Laois GAA

Laois GAA
Irish: Laois
Province: Leinster
Nickname(s): The O'Moore County
County colours: Blue and White
Ground(s): O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
Dominant sport: Dual County
Competitions
NFL: Division 1
NHL: Division 1B
Football Championship: Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship: Liam McCarthy Cup
Camogie: Kay Mills Cup
Standard kit

The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (Irish: Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Laois) or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.

Contents

History

Laois are a Dual County, enjoying comparative success at both Gaelic Football and Hurling. Laois are one of a select group of counties to have contested All Ireland finals in both football and hurling, and are six times Leinster Senior Football Champions, and three times Leinster Senior Hurling Champions.

In recent times Laois have been more successful footballers than hurlers. Laois minors have had considerable success over the past two decades, and the Laois senior footballers reached the Leinster final in 2003 (victorious), 2004, and 2005.

Laois hurlers currently compete in the Liam McCarthy Cup, a competition reserved for the premiere hurling counties.

Gaelic football

Laois contested the second ever All-Ireland final in 1889 and also won the first ever National Football League final beating Dublin in the 1926 final. 1936 saw the only other appearance by Laois in an All-Ireland senior decider.

Laois beat Monaghan by a point in the 1986 National Football League final. Liam Irwin and Colm Browne both won All Stars for their performances that year.

During the 1990's Laois had a number of successes at Minor and U-21 level, including All-Ireland Minor Football Championships in 1996 and 1997.

During the mid 2000's Laois Gaelic Football became a strong force at all age levels. Under former Kerry and Kildare manager Mick O'Dwyer Laois were National Football League runner ups and Leinster Senior Football Championship winners in 2003. Laois would go on to contest Leinster final again in 2004 (lost after a replay) and 2005 (lost by 1 point). During the same period the Minor team were All-Ireland Minor Champions in 2003, and Leinster Champions in 2004, 2005 and 2007; while the U-21 panel were Leinster Champions in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006, Mick O'Dwyer's management of Laois ended and he was replaced by the former Limerick manager, Liam Kearns. After two years Liam Kearns was replaced by Sean Dempsey in 2008. Dempsey who had led the Laois minors to All Ireland success in 2003 commenced a major re-building exercise in 2009 but failed to achieve any success and was replaced by Justin McNulty for the 2011 season.

Honours

Famous Former Players

Laois Gaelic football Squad

(2011 panel as of 21/6/2011)

No. Player Position Club
1 Eoin Culleton Goalkeeper Timahoe
2 Robbie Kehoe Right Corner Back O'Dempseys
3 Mark Timmons Full Back Graiguecullen
4 Padraig McMahon Left Corner Back Ballyroan Abbey
5 Cahir Healy Right Half Back Portlaoise
6 Shane Julian Centre Back Arles/Killeen
7 Colm Begley Left Half Back Parnells
8 Brendan Quigley Midfield Fingallians
9 Kevin Meaney Midfield Arles/Kilcruise
10 Billy Sheehan Right Half Forward Emo
11 John O'Loughlin Centre Forward St Brigid's
12 Darren Strong Left Half Forward Emo
13 Michael John Tierney Right Corner Forward Parnells
14 Donie Kingston Full Forward Arles/Killeen
15 Ross Munnelly Left Corner Forward Arles/Kilcruise
No. Player Position Club
16 John Dunphy Goalkeeper Spink
17 Paul Cahillane Forward Portlaoise
18 Pauric Clancy Midfield Timahoe
19 Paul Begley Full Back/Half Back Stradbally
20 Niall Donoher Wing Back/Wing Forward Courtwood
21 Peter O'Leary (gaelic football) Right Half Back O'Dempseys
22 Denis Booth Full Back The Heath
23 Micheál Finlay Right Corner Forward O'Dempseys
24 Colm Coss Forward Mountmellick
25 Daithí Carroll Forward The Heath
26 Conor Boyle Wing Back Portlaoise
27 Donal Brennan Corner Forward Arles/Killeen
28 Cathal Óg Greene Midfield Park/Ratheniska
29 Kieran Lillis Wing Back Portlaoise
30 Gary Kavanagh Forward Stradbally

Laois Club Football

The major local club competitions in Laois are the championships which are listed below.

In addition, all teams compete in the All-County Football League from Division 1 down to Division 5.

