But I was brought nicely up to speed on the goings on in my own home town, Mullingar by my Twitter buddy @KeithNolan, who I have since dubbed my ‘Gar-espondant

I have learned 3 things.

One:

The Topic is online  – hopefully now they have stopped killing trees printing it.

Westmeath really does not have enough news for more than one paper and the Westmeath Examiner is marginally “better”

Two:

Christy Mae (Left)

Irelands first Disco DJ hailed from Mullingar, and is about to make a comeback *for one night only*

POPULAR Mullingar business man Christy Maye, the first person in Ireland to run a discotheque,  began his business career as a DJ with his Disc-a-Go-Go while still a student nurse in St. Loman’s Hospital, Mullingar……..

Christy Maye had to completely build a sound system and lighting display. “I had to find a way to cushion the turntables, and used a spring from a car seat, and foam, and other padding, so that we could get the sound and volume.  We separated the bass sounds and got the hi-fi effect, and we improvised in various ways to get the lighting effects”

Perhaps I’m being cruel but…. *cringe*

Three:

A Mullingar woman will be appearing in tonight’s Apprentice on BBC 1 at 9/10pm GMT/CET the Westmeath Examiner reports.

Lorraine Tighe

Lorraine Tighe the Examiner claims “although she grew up in Westmeath,  she was born in London. When she was six, her parents, Rathowen-born James Tighe, and his Streete-born wife, Loretto (nee Coffey) (now living in Petitswood), moved back to Ireland, and Lorraine attended Rathowen N.S., before going on to attend the Loreto College in Mullingar“

I have to say I love this quote about her business aim:

“to be able to drive a dead horse to the winning line”.

So I wish her luck, she left my hellish Alma Mater at 16, and I would have done the same given half a chance. She seems to have done good and hopefully she’ll go on to make a big success, she’s already a great role model for her two young daughters.

Best of Luck Lorraine.