Though Halloween is still actually a week away, the children of Laois certainly got into the spirit of things today for what was the last day of school before the mid-term break.
All over the county, children made huge efforts to dress up and there was a real party atmosphere outside schools this morning as the incredibly enthusiastic school-goers were dropped off.
To mark the occasion, we put a shout out for people to send us their photos – and they flooded into us.
Throughout the day, the LaoisToday social media accounts and email inboxes were buzzing with new photos coming in from every corrner of Laois and beyond.
Children in schools in Kildare, Offaly and Carlow also feature below.
Because of the sheer volume of photos sent to us, we have decided to split them up and are publishing some today and the remainder tomorrow.
So if you don’t see your photo here – it should make the cut tomorrow. Note: we do need some detail to include your photo -eg name, school attended and who you’re dressed up as.
And as you’ll see from below there was some seriously impressive efforts.
Well done to all concerned!
Aidan (7) as Jack Skeleton from the Nightmare before Christmas
Charlie (Woody), Donal (Iron Man) from Castletown primary school and Mason (Children’s house, Montessori Abbeyleix)
Cian age 9 3rd class Scoil Phadraig Portarlington dressed as Zach Tuohy
Eva O’Shaughnessy age 2 off to playschool in Mountmellick
Shane, Joey and Luke Foley heading into St Colman’s and Early Learning Montessori Stradbally
Nathan Joyce Portlaoise College Halloween Day
Natasha and Alfie Clonenagh NS
Nadine Lynch age 3 off to Superkids childcare Centre in Portlaoise
Mylee and Jay Sydes Mountrath
Minecraft Man sent in by Margaret Wheatley Conroy
Millie Sydes age 6 Ratheniska NS
Millie Mulhare Ratheniska NS as Mama Imelda
Millie Brown Holy Family Senior School
Melody as The Oogy Boogy Man sent in by Tracey Duncan
Melanie the dead bride sent in by Eva Meldere
Max and Katie Hartnett Rosenallis NS
Madeleine ‘Wonder Woman’ Fournier flying off to creche
Lyra and Ruairi Harrington 10 and 9 Scoil Naomh Eoin Killenard
Lucy Dolan (10) Holy Family Senior School Portlaoise
Lucy and Leona Holy Family junior and senior school, Portlaoise
Lucy (5) and Ryan (11) off to Scoil Bhride Portlaoise
Lola aged 10 aka The Donald
Livvy as Captain Jack Sparrow Scoil Bhride Portlaoise 4th class
Little Red Riding Hood Ruby Cahill age 6 Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix
Lexi and Siomha Nelson Heffernan Gaelscoil Portlaoise
Leon all dressed up and excited for the pizza party sent in by Yvonne Conroy
Leah Heffernan Paddock NS
Lauren the witch junior infants Portlaoise sent in by Jan farrell
Laura Dooley Kirwan St Joseph’s NS Borris In Ossory
Lar Harrington 2nd class St Josephs NS Ballyadams and Naomi Harrington at Tiddlywinks playschool Ballyadams
Kyle and Kacie McNamara Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix
Kerrie O’Connor Holy Family senior infants
Keeva heading into senior infants in the Pike of Rushall NS
Kayla as Queen Elsa Scoil Bhride Portlaoise
Kayden, Emma and Eire off to St Colman’s Stradbally
Katie Jordan, Ballinabrannagh NS
Kalum Maher 3rd class Holy Family senior school
Kacey (10), Henry (5) and Sam (8) Kingston Paddock NS
Junior Donoghue, Holy Family
Julia Dillon junior infants The Rock NS
Joshua Joubert 1st Class Holy Family Junior School Portlaoise
John McGrane Junior Infants The Rock NS
Joe (7) and Archie (5) off to Scoil phadraig Naofa Mountmellick
Jessica Dempsey 3rd Class Presentation Primary School, Portarlington
Janelle a smart school girl 3rd class Gaelscoil Portlaoise and Zara the faked smiley fairy off to Darling Buds creche
Jane and Kayla Bryan Presentation Primary school Portarlington
James O’Reilly (9) 3rd Class Scoil Phadraig Portarlington
James Culliton Timahoe Tots
Jake Dempsey off to St Fintans BNS MOuntrath
Jake and Henry heading into Educate Together Portlaoise
Jade Strong age 6 Clonaghadoo NS
Jack the killer clown age 6 Ballyadams NS
Jack Keenan Rang 6a Gaelscoil portlaoise as Deadmau5
Jack heading into Maples playschool Portlaoise
Jack and Tadhg Carter Knock NS
Jack and Evan, Walsh Island NS
Isobel Hutchman off to Churchtown NS, Co Kildare