Laois Senior Football Championship

Laois Intermediate Football Championship

Laois Junior Football Championship

Laois Junior "B" Football Championship

Laois Junior "C" Football Championship

Laois Under 21 Football Championship

Laois Minor Football Championship

Hurling

Laois won one All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship title, in 1915, when the day was so wet the team reportedly played the second half in their overcoats.

Laois currently competes in the Liam McCarthy Cup (Tier 1 of the Senior Hurling Championship), but has also won three All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships.

The hurlers reached National Hurling League semi-finals in 1981 and 1983 before losing the Centenary Cup hurling final to Cork in 1984, and were back in the National Hurling League semi-final in 1996.

Laois most recently contested the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final in 1985, in what was to be a disappointing final defeat against Offaly.

Honours

Notable Former Players

Laois Hurling Squad

No. Player Position Club
1 Eoin Reilly Goalkeeper Abbeyleix
2 John A Delaney Back Clough/Ballacolla
3 Cahir Healy Full Back Portlaoise
4 Conor Dunne Corner Back Harps
5 Brian Campion Half Back Rathdowney-Errill
6 Matthew Whelan Centre Back Borris-in-Ossory
7 Joe Fitzpatrick Left Half Back Rathdowney-Errill
8 Michael McEvoy Left Half Back Clough/Ballacolla
9 James Walsh Midfield Ballinakill
10 Shane Dollard Half Forward Rathdowney-Errill
11 Willie Hyland Centre Forward Clough/Ballacolla
12 Zane Keenan(c) Left/Right Half Forward Camross
13 Eoin Costelloe Forward Portlaoise
14 Tommy Fitzgerald Midfield/Full Forward Portlaoise
15 Neil Foyle Corner Forward Borris-in-Ossory
No. Player Position Club
16 Paddy Mullaney Goalkeeper Castletown
17 Darren Maher Full Back Clough/Ballacolla
18 Brian Smith Corner Back Portlaoise
19 John Purcell Left Corner Forward Rathdowney-Errill
20 John Rowney Centre Half Forward Clonaslee-St.Manmans
21 John Brophy Corner Forward Harps
22 Eoin Houlihan Half Forward Rathdowney-Errill
23 Sean Bourke Half Forward/Midfield Harps
24 Chris Murray Forward Colt
25 Michael Bermingham Half Back Mountmellick
26 Brian Galvin Half Back Harps
27 Andrew Collier Half Forward Camross
28 Brian Dunne Midfield/Half Forward Harps
29 John Prior Corner Back Harps
30 Noel Costelloe Forward Portlaoise

Laois Club Hurling

The major local club hurling competitions in Laois are the championships which are listed below.

In addition, all teams compete in the All-County Hurling League from Division 1 down to Division 5.

Laois Senior Hurling Championship

Laois Intermediate Hurling Championship

Laois Junior Hurling Championship

Laois Under 21 Hurling Championship

Laois Minor Hurling Championship

Laois Junior "B" Hurling Championship

Laois Junior "C" Hurling Championship

Camogie

Harps won three All Ireland junior club titles in 2006-8.[1][2][3] Laois won the Nancy Murray Cup in 2007.[4] They won the third division of the National Camogie League in 2010. [5] They won the under-16 B title in 2000.

Notable players include soaring star award winners[6] Louise Mahony and Eimear Moynan Under Camogie’s National Development Plan 2010-2015, “Our Game, Our Passion,”[7] Carlow, Cavan, Laois, Louth and Roscommon are to get a total of 17 new clubs by 2015.[8]

Bibliography

A Hundred Years Of The GAA In Laois by Teddy Fennelly, 1984.

Clubs of Laois

see Category:Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in County Laois

References

  1. ^ 2006 junior club final Harps 1-7 Keady 0-5 report in Irish Independent and Irish Times
  2. ^ 2007 Junior club final Harps 2-8 Keady 2-7 report in Irish Independent, Irish Times and on camogie.ie
  3. ^ 2008 Junior club final Harps 1-11 Kilmaley 3-2 Report in Irish Independent and on Camogie.ie
  4. ^ 2007 Jun A Laois 1-15 Meath 1-9 in Leixlip report on hurlingblog.com
  5. ^ 2010 Div 3 Laois 2-10 Meath 2-5 Division 3 final report on Hogan Stand, Laois Nationalist and Camogie.ie
  6. ^ All-stars on camogie.ie
  7. ^ Irish Independent March 29 2010: Final goal for camogie
  8. ^ National Development Plan 2010-2015, Our Game, Our Passion information page on camogie.ie, pdf download (778k) from Camogie.ie download site

External links