2024 Joe McDonagh Cup

[The infidel in exile]

What the hell has happened with Westmeath?! They're second from the bottom, right now.

( )

It's relatively straight forward brother, unlike Offaly, who have a winning mentality that they discovered in the mid eighties, when they picked up all irelands, and continuing through to the naughties, although they inevitably fell away because like ourselves and Westmeath, they are relatively small in terms of population and have both codes competing annually, ourselves and Westmeath are confidence teams, a couple of wins and everything changes almost immediately. When we lost to Carlow in the first league game this year, we could easily have fallen apart, but one win and then going the Dr Cullen and producing a great display totally changed the Laois mindset, then hanging on to the coat tails of Offaly in Portlaoise, keeping the within two scores of us for 55 minutes until Paddy Purcell got the first of two goals, has completely changed the teams mindset, but I personally believe that if Offaly turned us over by a few points then we most definitely be looking at a different Laois team. Westmeath are exactly the same as Laois. They, like ourselves have some wonderful hurlers, but after a poor league campaign and losing to kerry has caused them to fall through the floorboards confidence wise. In live in Nottingham so I can only watch via livestream, but I watched Laois minors lose against Offaly, quite simply because we never believed that we could have beaten them. Offaly didn't win that game, Laois totally threw it away, hitting the post with an open goal at his mercy, poor decision after poor decision in front of goal proved that Laois have an uncanny habit of beating themselves. Finally I truly hope that I am wrong but the u20s will probably be exactly the same, because Offaly know what it takes to get over the line with an inferior team. Laois Will play Offaly in the Joe McDonagh final, forget about Kerry or Down, We beat Kerry by 10 points and they beat Down by a similar margin in the second round. Can we beat Offaly in a final with this current squad ?? Absolutely, but will we, we'll that's where psychology plays a major part. Finally I have a question that I would love an answer, Abbeyleix got to a senior final last year, although they were well beaten, but in the last ten years, they have won minor and u20 championships more than once, please explain why there is only one player in the whole squad ? Let's be brutally honest, if a town is almost perennially winning underage finals then they must have a few good hurlers so what's their problem

[redsetanta]

A good win over Kerry.

We are on course to top the table so they have achieved their objectives so far. They were comfortable winners in the end. Maher happy with the win but admits the performance could have been better.

Laois are playing with a confidence at the moment and they will need it, if indeed we do meet Offaly again in the final.

Aaron Dunphy also taking the captaincy in his stride and showing great leadership.

[Laois Rising]

What the hell has happened with Westmeath?! They're second from the bottom, right now.

( )

It's relatively straight forward brother, unlike Offaly, who have a winning mentality that they discovered in the mid eighties, when they picked up all irelands, and continuing through to the naughties, although they inevitably fell away because like ourselves and Westmeath, they are relatively small in terms of population and have both codes competing annually, ourselves and Westmeath are confidence teams, a couple of wins and everything changes almost immediately. When we lost to Carlow in the first league game this year, we could easily have fallen apart, but one win and then going the Dr Cullen and producing a great display totally changed the Laois mindset, then hanging on to the coat tails of Offaly in Portlaoise, keeping the within two scores of us for 55 minutes until Paddy Purcell got the first of two goals, has completely changed the teams mindset, but I personally believe that if Offaly turned us over by a few points then we most definitely be looking at a different Laois team. Westmeath are exactly the same as Laois. They, like ourselves have some wonderful hurlers, but after a poor league campaign and losing to kerry has caused them to fall through the floorboards confidence wise. In live in Nottingham so I can only watch via livestream, but I watched Laois minors lose against Offaly, quite simply because we never believed that we could have beaten them. Offaly didn't win that game, Laois totally threw it away, hitting the post with an open goal at his mercy, poor decision after poor decision in front of goal proved that Laois have an uncanny habit of beating themselves. Finally I truly hope that I am wrong but the u20s will probably be exactly the same, because Offaly know what it takes to get over the line with an inferior team. Laois Will play Offaly in the Joe McDonagh final, forget about Kerry or Down, We beat Kerry by 10 points and they beat Down by a similar margin in the second round. Can we beat Offaly in a final with this current squad ?? Absolutely, but will we, we'll that's where psychology plays a major part. Finally I have a question that I would love an answer, Abbeyleix got to a senior final last year, although they were well beaten, but in the last ten years, they have won minor and u20 championships more than once, please explain why there is only one player in the whole squad ? Let's be brutally honest, if a town is almost perennially winning underage finals then they must have a few good hurlers so what's their problem

