Messages

Would Anthony Cunningham be a shout for senior job given his CV? If he is willing to manage Port he would surely go for Laois job?

Was he not involved before??

He was involved with Laois as a coach when Mick Lillis managed them in 2016. Lillis thought highly of him at the time.

Ref in last night's game between Graiguecullen and O'Dempseys did well for most of the game but disgraceful referring in the last 20 minutes ruined it for him. Graiguecullen deserved at least 5 frees in a 3 minute spell, all within 30 yards of the goal and didn't get one which resulted in a few skirmishes. It was played in great spirits before that but whatever got into his head he destroyed the game. When he did award them a free O'Dempseys held on to the ball delaying time and instead of bringing it forward he threw up the ball and that happened 2 or 3 times. He then gave a second yellow to a graiguecullen player because he was trying to retrieve the ball quickly as the game was almost over...

I agree with you that some of the decisions were questionable  particularly in the second half . However I don't think Graigue deserved anything last night . Something amiss with Graigue I felt .

O'Dempseys seemed to want it more and deserved their win but all that supporters want is for Ref's to be fair to both teams.
Graiguecullen have the knack of shooting themselves in the foot in every championship for the last 20 years, they always seem good enough to win but somehow manage to lose.
Hard to put your finger on the cause of it to be fair...  Maybe its the jerseys... (Mayo)   

Ref in last night's game between Graiguecullen and O'Dempseys did well for most of the game but disgraceful referring in the last 20 minutes ruined it for him. Graiguecullen deserved at least 5 frees in a 3 minute spell, all within 30 yards of the goal and didn't get one which resulted in a few skirmishes. It was played in great spirits before that but whatever got into his head he destroyed the game. When he did award them a free O'Dempseys held on to the ball delaying time and instead of bringing it forward he threw up the ball and that happened 2 or 3 times. He then gave a second yellow to a graiguecullen player because he was trying to retrieve the ball quickly as the game was almost over...

[ACFL Division 1 Relegation Round 2]

ACFL Division 1 Relegation Round 2

Graiguecullen   2-13
O'Dempsey's     1-6

Killeshin          0-11
Stradbally       0-13

Just saw this on the hurling forum and it makes a lot of sense. This is really worrying for the future of GAA in Laois.

Now let's imagine your a business person and Laois GAA approach you for the 20k. Think about it and look at the people who would be asking you.

Chairperson - PJ Kelly, I can't think of one positive thing he has done in his role as Chairperson. No leadership or personality. Look across the border and see the influence Michael Duignan has had.

Hurling GDA - Declan Buggy, I don't know anything about him so I can't comment. I've heard some positive things from his previous job.

Football GDA - Donie Brennan, less said the better (represents alot of what's wrong with Laois GAA)

Head of S&C - Tom Hargroves, ran out of Tipp for running a very poor, laughable program with their senior hurlers. Their conditioning this year is chalk and cheese with last years. Just look at our senior footballers and how far they look off the pace from the middle of the road teams this year.

If 3 out of 4 of these people approached me I'd run a mile. No inspiration or initiative between them. Until we remove the deadwood and get passionate, progressive people involved we are wasting our time. We need to make Laois GAA a fashionable product and look at it as a business people want to investinandbe part of. If as it is in its current state is the best we can do, I certainly wouldn't be investing.

I'm just fed up of the whole thing and being bottom of the barrel. We will realistically never win an all ireland but we can be competitive and give people something to support and that kids want to be part of but right now, no chance. We are facilitating GAA not promoting it. Disillusioned with the whole thing.

Very lucky to scrape a draw, I think that makes us officially the worse senior football team in Ireland

Laois team v London

                        Killian Roche

  Sean Greene, Trevor Collins, Robbie Pigott
Padraig Kirwan, Mark Timmons , P O'Sullivan

                Kieran Lillis, Damon Larkin

   Cathal Doyle, Paul Kingston, James Finn
     Eoin Lowry, Evan O'Carroll, Mark Barry

Subs:
Scott Osborne, Alex Mohan, Seamus Lacey, Sean O'Flynn, Kevin Swayne, Ciaran Burke, Damien O'Connor, Dylan Kavanagh, Niall Corbet, Brian Daly, Colm Murphy

[Division 1]

Division 1

There is one round to go in Division 1, and only one of the seven fixtures carries any meaning.

St Joseph's, Ballyroan-Abbey and Portarlington are in the top four while Graiguecullen, Stradbally and Killeshin are in the bottom four.

O'Dempsey's host Portlaoise on Tuesday May 30 and the outcome of that game will determine the final placings.

A draw or win for Portlaoise will see them into the top four while an O'Dempsey's win will see them do likewise.


Remaining Fixtures

Sunday, May 28
Portarlington v Killeshin at 12.30pm
Ballyroan-Abbey v Graiguecullen at 12.30pm

Monday, May 29
Stradbally v St Joseph's at 8pm

Tuesday, May 30
O'Dempsey's v Portlaoise at 7.30pm


Division 2

With one round of fixtures to go here, only four teams are guaranteed of their fate after the split.

Ballyfin, The Heath and Courtwood are in the top four while Rosenallis will battle relegation.

Park-Ratheniska currently occupy fourth spot and a win over Courtwood in their final game will ensure they stay there.

Clonaslee-St Manman's are their biggest danger as they sit a point behind and if Park-Ratheniska slip up, a win over Emo would see Clonaslee pip them.

Emo and Ballylinan still hold an outside chance but they would both need to win, have Park lose and make up a massive score difference.

If just one of them win and Park-Ratheniska lose, then Park will still finish fourth on the head to head rule.


