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[http://www.laoistalk.com/]

Thanks Hesh - Laois fixtures are a hoor to find. Ever since ye're website went west it's all gone a bit pear shaped. Here's what I've gone with...

Hurling      Laois Final   Sunday 3.30pm      8/13   Portlaoise   8/1   Draw   6/4   Camross
Football   Laois Semi Final  Saturday 7.30pm   8/11   Arles Killeen   13/2   Draw   11/8   Stradbally

I'm probably a bit generous on Arles, but the more football Begley plays with Stradbally the better he'll get. A good midfielder is worth two other good players at club level I find. Don't really know too much about the hurling to be honest, other than I assume Camross are playing with a lot of zeal having been horsed out of the championship initially!

I'd say you're just about right on those odds LS. Camross will probably be licking their lips at being outsiders and I'd say a few of them wouldn't mind a bit of 6/4 but Portlaoise should be the classier better balanced team.
On the website thing, yeah the official one is gone west but http://www.laoistalk.com/ has filled the void very well indeed. The forum is very lively and you'd get a lot of info on form etc there.

2 more for you LS.

|Gaelic Football|   Laois Semi Final   2007-09-29    19:30:00   Arles Killeen  Stradbally
|Hurling|             Laois Final           2007-09-30   15:30:00   Camross   Portlaoise

Well if we are going off topic slightly, there used to be an ad for a Chinese in Monasterevin, the Chinese was called 'Soon Fat'. I kid you not.

Yup, still there is Soon Fat. Just up from The Nags Head.
Other ones I know of;
The Green Kiwi (no longer called that) - Portarlington
The Vatican - Kildare Town
The Wrens Nest - Portlaoise

"Fabbalas" - There's no such fuckin word Marty, you utter tool...

The Living Years - Mike and The Mechanics

Muck. Pure muck.

captain and managers coming into the oppositions changing room after the game and wishing them all the best in the remainder of league championship etc

and mayo!

Ive seen it in Junior football in Dublin

I haven't

Im fairly sure I can remember it in a few Championship games.

Haven't seen it in either league or championship. Saying that don't usually have too many rounds of the championship... At home it was the norm and expected to be honest.

yeah, it's the norm in laois at all levels...

Louth are in a great position, game against Cork will probably be in Portlaoise, so they'll have a pitch that will suit them,

Don't get that, pitch in Portlaoise isn't that small or tight. Cork also played very well on it in a qualifer a couple of years ago (I think against Sligo).

James Doyle both live in County Laois and have transferred legally and above board to their clubs in Laois

Are you sure about that? thought he was on the Kildare side of the border, he goes to school in Athy, played under-age for Athy and Kildare. Then transfers to St Josephs and gets on the Laois Minor panel although he never played a part in their development squads. Can't comment on Kingston other than what already has been said.

Thomas Walsh was transferred legally and above board, does that make it alright?

Without going into it too much, Doyle's dad is a Laoisman, lived in Athy up until recently, and has now built a house out near his homplace in the St Josephs club catchment area.
As far as I know, Kingston's case is almost identical and involved his parents building a new house in the father's homeplace.
Lot's of lads from Josephs, Ballylinan area go to school in Athy, doesn't make them Lillies 

Donnie Kingston is from Carlow and James Doyle is from Athy, Doyle played with Athy up until last year when he was poached by Laois, his inter-county transfer should never have been approved.

Would love to see Carlow win.

I'd also love to see Carlow win if they were playing anyone else bar my own county.
Donie Kingston and James Doyle both live in County Laois and have transferred legally and above board to their clubs in Laois. Is there something about intercounty transfers I don't know about?

I just wanted to give this competition a bit of a plug.
It's an eight team knockout tournament being run by the O'Dempseys club in memory of Ber, one of their greatest clubmen. As far as I know he was chairman of the club for many years and also no mean player in his time.
There are senior and intermedate teams from Kildare, Laois and Offaly in it and the first game is next Friday evening at 7.45 pm with last year's beaten IFC finalists in Offaly, Raheen taking on Rathangan who have lost more IFC finals in Kildare than they would care to remember in recent years.
Raheen are trained by Pat Brophy, former Laois and Emo stalwart. Other teams in the tournament include the hosts O'Dempseys, Portarlington, Courtwood, Walsh Island, Monastervan and Round Towers.

No he's not. He just posts more than the rest of us.

He was actually a Laoisman, originally from Kyle a tiny junior club just outside Roscrea (but inside the Laois border).
Despite their size won the Laois senior hurling title in 1951 with Kieran Carey the inspiration.
RIP

As regards laois hurling i was informed by  ahurling man down there that only for about 4 clubs laois hurling would be dead and the county board does nothing to promote it in comparison to football. and this is  alifelong laois hurling man involved down there.

Well he's wrong, that's all I have to say. I'm not a member of the Laois County Board or an apologist for them but whoever your source is has it way wrong. It's more accurate to say that the clubs are actually holding back any possible progress in Laois hurling with their infighting and holding players back from playing on county teams at all levels.

Disappointing day yesterday though Hesh. I know a lot of Laois people thought they could take Offaly yesterday, and at least get close to them.

I didn't and that's not being wise after the event. We have a strong mental block when it comes to competing with offaly in hurling (I think it's 1971 since we beat them). I'd prefer our chances of beating Wexford or possibly Clare. Not very likely either though.
World of difference between Division 1 and 2.

The county board likes so many others doesn't promote hurling and as a result the game is dying a slow death there.

Not true INDIANA, we just don't have the players of the required standard.
I know first hand how much the county board in Laois are doing for hurling, how much money they are pumping into the game at all levels.
We just don't have the players.