Columnists
Fr Paddy: President and Pope…… An olive branch
Last week, Donald Trump met Pope Francis, at the Vatican, on the third leg of his first overseas trip as US president, one year...
Wired with Whelan: ‘Baptism barrier’ is an urban myth conjured up by church bashers
If I’m a pagan of the good times
My lover’s the sunlight
To keep the goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something...
Stephen Dowling: What you need to consider if you AI your dairy herd
With the AI season firmly upon us, it is time to consider the breeding opportunities that DIY AI can bring to the farmer’s herd.
The...
Jack Nolan: What a refreshing display with so much to admire
A refreshing first round victory, for a change, was more than welcome and coming just a few weeks after relegation to the bottom tier...
Bob Flavin: Skoda move on from the Yeti as Karoq model is unveiled
The very successful Czech company Skoda has spent the last few months teasing the Karoq with various pictures and videos and after all the...
Bear in the Square: Our betting tips for the weekend GAA action
The All Ireland championships really kick off this weekend as we are treated to a bumper weekend of action. The action gets underway in...
Fr Paddy: Open Hands….. Open Heart…..
Sometimes people you have never met face to face have an influence in your life that is hard to measure.
It might be a family...
Wired with Whelan: Leo is more my type, but Simon is not simple
Come gather ‘round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
Is your time...
Noel Garvan: Time to tackle club football and looking ahead to Laois and Longford
So far this season most senior teams in Laois have played three of four Kelly Cup games and eight League games.
With six games to go in...
Barbara Brown: Tips for buying wine as a gift and wedding wine
Whilst it might be tempting to buy someone a cheap bottle as a gift (thinking Cimarosa here), cheap wine will taste cheap!
It's so important...
21 reasons to head to BARE in the Woods
BARE in the Woods is a music festival that has grown in popularity enormously in recent years.
Situated in the serene setting of Garryhinch Woods in...
Bear in the Square: Our guide to the All Ireland hurling championship
The hurling championship has been up and running for the last month for the lesser lights in the Leinster championship (and the guests from...
Jack Nolan: Laois hurlers get the job done – now for the next challenge
The sense of relief when the final whistle blew in Austin Stacks Park among Laois supporters, management and team was palpable.
This victory was...
Colm Fingleton: A good weekend for Laois motoring enthusiasts
Motoring enthusiasts were well represented in Laois over the weekend with the launch of The Ace Signs Heartlands Rally and the annual Ballyroan Vintage...
Dan Keane: Supervision and quality control when building will save you in the long...
As most people are aware the commencement notice process changed in 2013 to a new online system.
Before this a commencement notice was quite a...
Fit with Brid: If you have a body and a bikini, you have a...
First things first, if you have a body and you have a bikini then you have a bikini body for summer. It may not...
Wired with Whelan: Forget about the IDA … they have gone away you know
I got a job working construction
For the Johnstown Company
But lately there ain’t been much work
On account of the economy
(The River, Bruce Springsteen)
On June 26,...
Pat Critchley: Coaching and spectating is grand but it’s never the same as playing
Not many will know that Ireland recently won a World Basketball Championship in New Zealand. Des Fitzgerald played on the successful Irish Masters team...
Ronnie Culliton: Be careful with your money as bank shares are floated again
So AIB is going to be refloated on to the Stock Market, having been majority owned by the Irish Government for the last seven years...
Fr Paddy: Our church has a future but we need bold and creative leadership
The Catholic Church in Ireland seems to be in a constant state of crisis.
A crisis that often by its own actions has caused great...
Bob Flavin: Suzuki are looking for a fight with the new Swift
Ask anyone what they think of the Swift and they will tell you that it's a great car and they've no idea why they...
Bear in the Square: Our betting preview of the All Ireland football championship
The All Ireland senior football championship got underway in New York last weekend when Sligo did enough to get the better of their hosts.
But...
Kelly Lou: Your wedding … your cake
Your wedding cake is a focal point at your reception, on view the moment your guests enter the reception room. Family and friends look...
Colm Fingleton: Lots to look forward to at Cereals 2017
Cereals 2017 - and I don't mean the breakfast kind - takes place on June 14-15 at Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire, UK.
Cereals is a specialist...
Fr Paddy: Catholicism and the census
So now we know. While commentators were avidly awaiting the results of the 2016 Census to see how Irish society had (or hadn’t) changed...
Wired with Whelan: Laois Surfers still making waves 15 years on
If everybody had an ocean
Across the USA
Then everybody’d be surfin’
Like California-a
You’d see ‘em wearing their baggies
Huarachi sandals too
A bushy bushy blonde hairdo
Surfin’ USA
(The Beach...
Mark Doheny: 20 reasons you know it’s sunny in Laois
The sun is out, the summer is here so let's all get very excited.
Men, women and children all do the same. Wear less clothes,...
Two Broke Divas: Some outfit ideas as wedding season in full swing
If you are anything like me, you have lots of weddings coming up in the next couple of months (six to be exact).
So with...
Barbara Brown: You get what you pay for when it comes to wine
Nothing can drum up a conversation starter quiet like this – how much are you willing to pay for a bottle?
I’m sure some of...
Bob Flavin: ‘Ludicrous’ mode solves constipation in the new Tesla models
Did you know that Laois has the very first Tesla Supercharger units in Ireland? I didn’t either but it’s true because Ballacolla services have...
