Portarlington

Would you mind just giving our audience a one-minute background on yourself and Connemara ponies?

As most of you know, I'm Sean Dunne from Garryhinch, Portarlington, County Offaly.

I started off in the Connemara pony world back in 1982.

My first pony was actually a Cushing Dill that I believe finished up in Sweden, and I actually showed that pony in the Abbeyleix Show that year.

Mm.

And St. Conleth's are, are, are a story in themselves, because this is Courtwood and Portarlington, with a few friends from O'Dempseys.

[coughs] Yeah, and, uh, one-

And Emo

Sure, no wonder they're in six finals in a row.

[laughs]

But they, they initially would've started out, it was Emo, Courtwood, Portarlington, O'Dempseys would've been the traditional area they were drawn from.

And St. Paul's sort of-

I don't agree I don't agree with

that and I think if Mountmedic are weak they're weak and it allows a scenario where players from the Rock Kilcaven the two Ireland clubs and Barrow House can compete in a championship with Port Arlington and Port Leash and that's brilliant and I think Ireland's clean backbone this particular minor team And it could be two or three each from Barrowhouse and Arliss Kilcruise.

What other scenario allows those three good young fellas compete at the highest level in an A championship? Same from the Rock and Kilcavan.

I don't know the breakdown.

Joses, go on, Joses, my Joses, in a first ladies' senior football final.

It's a big weekend for Joses across the board.

St Connors are essentially a combination of Courtwood, O'Dempsey's and Port Arlington.

Yeah.

And, [laughs] Paul in Clara said, "I once turned down a car because it had a Dublin reg.

The exact same car with an Offaly reg probably would've cost me around 2,000 euro more, but I'd still have bought it." Um, Lisa in Athlone said, "I genuinely think a Westmeath reg makes a car look faster." [laughs] Um, Tom in Portarlington said, "The reg means nothing to me.

If it's cheap, it's clean, it has four wheels, then I'm interested." [laughs] [graphic blips] Get this show in full Monday to Friday from 6:30 AM to 9:00 on Midlands 103.

So, did you hear about this? We've all become accidental collectors.

I love it, until it comes to dusting them down," from Catherine in Tyrrelspass.

That is brilliant, Catherine.

And, uh, Shane in Portarlington says, uh, "I collect takeaway menus.

Most places are online now, but I can't bring myself to throw out the old ones.

What jobs do we have on the menu today? A big happy birthday to Siobhan Kavanagh, who has the deep, deep misfortune of being married to Graham Kavanagh, who has managed to reveal that she is having a roundy birthday today, one that, well, we won't say how much that has been applied to the 21, but anyway, Siobhan, have a great time, despite the obvious disadvantage of being married to your man.

Also, if you are around Port Arlington and you happen to spot a lovely grey cat with white paws, a white area under the neck, beautiful, beautiful cat called Chewy.

And Chewy has been missing at this stage for around four weeks.

And she's a house cat who is dearly missed by her beloved owner, Sheila.

In the end, the man was convicted, a one-month sentence was imposed, but it was suspended for two years.

In some other local news, departing the parish of Port Arlington after more than 20 years.

is Father Tom Dooley.

Now, Tom not only spent 22 years in Port, but he was 10 years in Mount Mellick.

But he's now 75.

He's originally from Baltinglass in County Wicklow, and he says he will be going back there to join his brother and some family members.

But he also recalls how, given the length of time he's been in Port Arlington, he has baptised children and then went on to marry them years and years later.

So he steps down and a replacement has already been confirmed.