This past week, the Leinster Express / Laois Live reporters covered a wide range of stories, bringing updates to Laois locals as they happened.

In case you missed it, here's a weekly roundup of our top five stories in Laois this week.

Fire, gardaí and ambulance crews attend crash on busy Laois road

Gardaí, Laois fire services and ambulance crews have responded to a two vehicle crash on a busy Laois road.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live can confirm that Laois County Council Fire and Rescue Service personnel responded to a two-vehicle road traffic collision on Monday March 30 at 10:29am. Both vehicles, a van and a jeep, had one occupant. Read the full story in the link above.

Pricey school pencil bollards at Laois school bypassed by parking parents

Expensive bollards installed outside a Laois school to make it safer for children walking in, have failed to stop parents who are still parking cars up on the footpath.

The pencil bollards at Scoil Mhuire NS in Abbeyleix were hailed as “fantastic, very safe” by Cllr John Joe Fennelly after they were installed in 2023. Read the full story linked above.

Investigations underway after death of man at Midlands Prison in Laois

The Irish Prison Service confirmed the death, which will also be investigated by the State’s prison watchdog and possibly gardaí, but provided little detail on the circumstances of his passing on the evening of April 1.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live understands the inmate, believed to be Irish, had been placed in a secure cell after an interaction with prison officers that day. He was later discovered unresponsive, with his death confirmed sometime afterwards. Read the full story linked above.

Laois man told mother ‘you have to die’

A 24-YEAR-old man who put poison on his mother’s bed and told her that she had to die was given a ten-month suspended sentence at Portlaoise District Court last week.

The case was held in-camera when the man appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to breaching a safety order at his mother’s home on 17 March.

Garda Sgt JJ Kirby said that at 11pm that night, the man locked his mother into her bedroom and put poison on her bed. He told her she could not leave and said to her: “you have to die” and put her in fear. Read the full story linked above.

All-Ireland winning hurling coach and sports psychologist help Laois to GAA league triumph

An All-Ireland winning GAA coach and a highly regarded sports psychologist were part of the background success in the Laois win in Division 2A National Hurling League.

Laois defeated Kerry 3-18 to 0-13 in the GAA Division 2A Hurling League final last weekend. Galway natives, Jeff Lynskey and Tony Óg Regan are part of the Laois senior hurling backroom team this year.

Lynskey has led Galway minor teams to All-Ireland glory on three occasions. He was also the U-20 hurling team manager with the Tribesmen for three seasons. He is coaching with the O’Moore County. Read the full story linked above.