By-election memories | Council meetings | Bertie's comments

Le Skinny Chef - the French man behind the award-winning brand representing Laois at the National Enterprise final

When Aymar Gourdet arrives at the LaoisToday offices a couple of minutes ahead of his scheduled podcast interview, it doesn't take long to learn that this is a man that absolutely loves what he's doing.  His enthusiasm and energy is palpable and he bounds up the stairs. He's the French man behind the award-winning Le Skinny Chef range of pestos, chutneys, soups and sauces and this week he represents Laois at the National Enterprise Awards in the Mansion House in Dublin.  He runs his operation out of a unit in Clonminam, tasting everything he produces and delivering most of it to supermarkets around the country. His product can be found in almost 80 SuperValu stores around the country and also Dunne's Stores and Aldi.  Thirty three years after first coming to Ireland as a 17-year-old to work as a chef, the French accent is still strong, intensely proud of his roots though he has lived and worked all his adult life in Ireland.  He grew up in a family guest house in Normandy, moved to Paris to train as a chef and then to Dublin to work before he was even 18. He has lived in Ireland ever since.  Initially he worked in restaurants in Dublin, learned English during his split shifts and opened his own restaurant in Kildare Town when he was 26 which he ran for 16 years, through boom and bust.  But he craved a new challenge and his experience in the restaurant showed him there was a market for his own range of sauces, which he founded in 2016.  In this latest episode of the LoveLaois Business Podcast he talks about his journey, the story behind his nick name, his hopes for the future and the supports he has received from the Laois Local Enterprise Office.

From Latvia to Laois - The story behind one of Portlaoise's most-loved flower shops

Kristine Golubovska, owner of Floral Essence in Portlaoise, sits down with Samanta Danne on the LoveLaois podcast to talk about her life in floristry and the realities of running a successful small business for the past 14 years. Floral Essence first opened its doors in 2012, just before Valentine’s Day.  Since then, it has grown into a much‑loved local flower shop, especially known for its wedding work. The business was a finalist in the Kay’s Flower School Awards 2025 for the category of Retail Florist of the Year, and is now also a fully registered company. In this episode, Samanta speaks with Kristine about her background — including her move from Latvia to Ireland at the age of 19, originally planning to stay for just a year — and how those early experiences eventually led her to establishing a floristry business in Laois.  Known for her signature colourful bouquets, Kristine talks about what first drew her to floristry, her creative process, and her training. Later in the conversation, she also shares the sources of inspiration that guide her work, giving listeners a deeper insight into her craft. The discussion explores the challenges of building a business from scratch, the day‑to‑day reality behind the counter, and the important role the local community has played in helping Floral Essence grow. From wedding bouquets to moments of loss, florists witness it all. Kristine reflects on how florists often do far more than arrange flowers.  She also offers thoughtful advice for anyone thinking about starting a business.

Runaway Joe: Wanted for murder, a new identity, living in Rosenallis, escaping to Cyprus - the mad story of Joe Moloney/Michael O'Shea

It has a story line so wild, you'd consider it far-fetched if you watched it on Netflix.  It's even madder when a large part of it is set in Rosenallis with contributions from people in Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Mountrath and Castletown.  But Runaway Joe is no ordinary story. It is the story of an Irish-American called Joe Moloney who was arrested for the murder of his wife, June Fisk, at their son's fifth birthday party in Rochester in upstate New York in 1967. From there it has one twist after another. Escaping prison in the USA, being on the run from the FBI, arriving in Dublin and assuming a new identity, Michael O'Shea, falling in for money and purchasing Capard House in Rosenallis and living the life of a Lord of the Manor with his new wife.  There's the fact that Gardai in Ireland figured out who he really was but couldn't do anything about it as there was no extradition treaty between Ireland and the USA at the time. Then there is his arrest, his court case, his attempted prison break out from Mountjoy, a return to Portlaoise prison and then freedom again on a technicality, where he flees again, assumed to have lived out his final years off the grid in northern Cyrprus.  After being the subject of an award-winning RTE podcast, Pavel Barter has now written a fascinating, ultimate, unputdownable page-turner with even more detail and context and updates than the podcast had. Don't be surprised if it does come to your screens soon as film or series.  Pavel joined us for an interview where he explained how his interest in the story came about, the various Laois connections and how the FBI now want to speak to him! Runaway Joe is available to buy in all good bookshops.

By-election memories | Council meetings | Bertie's comments

We’re back with a new episode of the LoveLaois Podcast and there’s plenty to talk about. We have had three Municipal meetings since our last Podcast. Alan attended Borris-Mountmellick and Graiguecullen-Portarlington while Steven was at Portlaoise.  The lads run through the various motions and also give a shout out to Cllr Aisling Moran who is off to Uganda.  Steven also recalls the 1984 By-Election and gives his thoughts on the Bertie Ahern comments fiasco.

The people, the fun, the history and the routes behind the Gordon Bennett Classic Car Run

The annual Gordon Bennett Classic Car run is an event steeped in history and brings a selection of overseas visitors to these parts.  The brainchild of Tommy Treacy, proprietor of the legendary Treacy's Bar and Restaurant on The Heath, the memorial event has run (excuse the pun) every year since 2003.  That year marked the centenary of the Gordon Bennett Cup in Ireland in 1903, a race that is often referred to as the race that saved motorsport.  Classic car enthusiasts from across Ireland and the UK converge on Laois every June Bank Holiday to travel a version of that original route - that includes parts of Laois, Kildare and Carlow - and this year's event takes place from Friday, May 29, to Monday, June 1.  It's a weekend that includes a reception in Laois County Council on Friday, a visit to a private collection of historic and classic cars at Grangecon Stud Farm, a Gala night in the Midlands Park Hotel and a visit to the new Shackleton Museum in Athy.  There is also plenty of socialising around the event's HQ in Treacy's.  Ahead of this year's event, we were joined by four members of the local organising committee - David Clegg, Cecil Lewis, Joyce Chambers and Neil Yearsley.  They chat about the history of the original race, the idea of a commemorative run, the fun and friendships involved - and the importance of keeping it going.