Portlaoise in a fix over looming fixtures pile-up
May 5th 2006

STAND-OFF between the Portlaoise GAA club and the Laois County Board has once again highlighted the escalating problems of a calendar bursting at the seams.

Portlaoise's county SFC match against St Joseph's, originally fixed for tonight, has been postponed because the 2004 Leinster champions are refusing to play.

The county board's attempt to fix the game for next Monday night also looks set to be thwarted as Portlaoise are insistent on having their players available for collective training 13 days in advance of their match.

Ironically, Laois corner-back Joe Higgins, a St Jospeh's player, is getting married tomorrow and is then off on a two-week honeymoon.

Portlaoise have a higher quota of inter-county players on Laois teams than any other club and consequently are more exposed to club versus county commitments.

The club faces the threat of being thrown out of the Laois championship if they don't fulfil the fixture, but it's not a road the board want to travel.

If they did, the threat of Portlaoise players and selectors withdrawing from all county squads would hang ominously in the air.

The club forwarded a motion to the Laois convention last December calling for clubs to have their players for 13 days prior to a championship match. The motion was withdrawn but taken on board as a recommendation.

However, the recommended 13 days have not been observed in this case according to Portlaoise as three of their players were involved with the under 21s in last weekend's All-Ireland semi-final replay against Cork, while two of their players had a hurling league relegation match against Down in Laois which they lost.

One of those two hurlers, Cahir Healy, also played for the Laois under 21s in a championship match on Wednesday night.

"To be fair to Cahir Healy, he couldn't be expected to play on Sunday, again on Wednesday and then Friday for his club," said Portlaoise secretary Peter O'Neill.

"And we also have two students doing exams until this evening at around 5.30. Now to ask them to play a game at 7.30 just isn't right.

"We don't actually blame our own county board. We would see it as a by-product of the way games are being run at national level.

"There are far too many games at inter-county level. There are so many relegation play-offs, too many in our opinion. After last year's hurling qualifiers, Laois played two or three relegation games before it was decided. It was the same for the league.

"We haven't had any of our county players because they've been training with county squads since last November," added O'Neill.

A full programme of club matches in Laois takes place next weekend, but because Portlaoise have dual players attached to the hurling squad - Healy and Joe Phelan - they have been fixed more than two weeks before Laois play Offaly in the first round of the Leinster championship.

"Obviously, the senior hurling management want a clear run for two weeks before that game, but we get just a clear two days from Cahir Healy," O'Neill pointed out.

"It's a broader issue of too many inter-county games. We hope a solution will be found and we understand that we won't always be able to get the 13 days with our players."

Traders stake their right to trade on street
May 4th 2006

THE right to trade in towns and villages throughout Laois was asserted at the weekend as market stallholders took to the streets.

In an attempt to retain their rights stallholders set up in Portlaoise, Stradbally, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Durrow, Ballinakill, Ballickmoyler and Abbeyleix.

According to the stall-holders last Thursday at Market Square in Portlaoise it was during the reign of King Charles II, over 400 years ago, that he bestowed in perpetuity (indefinite) trading rights to small farm-ers and producers. They claim these rights should never have been taken from them when a section of the Casual Trading Act came into force in May 1996 stating market rights would be extinguished if, after 10 years they were not exercised.

Local producer Mary Phelan said the rights to many of the trading areas in Laois were recorded and kept in the old Town Hall in Market Square in Portlaoise. But they were lost after a fire gutted the building in 1944.

“If our trading rights are not used by the end of April they’d be lost for all time. We’re staking a claim for traders in Portlaoise and Ireland. There’s nothing to stop anyone coming back and setting up stall next week,” said Mary.

Helen Gee, another local producer, said it was important that traders staked their claim on the designated market day. She said a number of other towns and villages used to have fair days, which were different to market days.

She said gardaí had noted their attendance in the different areas around the county over the weekend.

Ms Gee said at the moment a group of traders in Portlaoise were in discussions with Laois County Council to find a permanent base from which they could trade. She said the ideal location would be Lyster Square. “It’s the hub of Portlaoise,” she said.

Lynn McHugh said the group of traders who staked claims in each of the areas around the county were, “exercising our rights. The rights that have been there for over 400 years.

Ms Gee said traders had received support in their campaign from the ICA, IFA, Portlaoise Town Council, Laois Chamber of Commerce and Laois Leader.

At noon on Wednesday, May 5 market traders in Portlaoise will officially launch their market, which is located at Centrepoint on the Mountrath Road.

The act allows that a market area is claimed before the end of April it can remain in existence for a further 10-years before being staked again to keep it a valid market area.

