TUS Scoops Top Honours at National Education Awards
Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has taken top honours at the national Education Awards, held in the Naas, Co Kildare. Defeating notable competitors from other universities, TUS secured the coveted Best Industry/Business – Academic Collaboration accolade for its innovative Athlone Campus Digital Speaker Series. The success didn’t end there for TUS, as its International […]
Festival of Gardens and Nature to take place in Ballintubbert Gardens and House
The newest festival to take place in the Midlands is a unique celebration of gardening and nature. The Festival of Gardens and Nature will take place in the beautiful surroundings of Ballintubbert Gardens and House in County Laois on the weekend of 20th and 21st April 2024. Garden designer Catherine FitzGerald has teamed up with […]
Glenisk awarded Guaranteed Irish Business of the Year 2024
Guaranteed Irish celebrated 50 years supporting businesses in Ireland at their annual Guaranteed Irish Business Awards 2024, with Midlands-based Glenisk taking home 3 Awards at the event, including the overall Business of the Year Award. Winners were announced at a Gala dinner in the RDS where 400 people enjoyed networking and celebrating their achievements over […]
Google Developer Group to launch in Portlaoise
GDG Portlaoise launching on 21 February. A Hub for Tech Enthusiasts to Connect, Learn, and Innovate Portlaoise is set to become the newest addition to the global Google Developer Groups (GDG) network with the launch of the GDG Portlaoise. The official launch event is being hosted by sponsors FRS Recruitment at The Cube – Low […]
Midlands hosts VEX Robotics Regional Finals
The Midlands hosted the regional finals of the 2024 VEX Robotics Competition in Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore on Tuesday 23rd January, with over 200 secondary school students from across the Midlands region taking part. The competition brings Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning to life with students taking part in a game-based engineering challenge to […]
Midlands Advanced Manufacturing celebrated at ATIM Cluster Gala Dinner
The inaugural atim cluster Gala Dinner marked a historic milestone in the journey of advanced manufacturing in the Midlands. The evening brought together many of the region’s top manufacturing companies, education and solutions providers underlining the region’s emergence as a leader in technology and innovation. The event was hosted by the atim cluster, who bring […]
Discover the ‘Science of the Scrum’ with Jack Carty, Rosie Foley and Midlands Science
With Rugby becoming a national obsession thanks to the World Cup in recent weeks, the Midlands Science Festival is proud to present “The Science of the Scrum,” an exciting event featuring Irish flyhalf Jack Carty and former Irish International Rosie Foley. This one-of-a-kind event exploring the science of rugby will take place on the evening […]
Connecting our Business Community takes place in Longford
Businesspeople from all over Longford participated in “Connecting our Business Community” – a networking event which perfectly demonstrated the strength of enterprise in the region, with a huge turnout of businesses from major multinationals, to successful exporters, to local SME’s. Hosted by the Longford Local Enterprise Office as part of Longford County Council; the event […]
Midlands celebrates 4 Ericsson Finalists in Women in STEM Awards 2023
The highly anticipated Women in STEM Awards 2023 celebrate and recognise the incredible achievements and innovations of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in Ireland, with the Midlands region celebrating as four women from the Ericsson Athlone team have been named as finalists in the upcoming awards. These awards shine a light on […]
18 Midlands Finalists in Irish Family Business Awards 2023
The Irish Family Business Awards are back for 2023, and it’s a strong showing from the Midlands region with 18 Finalists in the Awards. Now in their 5th year, the Irish Family Business Awards recognises the dedication, innovation and resilience of family-run enterprises across the nation. This year, there are 22 diverse categories for businesses […]
Abbeyleix Ireland’s Tidiest Town 2023 in big day for the Midlands
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, today (6 October) announced Abbeyleix, Co. Laois as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2023. Over 600 TidyTowns volunteers were present at the SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony at Croke Park in Dublin with the event live-streamed to thousands more online. This year, 887 towns were competing for the […]
Midlands success with 37 Medals at the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2023
The reputation and quality of Food & Drink from the Midlands region continues to go from strength to strength, with 37 Medals at the influential Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2023. Midlands Food and Drink producers took home a total of 13 Gold Medals, 14 Silver Medals and 10 Bronze Medals at the Awards, […]
Midlands to host Medtech and Manufacturing ‘Future of Work’ Seminar
A national seminar exploring the Future of Work in Medtech & Manufacturing takes place in Athlone on Thursday October 5th. The event is a Free Information & Networking Seminar on Funded Training and Industry Insights for Medtech and Manufacturing businesses of all sizes. The Midlands is well-recognised as a centre of excellence in Advanced Manufacturing, […]
Agritech in Midlands wins at Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards 2023
Biodegradable polymers for mineral bolus systems from PolyBo, and Methane measurement technology from Agri Data Analytics were two innovative Midlands Agritech winners at this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards. The winners of the Innovation Arena competition, hosted by Enterprise Ireland in association with the National Ploughing Association, were announced at an awards ceremony attended […]
Are ya Ploughing?