Remaining Fixtures

Friday, May 26
Emo v Clonaslee-St Manman's at 7.30pm

Sunday, May 28
Ballyfin v Ballylinan at 12.30pm
The Heath v Rosenallis at 12.30pm
Courtwood v Park-Ratheniska at 12.30pm

Cavan away will be tough, we could put it up to Offaly and London should be beatable. Wonder where the London game will be??

[Tailteann Cup Draw 2023]

Tailteann Cup Draw 2023

The Tailteann Cup draw took place on Tuesday afternoon.
There should be no shortage of drama with a number of interesting groups with action set to commence on May 13/14.

Last year's runners-up Cavan are drawn in Group 1 with Offaly, Laois, and London.

In Group 2 Meath, Down, Tipperary, and Waterford will be eager to make an impact.

It promises to be competitive in Group 3 with Limerick, Wicklow, Longford, and Carlow involved.

Fermanagh, Antrim, Wexford, and Leitrim will all believe that they can progress from Group 4.

New York will join the competition at the preliminary quarter-final stage.

Group 1: Cavan, Offaly, Laois, London

Group 2: Meath, Down, Tipperary, Waterford

Group 3: Limerick, Wicklow, Longford, Carlow

Group 4: Fermanagh, Antrim, Wexford, Leitrim

Just wondering if Joe Higgins sons ever showed any promise at football. I know they were playing underage but are they still around or are they still playing??

A lot of teams seem to have been short players this weekend for some reason. I think O'Dempseys will be OK come championship time...

The Laois U-20 footballers will take on Kildare in the Leinster U-20 championship semi finals next Tuesday.
Tom Byrne and Sean O'Shea's charges will face Kildare and the game is set to take place Portlaoise (although that has to be confirmed) with the other semi final seeing Dublin clash with Meath.
Tonight's action saw the quarter finals take place as Westmeath took on Meath and Louth hosted Kildare.
In dreadful conditions, Meath defeated Westmeath by 0-8 to 1-3 while Kildare had three points to spare over Louth – 0-12 to 1-6.

[LAOIS:]

Laois begin their campaign at home to Longford on Wednesday evening in O'Moore Park at 7.30pm.
They travel to face Offaly in Round 2 a week later and then host Kildare in their final game on April 26.

LAOIS:
                                                  Liam Conroy (Portlaoise)

   Ben O'Connor (Portlaoise), Tadhg Dineen (St Joseph's), Danny McGrath (Graiguecullen)

Robbie Murphy (St Joseph's), Jack Brennan (Killeshin), James Dunne (Clonaslee-St Manman's)

                                 Eoin Johnson (St Joseph's), Niall Lalor (Kilcavan)

   Darren Brennan (Portlaoise), David Donohue (Stradbally), Paddy Fitzpatrick (The Heath)

   Ennae Byrne (Arles-Killeen), Fionn McEvoy-Mullally (Stradbally), Evan English (Killeshin)

SUBS:
Ben Dillon (Stradbally), Tom O'Connell (Mountmellick), Fionn O'Sullivan (Crettyard), Callum Hogg (St Joseph's), Jomilio Salvador (Graiguecullen), Dan Boland (Courtwood), Sean Kirby (The Heath), Cathal Buggie (Stradbally), Sam Lynch (St Joseph's)

EXTENDED PANEL:
James Horahan (Graiguecullen), Robbie McEvoy (Mountmellick), Cody Tucker (Graiguecullen), Conor Kearney (O'Dempsey's), Pauric Ramsbottom (Timahoe), Jack Julian (Ballylinan), Jake Byrne (Portlaoise), Ben Howe (Barrowhouse), Darragh Pendergast (Ballyfin)

[Leinster U-20 Football Championship Round 3 in O'Moore Park at 7.30pm]

Leinster U-20 Football Championship Round 3 in O'Moore Park at 7.30pm

The Laois U-20 footballers are back in action this evening as they take on Meath in Round 3 of the championship.
Sean O'Shea and Tom Byrne's charges are two wins from two so far and already qualified from the group.
Meath are in the same position and whoever wins this game will top Group 1 and progress straight to the semi finals


                                                        Conor Brown (Portlaoise)

      Stephen Lennon (O'Dempsey's), Ben Dempsey (Portlaoise), Sean McGrath (Graiguecullen)

Conor McWey (Ballyroan-Abbey), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska), Darragh Slevin (Portarlington)

                                       Conor Heffernan (Killeshin), Ben Reddin (Portlaoise)

   Cormac Murphy (St Joseph's), Oisin Hooney (St Joseph's), Shaun Fitzpatrick (Ballyroan-Abbey)

                Davy Costello (Emo), Jack Byrne (Graiguecullen), Colin Dunne (Arles-Killeen)

SUBS:
Oisin Ramsbottom (Timahoe), Jake Darcy (Annanough), Colin McEvoy (Portlaoise), Davin McEvoy (Ballyroan-Abbey), Tom Fennelly (Emo), Jonah Kelly (Crettyard), Conor Kelly (Graiguecullen), Cathal Lee (Clonaslee-St Manman's), John Brennan (Crettyard)

Extended Panel:
Adam O'Halloran (Courtwood), Cian Conroy (Clonaslee-St Manman's), Dara Kelly (Crettyard), Darragh Scully (Clonaslee-St Manman's), Finn Culleton (Mountmellick), Josh Hogan (Portlaoise), Killian Byrne (Ballyroan-Abbey), Liam Kehoe (Spink), Noah Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska), Padraig Rafter (Rathdowney), Sam Quinn (Ballyroan-Abbey)