Portlaoise Tidy Towns hard at work
April 27th 2006

FOLLOWING the completion of the refurbishment of main street the Tidy Towns committee in Portlaoise have been out and about tidying and planting the tubs with new spring bedding.

Over the next couple of weeks the remainder of the street furniture - seating and tubs - will be completed on the street.

This will be followed by the planting of summer bedding the end of May throughout the town. New tubs will be placed on Dublin Road and all wooden tubs will be replaced.

The flower beds on James Fintan Lalor Avenue are looking very attractive at present with the display of daffodils and tulips. In the autumn it is planned to plant more of these bulbs along the avenue.

Laois Clean Up Week was a tremendous success with residents associations staff and environ-mental staff of Laois County Council, Tidy Towns committee and traders all working together in making the week a very successful one.

The committee will shortly be entering Portlaoise in the National Tidy Towns Competition. Their aim is to increase their marks again this year. “With your help we can do it,” says Kathleen O’Brien, secretary. “The competition promotes pride of place in where we live.”

The committee is always looking for new volunteers. This year will be a busy year with cleanup nights, painting of railings and benches, along with the regular watering of planters, tubs and hanging baskets.

120 Portlaoise gardaí share one bullet-proof vest: FG
April 20th 2006

Fine Gael has accused the Government of putting gardaí at serious risk by failing to provide them with adequate numbers of bullet-proof vests.

Charlie Flanagan, the party's candidate in Laois-Offaly for the next general election, has claimed that the 120 gardaí based in Portlaoise currently have to share one vest between them.

Mr Flanagan says this is further evidence of the serious under-resourcing of the Garda Síochána by the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats coalition.

Development begins on National Business Park
April 12th 2006

Work has commenced on the €250m National Business Park development in Portlaoise

HUNDREDS of jobs will be created by the development of the €250m National Business Park in Portlaoise.

The first phase of the works, on roads and services, is expected to be completed in August.

The new park is situated at the Togher (M7/N8) interchange, soon to be renamed the Portlaoise interchange. It adjoins the Iarnród Éireann national train care facility, which is expected to be completed in December 2007.

The development is the brainchild of local businessmen Denis Doheny and Fergus Lawlor together with Paul G Kelly of Coolnaleen Developments, who bought the site a number of years ago.

The development, which spans some 75 acres, has attracted huge interest with up to €7m in sales already.

A mixed use development, it will house a wide range of businesses, including industrial premises, 56 starter business units and a large scale warehouse distribution centre.

A state of the art motor show centre - Motor City - will take up some five acres and is expected to attract all the major car dealerships.

The project is set to generate massive spin off business for Portlaoise and its environs. The location of the development on the main arterial route for Dublin, Limerick and Cork is a major attraction for new businesses

The town was designated a transport 'hub' by the Department of the Environment in 2002 as part of the National Spatial Strategy. The Department recognised that Portlaoise has a vital role to play as a transport 'hub' due to its prime location as a gateway to the rest of the country.

Ian McCormack, acting director of services with Laois County Council, said: "This development seeks to exploit the economic potential of the key transport corridor which runs through Co Laois".

It has been calculated that up to 50% of Ireland's population is centred within approximately 95 minutes of the new business park. Steady growth has seen the population of Portlaoise itself rise to more than 14,000 people.

This figure is expected to grow to 20,000 by 2011.

Poor penetration levels of broadband in Laois
March 30th 2006

LAOIS Chamber of Commerce members have identified poor service and customer care as part of the problems for the slow uptake of broad-band, particularly for the SME sector, says Chamber Chief Executive, Margaret Ryan.

Laois Chamber of Commerce, in association with Laois County Council and E-net, recently hosted a seminar on broadband service which focused on bringing information on broadband service to boost the uptake and promote the use of broad-band by Laois businesses.

Margaret Ryan, a member of Laois Chamber of Commerce encouraged all broadband providers to make it simple for users. Feedback from members in relation to broadband service identified poor service and customer care as part of the problems in broad-band uptake in particular for the SME sector. ?Many businesses don?t have a designated IT dept within their business, therefore it is essential to have help and advice available when needed,? she said.

If your business does not already have broad-band service or you need to upgrade existing service contact the chamber office (0502-21598) and they will provide a list of service providers.

Mick O?Dwyer's reaction to Quill rumours
March 30th 2006

Mick O?Dwyer had said he is mystified by speculation linking former Kerry star Declan Quill to his Laois team.

Rumours were rife in recent months that the highly-rated forward was about to throw in his lot with the O?Moore County after moving to Portlaoise. The fact that fellow Kerryman Billy Sheehan had done so a little over a year ago only added to the speculation.