66,250 people attended Day One of the 2023 National Ploughing Championships. Let’s take a look at highlights for Wesdnesday and Thursday. With heavy rain yesterday, the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins said, “I must say you are all surviving very well as loyal supporters of the Ploughing!” The 82 year old President pointed out […]
Top 10 Events for Culture Night in the Midlands
The theme for Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir is One Night for All-Oíche Dár Saol. Culture Night / Oíche Chultúir on Septmeber 22nd is a national moment, celebrating culture, creativity and the arts and seeks to actively promote the belief that this rich and varied culture is alive, treasured and nurtured in people’s lives, today and […]
Local Enterprise Village showcases Midlands Companies at the Ploughing Championships
Spotlight on Four Midlands Businesses at the Local Enterprise Village Year on year, the Local Enterprise Village proves to be one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the Ploughing Championships. This year, over 30 small businesses from across the country will get an opportunity to sell and promote themselves to crowds of almost 300,000 […]
National Ploughing Championships, the Statistics
The National Ploughing Championships has grown to be Europe’s largest outdoor agricultural trade expo, with approximately 300,000 attendees over three days. We are taking a look at the statistics behind the larger than life event which runs next week from September 19th to 21st. From 25 to 1,700 stands “There were 25 stands at that […]
Midlands success with 19 Finalists in the Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2023
The reputation and quality of Food & Drink from the Midlands region continues to go from strength to strength, with 19 Food and Drink producers from the region named as Finalists in the influential Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards 2023. The Awards are the latest in a string of accolades for Midlands Food and […]
May the force be with Anna May McHugh
As I approach the IPA (Irish Ploughing Association) Headquarters in Ballylinan, County Laois, I realise I am not entering an office but a home. Anna May’ McHugh’s house is of course the home of the Ploughing, only a few kilometres from Ratheniska where the Championships take place. There are scores of people upstairs and down, […]
Dream comes true for Stradbally singer
“It’s a dream come true to be able to play at one of Ireland’s biggest music festivals” (‘Just Alice’ winner of Electric Youth) Stradbally singer Alice Laffan (Just Alice) has just won the Electric Youth Competition and will now perform on the Hazelwood Stage at the Electric Picnic this weekend. With great excitement she said, […]
Behind the Scenes at the Electric Picnic
“It’s turned into a great big monster now at this stage.” (Tom Cosby, Stradbally Hall) As I drive towards Stradbally Hall to meet owner Thomas Cosby, I take note of the tranquil surroundings just before the 19th Electric Picnic begins. There is already a lot of activity on the ground, with barriers going up, stages […]
Veteran Offaly Inventor returns to Tullamore Show
Veteran Inventor, Tony Bergin will be at the National Inventions competition segment of the Tullamore Show this Sunday. The renowned 93-year old inventor from Cooleshall on the Offaly/Tipperary border shows no signs of slowing down as he will take part in the Tullamore show for the 26th year. Only last year, he won an award […]
Midlands Events for National Heritage Week
Where history comes alive… The theme for National Heritage Week 2023 from August 12th– 20th is ‘Living Heritage’. This theme is centred around the practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed from one generation to the next and are still in use today. Let’s look at activities taking place in Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford […]
5 Midlands Festivals for the August Bank Holiday
With a series of highly anticipated gatherings, including the renowned Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2023, the Midlands solidifies its position as Ireland’s premier events destination. Here are 5 things to do for the weekend. 1: Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann The Fleadh Cheoil is back in Mullingar this August bank holiday weekend. With an estimated half […]
