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Team I'd like to see next day (assuming those injuries and Kelly suspended).

Roche

J Lacey, S Lacey, Fingleton

Buggie, O'Flynn, Shaun Fitz

Heffernan, Swayne

Dunne, Lowry, R Murphy

Barry, Evan, Paul K.

Hopefully Kelly's suspension could be overturned.

Portlaoise gave Cretty a good test today but ran out of steam after half time. O'Carroll was a huge handful all game long and I also thought the corner back James Kelly, who I hadn't ever heard of before, was excellent.

can graiguecullen and st.joseph cause a upset .

I don't think so. Looks like a Port v Portlaoise final to me. Graigue were good in patches and Joseph's made hard work of a pretty average Emo team.
Colm Murphy the player of the weekend just edging the brilliant Mark Timmons.

Port and Joseph's into Division 1 final. Very impressive by Port to reach final playing most of their games without 5 county players on top of missing Adam Ryan, Sean Byrne and Squirty Murphy from last year's team.

Port are also missing Stuart Mulpeter, Jake Foster and Stevie O'Neill from last year. They seem to have huge strength in depth.

Armagh v Monaghan - Armagh by 1
Kerry v Tyrone - Tyrone by 1
Derry v Cork - Derry by 7
Dublin v Mayo - Dublin by 4

you're right Saint, it's a county wide issue. In fairness, your club is contributing more than most, and doing good things

While they are doing some decent work at underage, it's a bit disappointing that they only have one player on the senior panel (and he was a transfer!)

Fixtures are up now.
Not a lot else though - the last news item is over a year old.

Maybe the Camogie deserves its own thread , but seen our ladies were bet by Cavan today, that seems a particular poor result ?
Are things on the camogie side going poorly, we are Junior level inter county now I think, having being relegated

I was amazed when I saw that result too. I wonder has the county camogie team suffered directly from the improved fortunes of the ladies footballers? Dual players opting for football?

O'Byrne Cup 2023

Group A: Kildare, Louth, Westmeath, Wexford

Group B: Longford, Carlow, Meath, Laois

Group C: Dublin, Wicklow, Offaly

Wednesday, 4 January 2023: Wexford v Kildare; Louth v Westmeath; Laois v Longford; Carlow v Meath; Wicklow v Dublin; Offaly Bye

Saturday, 7 January 2023: Westmeath v Wexford; Kildare v Louth; Longford v Carlow; Meath v Laois; Offaly v Wicklow; Dublin Bye.

Wednesday, 11 January 2023: Wexford v Louth; Westmeath v Kildare; Laois v Carlow; Meath v Longford; Dublin v Offaly; Wicklow Bye.

Sunday, 15 January 2023: Semi-Finals, Winners A v Winners C, Winners B Bye to Final.

Friday, January 20 2023: Final

The reality is that the GAA is essentially legalized faction fighting

There are rivalries and disagreements between clubs going back generations

Most people don't even remember what started a lot of these feuds

Do you really believe that? Seriously?

Yes

I believe that to be true  (to an extent)

What kind of rage would trigger a grown man to assault a 9 year old kid? It's completely irrational.

Only speculating and it's all only alleged. The only reason I can think of is if the kid hit his child. Not that that would excuse an assault on a 9 year old.

As you say it's all alleged but what i've heard ALLEGEDLY is that a kid was cutting up rough with the hurl and the parent of the kid on the receiving end of it wrongly came out onto the field to remonstrate with him. After that, as we know, it's pure speculation.

A little bit off topic but would someone from Ballyroan on this forum be able to tell me how many of the Ballyroan senior panel are from Abbeyleix or are the majority of them from Ballyroan ?

I think Mark Cahill, Lawson Obular and Cathal Doyle are all Abbeyleix lads. After that I'm not too sure but I would assume the lads with the surnames Whelan, Gee and McWey are all Ballyroan.

From the report itself


A second club (specifically for juvenile players only) should be established in Portlaoise at the Knockmay/Mountmellick Road side of the town. This club would be feeder unit (in time) to the adult clubs in Portlaoise and environs.

Laois GAA County Board
Laois Coaching & Games Committee

To be established in 2018 with
a view to participating
in 2019 competitions

A second GAA club in Portlaoise will be specifically aimed at attracting young players, enabling more children to play Gaelic games in a part of the largest urban area in Laois which is currently underserved regarding access to Gaelic games.

The new juvenile club will enable more children to enjoy and play Gaelic games and it will provide a social benefit in the area where it is proposed to be established.

It's very disappointing that never happened. I think they kinda watered it down by saying that Clonad and Ballyfin could be allowed do more to draw players from certain schools or parts of the town but I stand to be corrected on that. Parts of Portlaoise are still a wasteland when it comes to a GAA presence.

There are some really obvious looking potential amalgamations out there. It would be great to see one of them doing what Rathdowney Errill or Colt Shanahoe did.

You have Stradbally Timahoe and Annanough, Courtwood and Emo, Ballylinan and the 2 Arles clubs, Mountmellick, Kilcavan and The Rock, Killeshin and Crettyard.

It was good to see Park/Ratheniska win their second game. A club trying to do the right things at underage and certainly bringing through some good players. Just a pity they didn't draw Stradbally in Round 3! I expect O'Dempseys to be just a bit too much of a step up for them.

I also underestimated Ballyfin but I was fed a line during the week that they were going to be short a pile of lads - didn't see that. Emo will survive but a disappointing year for them.

Rosenallis made hard work of a really very poor but well organised Killeen team. They have scope for improvement and could be a close one with them and Courtwood.

Didn't see the Saturday games.

Potential for 4 close games this weekend in the senior hurling. Hopefully some good quality hurling.