Former Laois footballer, turned sports pundit with Joe.ie Colm Parkinson is now adding another string to his bow with news that he and his partner Itxi are opening a Tapas resturant in Portlaoise.
‘La Lola’ Tapas and Pintxos Restaurant is opening on 37 Main Street on December 8.
The premises, which is beside Permanent TSB, has been vacant for a number of years but the window had been used as a display of antique for a business elsewhere.
Colm and Itxi (pronounced Itsi) Saila Ferrer, who is from the Basque region of Spain, live in Portlaoise with their young son. Itxi has considerable restaurant experience and will be fronting the operation with Colm saying he’ll be playing a part too.
In his usual wit, he says “he’ll be trying not to get in the way”.
Having previously worked in finance, Parkinson has enjoyed a career change in recent years following a decision to return to college and do a Masters in Journalism in DUC.
He landed a job with Newstalk’s Off the Ball and more recently with the hugely popular Joe.ie where he now fronts a weekly Facebook Live show with regular guests like Ronan O’Gara and Andy Reid.
HELLO – FREE FOOD – my better half is opening a restaurant in Portlaoise on the 8th December. RT and follow @lalolatapas for a free meal & wine for 2 and a night in the Heritage hotel in Portlaoise (or my house)
— Colm Parkinson (@Woolberto) November 15, 2017
Outspoken, controversial and entertaining, he has a massive social media following with over 40,000 followers on Twitter and an elusive ‘Blue Tick’, one of a handful of Laois people with that honour.
A former Laois player he was on the Laois team that won the Leinster title in 2003 as well as an All Ireland minor medal in 1996. He also claimed almost every honour going with Portlaoise and captained The Town to the 2005 All Ireland club final.
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