Dove House are ready for the Scarecrow Festival
Meet the All-Ireland Scarecrow reigning champions from Tús Nua, Dove House, Abbeyleix. They have just delivered their latest creation ‘The Capitalist Pig’ to The Scarecrow Festival in Durrow which kicks off this weekend in Laois. Dove house are going for three in a row! Fifteen members of Tús Nua in Abbeyleix have been working together […]
International Pike Festival on Lough Ree
“Hundreds of anglers from all over Ireland and abroad want to come here and compete so from now on, there will be no frontiers” (Chris Scally, Lough Ree Angling hub) The 2023 Lough Ree International Pike Angling Festival will be expanded to include the entire body of the lake for the first time, with an […]
12 Finalists for the Midlands in Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2023
A big day for Midlands Hospitality as the region receives 12 nominations in the Irish Bar of the Year Awards 2023. Bars across the region have been named finalists in 8 different categories, from Hotel Bar of the Year, to Gastro Bar of the Year, Tourist Bar of the Year and Best Value Pub. Leading […]
The Midlands Emerges as the ‘Home of Events’ with Over 1 Million Visitors Expected in the Next Two Months
Ireland’s Midlands is set to become the ultimate destination for entertainment, culture, and agriculture events, as it prepares to welcome an unprecedented number of visitors over the next two months. With a series of highly anticipated gatherings, including the renowned Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2023, the Midlands solidifies its position as the ‘Home of Events’. […]
Strasbourg Youth Symphony Orchestra set for St Mel’s Cathedral, Longford
The Midlands will welcome the Strasbourg Youth Symphony Orchestra and its performance of “A Symphonic Evening” to St Mel’s Cathedral later this month, as part of Longford’s Cruthú Arts Festival which runs from July 18th to 23rd. The concert on Sunday 23 July, is part of a tour that the OJS (Orchestre Symphonique des Jeunes […]
Microsoft Dream Space success for Longford students
Congratulations to Colmcille Broadband Connection Point (BCP), St Joseph’s National School and Scoil Bhríde Glen, who won awards at the first ever national Microsoft Dream Space Showcase, representing both Co. Longford and the broader Midlands region at the STEM event. Prize winners from the inaugural Longford Microsoft Dream Space Showcase, which was held in Edgeworthstown […]
July Festivals in the Midlands
July is always a good month for the smaller festival, the calm before the storm perhaps. Ahead of the big Summer festivals like the Electric Picnic and Fleadh Ceoil na hEireann in Mullingar, let’s take a look at what the smaller festivals are doing across the midlands for the month of July. From Forest Fest […]
Information Seminar on €20m Midlands Bioeconomy Initiative Scheme
Under the EU Just Transition Fund, the Midlands region will benefit from a €20m Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Scheme to invest in sustainable bioeconomy development. The Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, and host partner The Cube in Portlaoise, will hold an information session regarding the scheme. As Ireland moves towards a low-carbon economy, the […]
Midlands centre stage at BoostUp! 2023 IRELAND Edition
Advanced Manufacturing in the Midlands took centre stage as Mullingar hosted BoostUp! 2023 IRELAND Edition, with atim cluster partnering with EIT Manufacturing and hosts Irish Manufacturing Research to bring the innovative Start-Up Competition to the region. There was success for the region in the competition with Mersus Technologies from Athlone taking a podium place, and […]
Behind the Scenes at Durrow Scarecrow Festival
What happens when you walk into a room and find 40 mammies staring back at you? Worse still, ‘40 Scarecrow Mammies’, showing all sort of expressions, from anger to kindness and the one we fear the most, the mammy with the ‘disappointed stare’. Let’s go behind the scenes at this year’s Durrow Scarecrow Festival in […]
Midlands Women in Tech Career Networking Morning
On Saturday 24th June 2023, Midlands Women in Tech will host a Career Networking Morning at the Ardonagh Analytics Lab in Mullingar from 10am to 12pm. The Midlands Women in Tech community aims to close the gender gap and to help women and girls embrace Tech by educating and inspiring more women about the opportunities […]