But O?Dwyer has insisted that a move for Quill to join Laois was never a runner.

?I never spoke to him,? he said. ?He?s a teacher in Limerick with no Laois connections. The rumour was circulating alright but I never made any moves.?

In order for Quill to declare for Laois, he would first have to secure a transfer from Kerin O?Rahilly?s to a club in the O?Moore County.

A & E scheduled for completion by end of 2006
March 30th 2006

WORK on the new Accident and Emergency department at Portlaoise Regional Hospital will be completed by the end of the year. The internal construction and fit out of the unit has got underway

A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive said this week that the new A & E department would be a modern, purpose-built facility. It will be more than double the size of current facilities.

Hospital Manager Declan McCormack said: ?The transformation of the hospital to date has brought great benefit to patients and staff alike. This new accident and emergency department has been keenly awaited, and we are delighted that work is underway.?

He thanked patients and staff for their patience, understanding and cooperation over recent years while construction and refurbishment work has been ongoing.

Portlaoise girls presented with Young Citzens Awards by President Mary McAleese
March 23rd 2006

TWO Portlaoise school girls were honoured by President Mary McAleese when she presented them with Young Citzens Awards in Aras An Uachtar?in last Tuesday.

Chloe Fitzgibbon and Alison Lewis who are fifth and sixth year students respectively in Scoil Chr?ost R? were awarded the pins for their work on community projects which they undertook in the last year.

Chloe, along with six of her classmates undertook a project entitled ?Lighting the Darkness,? which set out to inform young people about the issue of mental health. The group developed links with organisations involved in the area of mental health such as Aware, Schizophrenia Ireland and Laois Youth Services and invited a speaker from Mental Health Ireland into the school to speak to their fellow students as part of an in-school mental health awareness day. They also surveyed student?s attitudes on mental health issues among second and fifth year students and found that students were not sufficiently informed on the issues.

As a response to this they printed up business type cards with the numbers of the main support agencies on them.

The issue of fair trade was the topic explored by Alison Lewis and four colleagues who set out to make Portlaoise a Fair Trade town. To educate themselves on the issue they invited a speaker from Fair Trade Ireland into the school. They also wrote to local newspapers and businesses within the town to highlight the issue. One of their major achievements was opening a Fair Trade shop on the school grounds. The project won third prize in the Young Social Innovators Showcase 2005. Explaining the importance of Fair Trade, Alison said: ?It means that people in developing countries get a fair price for their produce and so they have more money for education and health in their communities where it is badly needed.?

Presenting the awards President McAleese said: ?These awards are recognition of the serious way in which you dedicate yourselves to active citizenship and of the contribution you are making to your community and our shared world.?

Unfortunately not everyone who received an award was able to attend the ceremony so the girls were delighted to be able to go. Chloe said ??_ras An Uachtar?in was very elegant, it was away bigger than we expected it to be. We kept getting lost.? Alison said of the President ?She was very nice, really pleasant?.

Portlaoise GAA look for new playing grounds
March 16th 2006

A SPECIALLY convened EGM of Portlaoise GAA club on Friday night last voted to sell their present grounds beside O?Moore Park and acquire a new green field site where the club can develop facilities to meet their growing needs into the future.

The present grounds have been the spiritual home of Portlaoise GAA club for many decades and the club developed the lands over the years providing one main pitch, three training pitches, a clubhouse and dressing rooms. With the number of teams now using the facilities, including a thriving ladies football section, the club needs more pitches, floodlights and all weather pitches but they also have identified a need for more indoor training facilities, gymnasium, updated clubhouse, bar and recreational facilities possibly including a swimming pool.

To develop the pitches and facilities envisaged the club is looking for up to 30 acres of land with 25 the minimum necessary to satisfy their needs.

The club have already notified the GAA authorities of their intentions and both they and Laois County Council will fully support them as long as they provide an alternative site.

A new committee is now being assembled to bring the ambitious plans to fruition and there are certainly interesting and exciting times ahead for the club and town as they embark on what will be a multi-million euro sporting development.

Portlaoise Schoolgirls buy weapons to expose arms trade
March 14th 2006

A group of secondary school students bought leg irons and an electric shock baton over the internet to expose the lack of regulation of the arms trade, it emerged tonight.

The seven girls, who attend the Presentation School in Portlaoise, were taking part in a Channel Four Dispatches documentary on the arms trade.

They were able to order the shock baton from South Korea and the leg irons from South Africa by setting up a company called Seachtar (Seven) Associates in their school office.

