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This weekend's losses to Wicklow (Tailteann Cup) and Kildare (Joe McDonagh Cup) seem to have unduly upset some posters on this boards. These results did nor register on my Richter Scale of disappointments in my years following Laois.

Aughrim in 1986 was by far the most sickening.
 
1981 Leinster SHC Semi-Final loss to Offaly – Padraig Horan scored a goal through the side netting and Paddy Kirwan scored the winner from 100 yards after Laois centre-back John Delaney was harshly penalised for charging with Laois on the attack. Offaly went on to win their 1st All-Irleand.

1981 Leinster SFC Final loss to Offaly after beating the Dubs in Tullamore.

1985 Leinster SHC Final loss to Offaly – an element of stage fright plus Offaly's experience.

1985 Leinster SFC Final loss to Dublin on a wet day in Croker. I remember the headline on Con Houlihan's column in Evening Press the following day – "The gang that couldn't shoot straight".
If only Curly had been onboard that day.
   
1991 Leinster SFC Final loss to Meath – unlucky to be reduced to 14 men.

1992 Leinster SFC Semi-Final loss to Louth after beating Meath in Navan – Hughie Emerson's brilliant debut.

1999 Leinster SFC Semi-Final loss to Dublin – Ian Robertson's equalized for the Dubs in the drawn match after picking the ball off the ground.

2004 Leinster SFC Final loss to Westmeath

2005 Leinster SFC Final loss to Dublin

2007 All-Ireland U21 Football Final loss to Cork

There were many more disappointments down the years but one never loses the faith.

We have had some great days too
•   The hurlers of the early eighties
•   1986 NFL title
•   All-Ireland Minor Football Champions 1996, 1997, 2003
•   Leinster Senior Football Champions 2003
 
Plus the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019 and many other days in football and hurling where our lads did us proud.

Round 1 of Tailteann Cup next Sunday and Westmeath's captain reckons that they could go all the way :
https://hoganstand.com/Article/Index/323622

What are the chances of our lads softening his cough ?

Below is a list of Laois Senior Football manager over the past 40 years – have I missed anyone ?

1.   Tom Darcy
2.   Kieran Brennan   ***
3.   Bobby Millar
4.   Richie Connor
5.   Colm Browne
6.   Michael Dempsey
7.   Tom Cribben
8.   Colm Browne
9.   Mick O'Dwyer   ***
10.   Liam Kearns
11.   Sean Dempsey
12.   Justin McNulty
13.   Tomás ó Flatharta
14.   Mick Lillis
15.   Peter Creedon
16.   John Sugrue

I've put 3 stars against Kiernan Brennan and Mick O'Dwyer for their roles in winning National League and Leinster Championship respectively.

It's difficult to rate managers of the 80s and 90s against those of 2000-2018 given how team preparation became more professional but Justin McNulty would be my 3rd favourite Laois manager.

John Sugrue have certainly made a good start but he has a huge task to emulate Kieran or Micko.

....the man himself, Tony Fearon, with some George Best memorabilia. Well done Tony.

It's a shame in my opinion that Tony is no longer contributing to this forum. I did read his supposedly offending post and I think he was asking a question that should in some circumstances be asked and he did not deserve the opprobrium that was heaped on him (not being au fait with the particular case I'm not saying that his question was valid in that instance).

Surely it's time for Tony to return - to provoke, raise a chuckle or just to prompt WTF reactions as was his wont.

Official launch of  Irish TV tonight, Channel 191 Showcase on Sky (has been up and running for a while).

See www.irishtv.ie for further info.

A hard one to call. Wexford lost at home to Laois in the league resulting in relegation. On the other hand Wexford have been much more competitive than Laois in Leinster in recent years. Both sides can blow hot and cold. I don't think there will be much on it at the end - maybe extra time will be needed.

I don't believe you should leave your conscience at the door and accept the directive of the party whip to vote along party lines where core beliefs are at issue.
Where do we draw the line between accepting whip or voting per conscience ?

Just watched Hector - I used to like him when he first appeared but he's become a bit of a pain - it's all about himself.
Another pet hate - one RTE reporter interviewing another on News.

I would be interested to hear opinions on our daily newspapers. I'm a lifetime Indo reader (and would agree with a commonly held view that the Sunday Indo has turned into a rag).
One of my gripes with the daily Irish Indepenent is that the broadsheet version is unavailable quite frequently in recent times.
I'm not a fan of the tabloid format and with the broadsheet you get a separate sports section which is handy if the missus wants the main part. Articles in the tabloid version are often abbreviated verions of those in the broadsheet.

I wouldn't disagree if anyone says that the Irish Times is a better paper - I enjoy reaing it - just don't have the time to read 2 papers a day. There's also thing like death notices - the Indo is more mainstream. The Indo is not too well served by the quality of it's GAA corresponents either.

Is it worth it and is it right at this time of year ?  I dunno - we've seen in the past how long it can take to get a newly laid pitch right.

....but that's just a personal opinion.

.........a full sliced pan. My wife shops in our local Superquinn and has noticed of late that Old Mr. B's full sliced pans were a day older that than his half-pans. Today she saw the delivery man stacking the shelves and queried him. He says that the policy is not to put out today's bread whilst yesterday's loaves remain on the shelf.

Now we all know Old Mr B's slogan - "Today's bread today". His wrappers also proclaim this. Boring old farts like myself will know that today's bread will show a Best Before Date of 4 days from today and we all know that mass produced sliced pans are only "fresh" for a couple of days at most.

It might be just an isolated incident but I've complained to Mr B's company and Superquinn because lot of people will just pick up a sliced pan assuming it is fresh.

Hey Bud - are we not gonna have a chance to read your mix of shite and wisdom anymore ? No better man than yourself to see off any spoofers in the past so don't walk away now. Was that yourself in today's Indo complaining about the siege of Firhouse ? Hope the health is on the mend. Not too far away from St. Enda's myself - must meet up for a pint sometime. Anyway get back in here and give'm hell.