RiverFest, the Midlands newest music festival
Where does Éanna Ryan find the time to hold down a full-time job, while running Lukers in Shannonbridge, a pub/restaurant/venue with his two brothers John Joe and Tomás? If that’s not enough, they are putting on a Music and Arts Festival called RiverFest in just under two weeks. 33-year-old Éanna, who works full-time for a […]
Accelerate Green Conference – Ireland’s Sustainable Future 2023
The Accelerate Green Conference – Ireland’s Sustainable Future 2023 saw hundreds of visionary leaders, industry experts, and change makers assemble in the Midlands for an event focused on driving sustainable solutions for a better tomorrow. The conference featured thought-provoking talks, engaging discussions and innovative ideas that will shape the future of our planet. Chairman of […]
Biodiversity week, Midlands
Biodiversity Week takes place from Friday, May 19 to May 28 with free events and workshops and aims to engage the public in a range of nature-related activities, from bat walks, to dusk choruses, plant identification events and much more. Let’s have a look at the events taking place across the midlands. Biodiversity week, Westmeath […]
The Laois Garden Trail
Have you heard of the Laois Garden Trail? It is a wonderful trail that includes 12 gardens, from Emo to Heywood, Durrow Castle to Gash Gardens, there are so many beautiful spaces to explore and perhaps re-discover. In this article, I will explore a variety of what Laois has to offer. The 12 gardens attract […]
Grow Remote Summit 2023
The Midlands is set to host a major National Remote Working Conference on June 8-9th, with an impressive line-up of international leaders and experts in Remote Working descending on Portlaoise to bring together the remote working community, leaders in government, business innovators, and employers to explore the future of work. The last 2 years has […]
Midlands hosts Climate Action Conference
Tullamore played host to a National Conference on the Economic Opportunities arising from Climate Action, and how local government can support as drivers for change. The event was organised by CARO Climate Action Regional Offices and the Local Authorities, and MC on the day was Newstalk’s Jonathan Healy. In his keynote address, Minister for Enterprise […]
Darkness into light, Midlands
Darkness Into Light started in 2009 with 400 people walking in Dublin’s Phoenix Park and has since grown to become a global movement in suicide awareness. This year, hundreds of thousands of people will rise in the darkness and walk into the brightness of dawn in 15 countries, across 5 continents. Many people who have […]
Midlands festivals this May Bank Holiday
The Midlands comes alive this weekend! In the aftermath of the very successful Granard Booktown Festival last weekend in Longford, the midlands really is the place to be this May Bank Holiday with the amount of festivals happening across the region. From the mountain Biking Blitz to Portlaoise Tradfest , the All Ireland Drama Festival […]
New Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Festival
This weekend (April 28th – 30th), will see a major new event take place in and around the Slieve Bloom mountain bike trails, with sites in both Laois and Offaly, hosting a series of family-friendly bike-themed activities. The Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Festival is a three-day festival event intended to showcase the spectacular Slieve Bloom […]
Granard Booktown Festival
Granard in County Longford is about to become Ireland’s newest booktown. The idea to make Granard into a booktown festival came from a trip to Wigtown in Scotland where arts and books turned the small town of Wigtown into the national book town of Scotland. Like Wigtown, Granard will be filled with book events, writers, […]
The stunning Malt House in Stradbally will be home to RTÉ’s ‘Operation Transformation’
Operation Transformation (OT), hosted by Kathryn Thomas will broadcast from Stradbally, County Laois when it returns to our screens next week! Each week the leaders will meet the experts in the beautifully converted 19th Century, Malt House in Stradbally as they chart their weekly Health Check-In. While the 2023 series will use the Malt House […]
Midlands Christmas Markets, when & where!
