The population of Ballinakill, Co Laois was 319 in 1991, when John Delaney was 22. It had fallen to 299 five years later – and the publicans’ son from Bride Street who went on to become CEO of Intrade was long gone by then, drawn by the bright lights of the capital city. He was brought up in the house attached to Delaney’s pub. It was owned by his parents, Billy and Massie, but it was his mother who really ran the place. It might have said “DELANEYS BAR & LOUNGE” over the door, but everyone called it “Massie’s”. Billy…

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