'It could be 500 cones a day' The Laois winner of the Best 99 award

It is a sweet victory for the Laois shopkeeper who has won the 2025 title of Leinster Express / Laois Live Best 99 ice cream cone, as voted by customers.

For the past 45 years, Aidan Byrne has run the family business on Main Street, Mountrath, founded by his late father in 1948. 

This summer will be Aidan's last to pull some 500 cones a day, as he is actually planning to retire, he told the Leinster Express / Laois Live as he proudly accepted the Best 99 certificate in the brilliant sunshine on Thursday, April 9.

"I'm running it since 1980. My father John came in 1948 from Tipperary and opened it. My mother Agnes was from Letterkenny, Donegal. He bought this building for £500," he said.

Aidan and his three siblings were born and reared above the shop, helping out from an early age.

Little has changed inside since, from the timber clad low ceilings to the variety of items on offer, everything from cornflakes to toys, newspapers to car accessories.

Aidan Byrne inside his shop in Mountrath with his 'Best 99 in Laois 2025' certificate, and a fine sample of his produce. Photos: Leinster Express

"I was going to Dublin with him from the age of 16 to the wholesalers. At that time there was no motorway, we'd be out all day, my mother would be here on her own. We made some great friends in Dublin, we'd be on first name terms.

"There were a lot more things on the main street at the time, there were five pubs on this street, three other shops and the cinema was across the road, and a bank. There were no double yellow lines outside the shop. There's a bit of anti-social behaviour now. It's getting a bit dodgy," said Aidan, who keeps the shop open well into the evenings.

"I'm going to retire this year, but people are asking me to stay on. They don't want to see it closing. Coming in now are grandchildren of customers we had at the time. A lot of the old characters are dead and gone, they were great craic," he said.

Asked what the secret is of running such a shop, Aidan said "you have to put in the effort".

"You have to do long hours, go with the times," he said.

His sister Bernie is helping Aidan out in the shop, having retired from her career abroad.

"If I get time off at all, I spend it in Donegal. I love going up to football games, to see the Finn Harps. I could end up living there," Aidan said.

He thanks everybody who voted for him to win the Best '99 award, and his nephew Kevin who spread the word, and also helps out in the shop. 

"I came second last year. We made a bigger effort this year, so thanks to everybody that voted," Aidan said.

Aidan with two happy 99 customers Ben Patterson from Ballyroan and Harry Hargroves from Camross.

As to the secret of a good 99...

"Keep the machine very clean. I clean the machine once a week. That's whats wrong with a lot of places, they don't look after it. Just you have to wash it out well. It takes me an hour, it's a big job," he said.

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"I do it in the morning early, you wouldn't get a chance later on. It could be 500 cones a day this week," he said.

Byrnes Shop came romping ahead in the Leinster Express / Laois Live readers votes, at 808 votes. In second place is Simpson's Gala in Stradbally with an impressive 514 votes. In third place with 188 votes was Dunne's Filling station in Portlaoise.