1 – Four Laois Gardai among 157 new recruits who pass out from Templemore
157 Gardaí were attested as sworn members of An Garda Síochána at a ceremony in Templemore College last week.
Of those, four hail from County Laois.
2 – Eurovision winner among the 10 new acts announced for this year’s Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic have announced 10 more acts across the weekend for its 2024 iteration taking place from August 16 to 18.
2012 and 2023 Eurovision winner Loreen will be performing her hit song ‘Euphoria’ which has amassed over 100 million streams on Spotify at the festival.
3 – Hurling Team of the Week: Division 1 champions The Harps lead the way
The Harps claimed a first Laois Shopping Centre ACHL Division 1 title in 13 years when they got the better of Borris-Kilcotton last weekend.
And that triumph is recognised with six selections on our first Hurling Team of the Week for 2024.
4 – Fine Gael set to wait until September to select General Election candidate to fill Flanagan void
Fine Gael members in Laois have been told to be ready for a September convention, where they will decide who to run for the party in the next General Election.
Following Charlie Flanagan’s decision to retire from political life and not to contest the next General Election, the Fine Gael party in Laois will select a new candidate, or possibly two.
5 – ‘I can’t wait to get in and see what the possibilities are’ – John Maye on his return to Knockbeg as principal
John Maye is returning to Knockbeg College as principal of the school for the forthcoming academic year.
After leaving in 2018, he became the deputy principal in St Conleth’s Community College in Newbridge before taking up the role of principal in Duiske College in Graiguenamanagh.
6 – Funeral takes place in Durrow of beloved community figure, Hughie Sheppard
There is great sadness in Durrow this week following the passing of a beloved figure in the community.
Hughie Sheppard, from Derry Road in the town, passed away on Friday at his residence, surrounded by his loving family.
7 – Fixture details confirmed for Laois’s Tailteann Cup final with Down
Fixture details have been confirmed for Laois’s Tailteann Cup final in Croke Park – which will be played on Saturday, July 13, at 3pm.
The game will be a curtain raiser to the All Ireland semi-final between Kerry and Armagh, which will throw in at 5.30pm. The other semi-final between Donegal and Galway is on the Sunday at 4pm.
8 – Independent Ireland to hold public meeting in Portlaoise next week
New political party, Independent Ireland, have announced that they will hold a public meeting in Laois next week.
The event, which will be held in the Portlaoise Parish Centre on Thursday, July 11 at 7pm, will provide an opportunity for citizens to learn about the party’s mission and vision, the party says.
9 – ACFL Division 5: Stradbally claim league glory after extra-time epic with The Heath
Sometimes you can get the most epic of games in the most unusual of places.
And so it was this evening in the Centre of Excellence in Portlaoise when Stradbally and The Heath played out a classic in the Laois Shopping Centre ACFL Division 5 final.
10 – LOETB and Teagasc team up to offer a range of new training services for farmers
Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) and Teagasc recently announced a new ground-breaking collaboration to deliver comprehensive training programmes and enhanced learner support services for agricultural learners.
This partnership aims to meet the evolving needs of the agricultural community by providing both accredited and non-accredited training opportunities, ensuring equal access for all to high-quality education andsupport.