It is that time of year again where Christmas Markets are getting their stalls ready around the midlands. Packed with local food and crafts, mulled wine and Santa’s grottos, you dont have to go abroad to find your little bit of Christmas before the big day! As early as this Saturday, local markets from Clonmellon […]
Brilliant line-up at Ballymahon Film Festival
The Still Voices Film Festival begins this week in Ballymahon, Mullingar and Athlone! The community-focused, international film festival, based in Ballymahon, has grown in stature since it began in 2014. It is certainly a quality programme, packed with film screenings, panels and workshops, as well as the always popular children’s animation workshop. Short films are […]
Laois ‘Leaves Festival’ kicks off this week
“The Leaves Festival is a great opportunity to hear from contemporary writers, enjoy the art of conversation, listen to musicians and appreciate film.” (Leaves Festival Co-ordinator, Muireann Ní Chonaill) The Leaves Festival 2022 brings the best of Irish writing, poetry, film and music to County Laois this Wednesday November 9th. The star attraction will be […]
The Midlands Science Festival is back!
The Midlands Science Festival is back in person this year and it’s all free! There’s a wide range of activities happening in schools and clubs all over the midlands, from Forensic Science to the secret science of Golf, discover the night skies over Lough Boora Parklands and Pete the Vet is even here to explore […]
Halloween in the Midlands
How will you spend your Oíche Shamhna? Let’s have a look at a number of ‘Spooktacular’ events, walks, workshops and film screenings across the Midlands that are happening especially for the Bank holiday weekend and week ahead. LONGFORD Longford’s annual Dead of Night Festival returns this Halloween! This free and frightful festival is sure to scare all […]
OFFline Film Festival, Birr
The OFFline film festival runs every October in Birr, County Offaly. The 2022 festival starts this Wednesday 12th – Sunday 16th October. This five-day festival for film lovers and filmmakers alike has been screening Irish and international films in Birr, County Offaly since 2010. OFFline includes an array of workshops on different aspects of filmmaking, […]
Destination Midlands
As the National Ploughing Championships announce that they’re on their way back to Laois for 2023, let’s look at the many festivals that are making the Midlands ‘the home of events’ in Ireland. Over 1 million people visited the Midlands region in recent months, attending a packed calendar of many of Ireland’s top Summer Events, […]
Birr Castle Hot Air Balloon Championships
The Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships take place in the grounds of Birr Castle, Co Offaly, with the 50th year of the championships taking place from Saturday 24th to Friday 30th September 2022. The skies above the town fill with Hot Air Balloons in a brilliant display for all the family. Balloons are scheduled to […]
Culture Night 2022
Culture Night is one of the biggest nights in the Arts calendar, we take a look at what’s happening in the Midlands this year. OFFALY are be central to RTÉ’s Culture Night special. They broadcast live from Lough Boora Discovery Park on RTÉ One. The RTÉ Concert Orchestra and a selection of guest artists perform. […]
The Tullamore Show
The Tullamore Show is Ireland’s largest one-day event, and attracts up to 60,000 visitors each August to the grounds of Butterfield Estate outside Tullamore in Co. Offaly for festival of farming and country life. Agriculture was originally the Show’s main focus but this has broadened considerably over the years to adapt to Ireland’s changing culture. […]
Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann
The World’s largest annual celebration of Irish music, language, song and dance attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. Currently hosted in its spiritual home of Mullingar, the week-long event is like nothing else in Ireland. Traditional musicians of all ages are invited to gather once again in Mullingar from 6th to 14th August for Fleadh […]
Electric Picnic
Ireland’s largest gathering of music & arts, and the ultimate rock n’ roll circus, Electric Picnic has established itself as one of the world’s most unique festivals. With a great selection of music, art, theatre, comedy, food and holistic health, it’s the most delightfully diverse end of summer party on the Emerald Isle. Ireland’s premier […]
National Ploughing Championships
The annual event attracts crowds of up 300,000, as the largest agricultural event in Europe. The 3 day festival is about so much more than just Ploughing, celebrating the very best of Ireland from the heart of the country in Co. Laois. All roads lead to Ratheniska, Co. Laois each September, as the Midlands plays […]
