The men from Laois are flushed with success. The Laois women have just won the All-Ireland Football Championship for the first time. Hip, hip! And, the county's first arts festival is to kick off later this month. Hip, hip! They think it's reason enough to party. Hurray.
They came to Dublin to spread the news about Portlaoise, converging on the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery in Great Strand Street to launch the Laois Arts Festival.
Editor of the Leinster Express, John Whelan, who is festival co-director with gallery owner Kavanagh, issued a general invitation to come to Portlaoise. It's been transformed, they said. View the new Dunamaise Theatre and Centre for the Arts, they said.
"There's more to Portlaoise than the prison," said Charlie Flanagan TD, a Laois man who hails from Mountmellick.
Seamus Hosey of RT╔ Radio, a native of Abbeyleix, which is only five miles out the road from Portlaoise, said the festival programme was "extraordinary for a first festival, which you would expect to be taking tentative, nervous steps. Instead, it's fully-formed, with the excitement of an established festival . . .
"Of course, I'm biased," he added.
Rathdowney author James Ryan is also biased. Sure, they love the place. During the festival, he'll be reading from his book, Seeds of Doubt, which is due out in paperback in December.
Another Portlaoise stalwart, the elegant Dr John Fingleton, chairman of the Competition Authority, launched the programme. He stressed the importance of business sponsorship of the arts.
New Zealander James Russell is an honorary Laois man, having fallen in love with Portlaoise woman Rebecca O'Neill three years ago. They got married last month, and now he's one of their own and a festival music co-ordinator.
The festival runs from October 24th to 31st. Be there, or be square.