The two Byrne's are starting and playing well for Laois U20s and possibly will break into the Laois senior panel/team over the next few years. Shaun Fitzpatrick who was one of the main players on the teams that made successive U20 county finals is concentrating on football and is starting for the county footballers so is not available to the hurlers.

The majority of the senior team that made the county final are still very young and inexperienced. Perhaps one or two more will step up in the coming years to make a Laois panel e.g. Lawson Obulor. I don't think there is anyone in the club that you could argue is being wrongly overlooked by the Laois management. Remember, Abbeyleix were intermediate in Laois two years ago so those players need a couple of more years playing adult hurling to develop.

Of more concern is Portlaoise hurling and can it be revitalised over the next ten years that it's underage sides can be consistently contributing3/ 4/5 players to the county underage teams and in time feed players into the senior set up. On the current u20 panel I think I'm right in saying that Portlaoise only have one player who is the goalkeeper and I cannot think of anyone off the top of my head from Portlaoise on the senior panel this year. If Laois are to progress up the ladder we need a strong representation from the Town. I'm old enough to fondly remember the 80s with the likes of John Taylor, Pat Critchley, Liam Bergin, and Billy and John Bohan playing for Laois. Today's squad with 3/4 more players thrown in from Portlaoise of the ilk of these lads would give anyone in Leinster a game. We won't have a truly strong Laois side until hurling in Portlaoise is properly promoted and developed.   

[The infidel in exile]

What the hell has happened with Westmeath?! They're second from the bottom, right now.

( )

It's relatively straight forward brother, unlike Offaly, who have a winning mentality that they discovered in the mid eighties, when they picked up all irelands, and continuing through to the naughties, although they inevitably fell away because like ourselves and Westmeath, they are relatively small in terms of population and have both codes competing annually, ourselves and Westmeath are confidence teams, a couple of wins and everything changes almost immediately. When we lost to Carlow in the first league game this year, we could easily have fallen apart, but one win and then going the Dr Cullen and producing a great display totally changed the Laois mindset, then hanging on to the coat tails of Offaly in Portlaoise, keeping the within two scores of us for 55 minutes until Paddy Purcell got the first of two goals, has completely changed the teams mindset, but I personally believe that if Offaly turned us over by a few points then we most definitely be looking at a different Laois team. Westmeath are exactly the same as Laois. They, like ourselves have some wonderful hurlers, but after a poor league campaign and losing to kerry has caused them to fall through the floorboards confidence wise. In live in Nottingham so I can only watch via livestream, but I watched Laois minors lose against Offaly, quite simply because we never believed that we could have beaten them. Offaly didn't win that game, Laois totally threw it away, hitting the post with an open goal at his mercy, poor decision after poor decision in front of goal proved that Laois have an uncanny habit of beating themselves. Finally I truly hope that I am wrong but the u20s will probably be exactly the same, because Offaly know what it takes to get over the line with an inferior team. Laois Will play Offaly in the Joe McDonagh final, forget about Kerry or Down, We beat Kerry by 10 points and they beat Down by a similar margin in the second round. Can we beat Offaly in a final with this current squad ?? Absolutely, but will we, we'll that's where psychology plays a major part. Finally I have a question that I would love an answer, Abbeyleix got to a senior final last year, although they were well beaten, but in the last ten years, they have won minor and u20 championships more than once, please explain why there is only one player in the whole squad ? Let's be brutally honest, if a town is almost perennially winning underage finals then they must have a few good hurlers so what's their problem

The two Byrne's are starting and playing well for Laois U20s and possibly will break into the Laois senior panel/team over the next few years. Shaun Fitzpatrick who was one of the main players on the teams that made successive U20 county finals is concentrating on football and is starting for the county footballers so is not available to the hurlers.