?We e-mailed companies who sell serious weapons such as grenade launchers and and Uzi sub-machine guns,? said Maeve O?Sullivan, 18.

She read out an email from a Czech-arms company who said it would be a pleasure to co-operate with them and added that a discount would be available for large orders.

Sister Barbara Rafterty, a teacher at the Presentation school, said the students had been very careful not to order any illegal weapons.

?The big thing for us was to make sure that we weren?t breaking the law or doing anything illegal or immoral,? she said.

Sister Raftery, who worked in Pakistan for many years, said the purpose of the documentary had been to highlight the easy availability of small arms and torture weapons.

?It makes me very sad to tell you all today that Ireland is the only EU country to have absolutely no controls on arms brokering,? she said.

The Government has not implemented the EU common policy on arms brokering although it has promised legislation later this year.

The students agreed to take part in the project after being approached by Channel Four and the Irish charity AFRI last September. They set up an office in the Presentation Convent and used search engines to find the names of arms brokers on the internet.

In their emails, they pretended to be Hugh Masterson, a sales director but they occasionally had to talk to dealers on the phone.

Maeve O?Sullivan said that one South Korean dealer had poor English but was very friendly.

?He was as nice as when you?d go into a shop and you?re buying clothes. He was a lovely man which is ironic because of all the damage his company are doing.?

The students gave the delivery address of a human rights activist in California for the electric shock baton because the weapons are illegal in Ireland.

However, there were no restrictions to prevent them importing the leg irons from South Africa.

Student Margaret Hyland, 17, said that Amnesty Ireland had described the electric shock batons as the torturer?s weapon of choice.

?They are classified by most countries, including Ireland, as a weapon used for humiliating and degrading treatment. In prisons from China to Turkmenistan, from Algeria to Armenia, they?re used to inflict pain and force confessions from inmates.?

Amnesty International campaigns manager Jim Loughran said two Irish-registered companies, Limid Invest Limited and Balcombe Limited, had been involved in arms sales which had fuelled the brutal civil war in Liberia.

?And because there?s no legislation, no-one can do anything about it,? he said.

Portlaoise driving test waiting time hits 63 weeks
March 2nd 2006

It's claimed waiting time to sit the driving test in Portlaoise is now the longest in the country, at almost a year and three months.

Despite this, new figures published in today's Irish Independent show the centre has a slightly higher than average pass rate, at 54.3 percent.

The level of success in Birr is one of Ireland's best, at 65.2 percent, where applicants wait an average of 40 weeks.

Elsewhere, Tullamore boasts a 53 week list, Mullingar is 45 weeks and the time in Athlone is just 26 weeks - the second shortest in the country.

Portlaoise publican to run for Seanad
February 23rd 2006

Mr Donoghue who is the owner of one of the best known public houses in the county has opted for a new challenge and has been nominated by the Vintners? Federation of Ireland to run for the Seanad . He is a long serving member of the VFI and will complete his two-year term as president in May this year.

The federation was prompted into this move by the difficulties being experienced by rural publicans. ?While accepting there needs to be legislation,? said Mr Donoghue, ?there have been issues, like the caf? bar licences, that need to be addressed and we feel we need someone in a position to support our needs.

?A lot of the legislation has been counteractive and the interests of rural publicans need to be catered for,? added Mr Donoghue.

Portlaoise to get Garda CCTV.
January 26th 2006

Six new towns across the country are to have security cameras installed as part of the Garda CCTV programme, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell announced today.

The addition of Drogheda, Dungarvan, Kinsale, Mullingar, Portlaoise and Tullamore will bring to 17 the total number of locations where Garda CCTV systems will be set up under a new outsourcing initiative.

Mr McDowell said a major drive to extend CCTV coverage to provincial towns will take place this year.

?I have made available ?5.1mn in 2006 to An Garda S?ochana for this purpose,? he said.

?I am anxious to accelerate the implementation of Garda CCTV systems across the country and in that regard the Garda Commissioner has recently submitted to me a comprehensive and innovative proposal for the project management and the outsourced service provision of the 17 CCTV systems.

?The procurement process to contract the project managers and outsourced service providers for the development, installation and management of these CCTV systems will now proceed as quickly as possible.

?The implementation of Garda CCTV systems and Community CCTV systems will provide a strong deterrent to the commissioning of many crimes and a useful investigative tool for An Garda S?ochana in the fight against crime.?

The Garda authorities will shortly commence the initial public procurement process and Mr McDowell said he was anxious to proceed urgently with the schemes.

