crufts
The competition was keen but Laois canines showed that they are top dogs at Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show, which was held last...
Momentous day as sod is turned for new Saplings school in Killeshin
Yesterday was a momentous day for the school community of Saplings in Killeshin as the sod was officially turned on their new 1,200 square...
Moo Cow: How one Laois farm family is thinking differently with its fresh milk...
A Laois farm family is enjoying an enthusiastic response to its fresh milk vending machine located at the Solas Eco Garden Centre, Portarlington.
Micheál Finlay,...
Meet the ‘half Russian, half Ukrainian’ adopted Laois woman who hopes to run in...
A woman living in Killenard who describes herself as ‘half Russian, half Ukrainian’ and who is a member of the Laois Volunteer Support Team,...
Cooking up a storm in uncertain times – Laois woman to provide free business...
Facing rising costs from every direction, enterprises in the hospitality industry can feel overwhelmed but it’s often the small invisible costs rather than the...
Portlaoise musician and his band ‘Harpanno’ set to release new album
A Portlaoise musician is set to release a newly composed handpan album with his band Harpanno.
Portlaoise man Dale McKay is joined by Aisling Lyons...
Laois Firefighters to go to ‘hell and back’ for fundraiser this summer
Eighteen people including officers from Laois and Kildare county fire and rescue fire services are currently in training to take part in a gruelling...
Weekend Read: Portlaoise-born financier Sean Conroy on some of the biggest deals he’s been...
Cutting deals in both good and bad economic times, Portlaoise born financier Seán (John) Conroy has been at the heart of the action in...
Excitement building as Laois’s newest festival coming to Portlaoise over May Bank Holiday weekend
The brainchild of Dale McKay and Siobhan Buckley who are both involved with Music Generation Laois, Portlaoise Tradfest, billed as Portlaoise’ first fully fledged...
Weekend Read: The fascinating financial career of Portlaoise man Sean Conroy
It’s a long way from Portlaoise to Pennsylvania Avenue – the home of US presidential power - and Wall Street but it has been...
Laois gets behind epilepsy fundraisers as dad set to scale Mount Kilimanjaro
Individuals and businesses around Laois are getting behind a fundraising effort to build awareness and support structures for those affected by epilepsy.
Mark McGuire whose...
Restored harp with remarkable story takes trad session in Laois by storm
A Sebastian & Erard concert harp from the 1800s took centre stage at the monthly trad session at Headen’s pub in Spink last weekend.
The...
Popular Irish ballad group ‘Rake The Ashes’ all set for stellar performance in Laois
Having gigged in the UK, Germany, Greece and Italy, Rake The Ashes will play their third show in Mountmellick Arts Centre on Saturday, February...
Weekend Read: From honours maths switch to MD role at Accenture – the career...
When Paula Neary (nee Fennelly) from Ballydavis near The Heath was in secondary school at the Presentation Convent in Portlaoise, neither honours maths nor...
All systems go as Stradbally teenager set to launch debut country music album
For 17-year-old Leaving Cert student Ross Molloy, the launch of his debut album ‘The County I Love Best of All’ in the Manor Hotel,...
Excitement building as all in Portlaoise panto get set for ‘Sinbad and the Ring...
Oh, yes it is! Portlaoise pantomime group’s eagerly awaited production this year is ‘Sinbad and the Ring of Kerry.’
Promising to banish the January blues,...
Weekend Read: Arts activity blooms in Laois village with plans for further initiatives
The scenic Slieve Bloom village of Clonaslee has enjoyed a groundswell of activity in the arts over the past twelve months and there are...
Laois teenager to represent Ireland at American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup
A 13-year-old girl who lives in Vicarstown will represent Ireland at the American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup in Texas from June 29 to...
A warm welcome for Ukrainian community in Clonaslee
As they think of loved ones in their war-ravaged homeland, two Ukrainian families have expressed their gratitude for the warm welcome they have received...
Growing number of Brazilians deciding to make lovely Laois their home
It was a sad start to the New Year for the Brazilian community in Laois and further afield, particularly Cork, as news of the...
From the Archives: The Portlaoise man who walked to Spain in memory of his...
This piece was originally published on LaoisToday on August 6, 2022.
A Portlaoise man has gone the distance to remember his beloved sister who died...
From the Archives: The story of the Laois man playing a key role in...
This piece was originally published on LaoisToday on November 12, 2022
A Laois man is playing a key role in the planning of the new...
From the Archives: Meet the Laois woman who injected some creativity into her retirement...
Ahead of the National Ploughing Championships in September, we caught up with Kate Ramsbottom, the former anaesthetist who went down a different route in...
From the Archives: Yvonne McKeon Interview: Taking on the family business at 21, heading...
When the sudden death of her father saw her drop her plans to work in New York to instead run the family business –...
From the Archives: From the Borris Road to a Dublin art gallery owner –...
In August of 2022, Caroline Allen interviewed Portlaoise man Kevin Kavanagh about his career and his very successful art gallery in London.
Commuting from Mountrath...
From the Archives: Thomas Cosby: ‘It’s a working weekend for us and we have...
Ahead of the return of the Electric Picnic in September, we caught up with Thomas Cosby, owner of the venue, Stradbally Hall.
“I missed it...
2022 Remembered: Meet the Laois man proudly flying our flag and making a big...
Ballinakill native Mike Dunphy was honoured by Laois County Council in September, acknowledging the work he has done in representing and promoting the county...
2022 Remembered: A legend of the Irish dancing scene – the incredible career of...
Back in August we looked at Gabrielle Lynam, the Portlaoise woman who has been a legend of Irish dancing.
When Portlaoise woman Gabrielle Lynam was...