The majority of the senior team that made the county final are still very young and inexperienced. Perhaps one or two more will step up in the coming years to make a Laois panel e.g. Lawson Obulor. I don't think there is anyone in the club that you could argue is being wrongly overlooked by the Laois management. Remember, Abbeyleix were intermediate in Laois two years ago so those players need a couple of more years playing adult hurling to develop.

Of more concern is Portlaoise hurling and can it be revitalised over the next ten years that it's underage sides can be consistently contributing3/ 4/5 players to the county underage teams and in time feed players into the senior set up. On the current u20 panel I think I'm right in saying that Portlaoise only have one player who is the goalkeeper and I cannot think of anyone off the top of my head from Portlaoise on the senior panel this year. If Laois are to progress up the ladder we need a strong representation from the Town. I'm old enough to fondly remember the 80s with the likes of John Taylor, Pat Critchley, Liam Bergin, and Billy and John Bohan playing for Laois. Today's squad with 3/4 more players thrown in from Portlaoise of the ilk of these lads would give anyone in Leinster a game. We won't have a truly strong Laois side until hurling in Portlaoise is properly promoted and developed.   

Thank you for your explanation regarding Abbeyleix. But we have to accept that the four biggest towns in Laois are football towns. Portlaoise 22.000. Portarlington 7.900. Graigcullen 5.500. And Mountmellock 2.340. That's the reason I asked about Abbeyleix as it number five in the county. Then Rathdowney, the two hurling towns as Mountrath is struggling at the moment. We rely totally on rural clubs with small picks, forget about the Town, Their main secondary school won't play hurling, here in the UK football clubs are fighting against this woke culture that has ruined our children. Brocken Reilly's son is in goal.i know brocken well as he started refereeing when I gave it up. But Brocken is originally from Longford and the town he was from was a hurling town so he instilled that in his son. I heard about Obular, a friend told me that he is a good centre back, throw him in next year

[G@@]

Thank you for your explanation regarding Abbeyleix. But we have to accept that the four biggest towns in Laois are football towns. Portlaoise 22.000. Portarlington 7.900. Graigcullen 5.500. And Mountmellock 2.340. That's the reason I asked about Abbeyleix as it number five in the county. Then Rathdowney, the two hurling towns as Mountrath is struggling at the moment. We rely totally on rural clubs with small picks, forget about the Town, Their main secondary school won't play hurling, here in the UK football clubs are fighting against this woke culture that has ruined our children. Brocken Reilly's son is in goal.i know brocken well as he started refereeing when I gave it up. But Brocken is originally from Longford and the town he was from was a hurling town so he instilled that in his son. I heard about Obular, a friend told me that he is a good centre back, throw him in next year

Not sure about throwing U20s into the Senior setup, I'd be fairly against that. Ger Quinlan looked quite tired this evening against Offaly.
In fact, Laois have never truly recovered from the 'experiment' under Damien Fox to cull all over 23s from the senior setup back in the day. We need experienced heads on the Laois team like Patrick Purcell, etc...
Bringing on lads before their time is going to give rise to burnout.

[burdizzo]

Not sure about throwing U20s into the Senior setup, I'd be fairly against that. Ger Quinlan looked quite tired this evening against Offaly.
In fact, Laois have never truly recovered from the 'experiment' under Damien Fox to cull all over 23s from the senior setup back in the day. We need experienced heads on the Laois team like Patrick Purcell, etc...
Bringing on lads before their time is going to give rise to burnout.

So true. Happens at club level, and all. Too much, too soon.

[Laois Rising]

Granted Portlaoise is a football first, hurling second club but with the numbers living in Portlaoise a long term plan at revitalising hurling in the club should yield some quality players. Obviously, it will take a ground up approach but with the population there and with the funding that is available to counties there is no excuse really.

It's a great point you make regarding the townlands in Laois. GAA in urban areas in Laois is really struggling in many of our towns and has been for a long time. Showing some initiative, getting good people involved and putting the work in at underage as Abbleyleix/(Ballyroan) and Portarlington have done shows what is possible. Portarlington is a football town but is now starting to feed players into underage hurling county squads. Not something anyone would have foreseen a few years back.