The 17 locations to be provided with Garda CCTV systems under the new outsourcing initiative are:

Athlone, Ballyfermot, Carlow, Castlebar, Clondalkin, Clonmel, Drogheda, Dungarvan, Ennis, Kilkenny, Kinsale, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Sligo, Tallaght, Tullamore and Waterford.

Under the former CCTV implementation programme, Garda CCTV systems were implemented in Bray, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Dun Laoghaire, Galway, Limerick and Tralee and planning is proceeding for the implementation of the Finglas CCTV system.

The Garda CCTV programme is being progressed alongside the Community Based CCTV Scheme.

Mr McDowell launched that scheme in June 2005 with Minister Eamon O Cuiv to provide financial assistance to local organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with implementing their own local CCTV system.

Over ?1m in grant aid has already been allocated to 37 communities under the scheme and many of these will see their CCTV systems in operation before the end of the year.

The minister plans to make a further call for proposals under the scheme in the coming months.

?3.8 million for Portlaoise Swimming Pool.
January 20th 2006

It may have taken seven years to bring it to this stage but the tender documents for a ?7.5million facelift for Portlaoise Swimming Pool have been finally approved.

?3.8 million towards the project will be received in grant aid while Laois County Council will have to come up with the remaining ?3.7m. This could be done through the council?s development levies and by way of loans.

The refurbished pool has been in the planning stage since 1999 and it was hoped the new pool would be opened in 2003 but that date came and went without any progress being made.

Junior Minister Tom Parlon also welcomed the green light for the project.

The project includes the main pool, alearner and toddlers pool, sauna and steam room facilities, gym, , car park, children?s play areas, three all-weather seven-a-side pitches, a juvenile soccer pitch, a jogging track, sports hall, pool hall, aerobic room and reception area.

Portlaoise traders angry over main street work .
January 19th 2006

PORTLAOISE Business and Trade Association has accused the county council of ignoring their concerns over the refurbishment of the town?s Main Street.

According to the association it has taken over two years to get to this stage and the traders were dismayed to learn this week that a number of their concerns have been totally ignored.

The association says that in early October they raised their concerns with county manager Peter Carey and the engineering staff. Mr Carey, say the association, repeatedly apologised to them for the lack of consultation in the past and assured them it would not happen again.

The county manager proposed that a monitoring committee be established comprising of three members each from the council and the business and trade group.

That committee never met but last Friday a meeting took place between a senior engineer, the contactors Craddock and Co, four officers from the traders group and Laois Chamber of Commerce. ?Unfortunately we came away from that meeting disappointed, angry and very disillusioned,? said the traders? association in a statement this week.

Director of Services with Laois County Council Gerry Gibson defended the council?s record on the main street. Mr Gibson said the traders were informed at a meeting in County Hall in October that when a contractor was appointed there would be ?a very close liaison? between all parties.

?Last Friday there was a meeting between the senior engineer, the local engineer, the contractor, the traders and the chamber of commerce. This was all part of the formal consultation process,? said Mr Gibson He went to say that over the course of the works there would be a weekly meeting with the business people.

Mr Gibson said work on the main street was an ongoing programme. In relation to the footpaths, he said ?certain remedial works? would be carried out and that new bollards would be erected. The street would also be enhanced with new street furniture and lighting

Midlands Regional Hospital to restrict visting hours in its maternity unit.
January 9th 2006

A hospital in Co Laois has announced plans to restrict visiting hours in its maternity unit at the request of new mothers.

The Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise said 89% of respondents to a survey of new mothers were in favour of a visitor-restricted period to allow them time to rest and bond with their babies.

As a result, the hospital said no visitors would be allowed into the unit between 1pm and 4pm starting from today.

Priority for cT scanning service in Portlaoise.
January 6th 2006

The provision of a CT scanning service at the Midland General Hospital, Portlaoise, is to be given priority as part of the HSE?s capital funding allocation to the midlands in the current year, the D?il has been told.

Minister of State at the Department of Health, Mr Tim O?Malley, said that there were currently no CT scanning facilities available at the Midlands General Hospital. Patients requiring such services have to go to Tullamore.

However, Mr O?Malley said that ?the National Hospitals Office of the HSE has advised the Department that the procurement of a CT scanner for Portlaoise had been prioritised in the context of any capital allocation of funding for the midland area in 2006?.

Mr O?Malley was speaking at an adjournment debate where the issue was raised by local Fianna F?il deputy Mr Se?n Fleming.

Mr Fleming said that there had been major improvements at the Hospital in recent years and that more developments were on track. However, he said that a CT scanning service was a vital ingredient that was missing.

(Archive - News 2005)

---

---