As well as podcast interviews and attending a canvass of the General Election candidates, we also asked them a selection of light-hearted questions.
Here are there responses.
Willie Aird (Fine Gael)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Supermacs
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Keir Starmer
Favourite social media platform? TikTok
Favourite TV programme? The Sunday Game
Favourite film? The Green Mile
Pet hate? Red tape preventing people accessing public services
Soccer or rugby? Both
Pauline Flanagan (Independent)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? It has to be Supermac’s, especially now that owners Pat and Úna McDonagh have brought so much business into Laois.
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Definitely Barry’s.
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Can I say Michael D? If I had to choose though, it would be Keir Starmer.
Favourite social media platform? I hate them all to be honest. But if I had to pick one it would have to be Facebook so that I can keep up to date on what Austin Watt Clancy is up to in Stradbally.
Favourite TV programme? Love/Hate. And is it not great that it put Laois’s own Robert Sheehan on the map.
Favourite film? The singing postman from Mountmellick. Look it up on Youtube.
Pet hate? Dog poo fowlers – they should all be thrown over into County Offaly. Seriously though, it drives me nuts. How hard can it be to bring a bloody poop scoop bag with you when walking your dog.
Soccer or Rugby? GAA. Although I am a social member of Portlaoise Rugby
Sean Fleming (Fianna Fáil)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Supermacs – Irish
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s Tea
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Donald Trump
Favourite social media platform? LaoisToday
Favourite TV programme? NCIS
Favourite film? The Holiday
Pet hate? None
Soccer or rugby? Soccer
Mary Hande (Aontú)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Supermac’s
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s Tea
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Keir Starmer if I must
Favourite social media platform? Facebook
Favourite TV programme? Killanskully
Favourite film? Pride and Prejudice
Pet hate? Politicians that over promise and under deliver!!
Soccer or rugby? Rugby
Maria McCormack (Sinn Féin)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Supermac’s all the way
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Lyons red
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Donald Trump
Favourite social media platform? Facebook
Favourite TV programme? Suits
Favourite film? Fred Clause
Pet hate? When someone can’t take accountability for their actions.
Rugby or soccer?. Neither. GAA all the way.
Aisling Moran (Independent)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Neither, I’m on a diet.. Again!!
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s Tea. There is no contest!!
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Keir Starmer
Favourite social media platform? Instagram! But I’m not an expert.
Favourite TV programme? I love a good David Attenborough documentary! It helps calm the mind.
Favourite film? The Wizard of Oz – Happy childhood memories, I love a good musical.
Pet hate? Dishonesty!
Elaine Mullally (Independent)
Elaine Mullally (Independent)Supermac’s or McDonalds? Neither – I don’t eat fast food.
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Donald Trump, for the entertainment value.
Favourite social media platform? Before my General Election campaign I had never used TikTok or Instagram much, but I do enjoy TikTok more now even though I have an active following on Twitter (X). I believe that social media has a place in our lives, but it’s important to realise that real relationships are built on the ground with interaction with people.
Favourite TV programme? Frasier, Downton Abbey.
Favourite film? Top Gun, I LOVE Tom Cruise
Pet hate? Getting a call to ask if I can remove your election poster!! I told all the lads putting them up not to annoy any Tidy Towns groups.
Soccer or rugby? Neither. Love basketball and was a qualified Basketball referee and Coached my two Girls and their Kestrals team to a Midlands Leagues final win in 2014.
Rosie Palmer (Green Party)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Supermacs 100% no argument – Taco chips all the way.
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Neither – coffee for me!
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Plenty of powerful female politicians I’d prefer to choose from.
Favourite social media platform? Instagram – no negativity, no trolls.
Favourite TV programme? I can’t decide. Breaking Bad because it is brilliant. Fleabag because it is iconic.
Favourite film? The Road Within – a stunning movie about there teenagers struggles with their mental health. Has the added bonus of starring one of our own, Robert Sheehan.
Pet hate? People who over promising and under delivering.
Soccer or rugby? Easy – Rugby. Soccer is 90 minutes pretending you’re injured, rugby is 80 minutes pretending you’re not.
Austin Stack (Fianna Fáil)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? McDonalds if they had Supermac’s chips
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Lyons of course, couldn’t be drinking Fine Gael tea now could I …
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Neither to be honest
Favourite social media platform? Facebook
Favourite TV programme? The Wire
Favourite film? Raging Bull
Pet hate? Lateness
Soccer or rugby? Both, Man Utd & Leinster are my teams.
Brian Stanley (Independent)
Supermac’s or McDonalds? Neither
Lyons or Barry’s Tea? Barry’s
Donald Trump or Keir Starmer? Reluctantly Kier Starmer
Favourite social media platform? Facebook
Favourite TV programme? Derry Girls
Favourite film? The Wind that shakes the Barley
Pet hate? People who turn up late
Did not respond: Ken Mooney (People Before Profit) and Jason Lynch (Independent)
SEE ALSO – Check out all of our General Election coverage here
