PICTURES: Laois Year in Review: A new Rose of Tralee and All Ireland champs in August

August in Laois was a time of pride for the county's women, as the Laois Rose was chosen as the county's first ever Rose of Tralee, and the Laois Camogie team won the All Ireland. Full month review below gallery. Tap NEXT to view photos. 

The month kicked off with the hugely successful Stradbally Steam Rally festival, darkened slightly by an incident of visitors’ cars being “keyed” while parked on a side road.

An application by Lidl for a Mountmellick store was placed on hold by Laois County Council planners awaiting further information. Hundreds of locals signed a petition in support, with the decision coming in January 2026.

Debs season began in style with graduates from Scoil Chriost Rí, St Mary's CBS, Mountrath Community School, Clonaslee College and St Fergal's College enjoying their big nights out, following Leaving Cert results day.

Laois sportswomen made the front page, when they brought home the All Ireland camogie championship cup from Croke Park.

A stone bench on horse carved pedestals was stolen for the second time in Abbeyleix in August, with the Tidy Towns describing the theft as “a kick in the teeth”.

The green light was given for over 100 new houses in Graiguecullen, welcomed to help meet housing demand.

Durrow people met for the second time in concern at two planned IPAS centres, and some also attended a protest against plans for a windfarm.

Two big hearted little Emo boys Páidí Ryan and Martin Kelly shaved off their beloved mullet hairstyles,onstage during the annual Laois Relay for Life in Emo Court. Hundreds took part in the cancer fundraiser which celebrates survivors.

Mountmellick, which had part of its main street closed to traffic for two months, had the road closure extended as Uisce Éireann replaced old leaky cast iron watermains. The closure was then extended another week to trial a one way system, with local opinion remaining divided.

Laois Offaly Garda Division revealed that it detected an average of 20 intoxicated drivers, 45 uninsured and 364 speeding motorists every month over the past year. A whopping 5,089 drivers were caught speeding. Some 66 people were caught monthly using mobile phones while driving. Gardaí arrested 186 drunk drivers and 96 drug drivers over the year.

There was bad news for Laois jobs, when Leprino cheese factory announced it was closing, with the loss of 132 jobs. The flagship plant in Laois County Council’s National Enterprise Park opened in 2020 at a cost of €130m. It will shut down in mid 2026.

There was better news for the stalled Sand Wood housebuyers in Portlaoise, when ESB confirmed it was connecting the homes to the grid, but said the developer had caused the holdup due to lack of infrastructure.

The Laois Rose Katelyn Cummins was chosen as the 2025 International Rose of Tralee, to the delight and pride of the whole county. An electrical apprentice in Alpha Drives in Portlaoise, Katelyn said "I'm absolutely delighted to represent women in the trade world".

She later took to the Main Stage to jive to the songs of the Timahoe Male Choir at Electric Picnic at the end of August.

The festival in its 22nd year was the biggest yet with 80,000 ticketholders, headlined by Chappel Roan, Hozier and Sam Fender. Ahead of it, Laois Offaly Garda Division confirmed they were investigating a number of reported Electric Picnic ticket scams. Festival Republic also warned against buying tickets from any seller other than Ticketmaster.