Midlands 103 and other radio stations serving Kildare, Offaly and Laois are playing happy music and trying to get the public to ‘Keep the Faith’ as the midlands lockdown and compulsory wearing of face masks takes hold.

But what is it like on the ground in the midlands with a population of 400,000 people on this grey day going into a second lockdown mainly because of outbreaks in meat plants and Direct Provision centres? Henry McKean has visited Portlaoise for us.