Iron Man Evan heading off to St fintan’s boys school in Mountrath
Homer Simpson also sent in by Margaret Wheatly Conroy
Hollie and Aisling Payne Mountmellick
Henry McDonald (6) senior infants Tobar an Leinn Raheen
Heidi off to senior infants in Castletown NS
Heading to Holy Family Junior School this morning were Iron Man Seamus McLaughlin 2nd Class and Super Mario Finley McLaughlin Junior Infants
Harry Bryan St Patrick’s BNS Portarlington
Happy witch Jessica off to school in Castletown
Guardian Angel Zuzanna 4th Class Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix
Grace O’Connor, Rushall NS
Grace ‘Ghostie’ Kirwan Emo Gaelscoil Phortlaoise
Grace and Tj Walsh, Ballylinan
Frainc and Lily De Blaca Gaelscoile Phortlaoise
Fire Demon Oran off to Ballyfin NS
Faye age 9 and Bradley age 10 Scoil Bhride Rathdowney
Evan the scary wolf sent in by Shilayne McDonald
Eva O’Shaughnessy age 2 off to playschool in Mountmellick
Ethan Lee aka Shadow the Hedgehog off to Scoil Phadraig Naoifa Mountmellick
Eoin Brennan St Patrick’s BNS Portarlington as 9 as haunted Pac Man
Emily, Jack and Lucy McCormack St Colman’s and Early Learning Montessori Stradbally
Emily and Edward Feehan scoil Naomh Eoin Killenard
Ella Dunne Rath NS and Laura Dunne Iosa Linn playschool
Eabha and Mollie in Mountrath
Dylan and Jamie O’Connor St Fintans Mountrath
Drew Martin age 3 a Nija turtle off to Bernie Tynans preschool
DJ O Dubhlainne heading to Rang 1 in Gaelscoil Portlaoise
Deadpool Charlie Donagher sent in by Michelle Gorry Donagher
Dead Fairy Aria Ballyfin NS
Darragh Murphy Derrylamogue NS Rosenallis
Darragh Kelly Gingerbread Man Borris In Ossory
Danielle Browne and Dillon Gunn Ballyfin NS
Daniel Slabbert 6th class The Rock NS
Corpse bride Hayley off to preschool in Suimhneas Childcare Portlaoise
Coronavirus Sophie (8) 2nd class Presentation Primary School Portlaoington
Conal Thomas as the vius 6th class St Patrick’s boys school MOuntmellick
Clodagh and Aoibhinn O’Grady Rath NS
Cillian the killer clown age 5 Scoil Bhride Portlaoise sent in by Rachel Collins
Cian Shirley age 5 St Fiaccs Graiguecullen junior infants
Cian Clarke (4) off to playschool in Mountmellick
Cian age 9 3rd class Scoil Phadraig Portarlington
Chloe McDonald 4th class Gaelscoil Portlaoise
Charlie Moore Kolbe Special School 12 yrs
Charlie (Woody), Donal (Iron Man) from Castletown primary school and Mason (Children’s house, Montessori Abbeyleix)
Ceire and Aoife Keogh
Catherine off to Ballyfin NS
Casey Cahill, The Ferns Playschool Potarlington
Casey Ann Carville off to Holy Family and Peter Carville off to Little Stars Kilminchy
Carly May Martin aka Wonder Woman age 7 Gaelscoil Portlaoise
Caoimhe (9) and Aislinn (6) Guinan heading to rosenallis NS dressed as the Mad Hatter and a dead Madonna
Calvin Mcevoy (3) The Rainbow Castle
Callie Mai (3) Castletown
Callie Mai (3) Castletown
Bryan O’Keeffe 6th Class St Colman’s Stradbally heading to school after lockdown is finally lifted
Bonnie Dillon and baby sister Martha heading to Sonas Creche Mountmellick
Billy, Archie and Poppy Grothier off to school in Stradbally
Bebhinn the pumpkin heading to school in Abbeyleix complete with insulin pump sent in by Cliona O’Connell
Bailey (10) Paddock NS
Ava the freaky rag doll off to 2nd class Holy Family Portlaoise
Aoibhinn (11) Fiadh (5) Layla (3) and Sean (9) off to St Colmans and Early Learning Montessori in Stradbally
Zombie bride Cara age 6 senior infants Presentation Primary school portarlington
Yra-Louise McGovern (4) hHoly Family school Portlaoise
Willow (age 7) Portlaoise Holy Family Junior School
Willow (6), Paddock NS
Tiara Lilly Donoghue, Holy Family
Thomas (6) as Darth Vader Mountrath Boys NS Le Cheile Class
Anna Orlowska (7) Scoil Bhride Portlaoise, Queen of Bats
Andrew Winters Lacey junior infants, Holy Family School
Andrew and Tom heading into Holy Family Portlaoise
Aidan (7) as Jack Skeleton from the Nightmare before Christmas
Abbie as Mal from Disney Descendants and Max as Jaye from Ninjago Castlecuffe NS Clonaslee
Aaron Hyland age 7 St Fintans, Mountrath
Aaron Holohan, 3rd Class Rathdowney
Aaron Dempsey junior infants St Patrick’s BNS Portarlington
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