Pictured: a previous crash under the Portlaoise bridge
Search
06 Feb 2026
Search
06 Feb 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton went on a school tour in Portlaoise on Friday, January 6, and for some schools it was the first time a Minister every visited them.
She called to Portlaoise College, the Summerhill campus shared by Portlaoise Educate Together NS, Gaelscoil Phortlaoise and Maryborough NS before going on to view the new Kolbe school that is almost completed.
In Gaelscoil Phortlaoise, Minister Naughton revealed her fluent Irish, in a Q&A with all the children in the halla.
One important question was put by Domhnail in 5th class asking for no obair bhaile - homework. Her answer "beidir," was met with cheers.
Minister Naughton advised the children to walk through any open door offering opportunities in their lives.
"I would take on any ministry. I was in transport, I was in the Department of Health, I am now in Education. But the reason I got into politics was to help people," she said.
She was serenaded by the kids as gaeilge and presented with a bouquet.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
