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Hello all, due to some opinions from you, iv restarted the poll from today, running for 21 days, and four votes per person. Thanks for the feedback

Voting going well, two suggestions have most votes, will keep you updated but I won't mention the popular suggestions until Voting is over. Thanks for the first four contributions

Just to quickly give an update, in the lead is better infrastructure for winter training for hurlers and footballers as many seem bewildered that the County has ONLY ONE ALL WEATHER PITCH, and that is down to haywood school not the County board

10 people have voted so far, neck and neck between options 2 and 6. Thank you men

After 13 people voting, option 4, regarding the fact that Laois has ONE ALL WEATHER pitch in the Count  which I have been told that it is booked out in advance.  Obviously some people are rather bewildered that the County board forgot about Irish winters. When building the C.O.E.. Also many votes have agreed with the idea of bringing in our best minor and u20 Gaa teams to have more involvement with the senior teams, thus keeping them involved due the 3 year break between minor and up 20

Sorry Players not teams, training with the seniors

Quote from: The infidel in exile on June 21, 2025, 04:42:05 PMSorry Players not teams, training with the seniors

A minor player training with the senior county team....whilst still not allowed hurl with his own adult club team...
And remember players straight out of minor aren't eligible to hurl inter-county.

Nobody actually believes this is a good idea. U20s yes. If they're up to the level.

County board clean out is not an option but something that is badly needed.

Thank you Voice, I Truly didn't know about the Minor situation, so I appreciate you telling me.

I don't see any issue with our best 19 and 20 year old added to an extended panel, not taking away from their own management. But coming in and training with our senior hurlers and footballers, would help them massively in practice training matches. Iv seen to many young players lose interest in the game for a host of reasons.

Thank you all for voting, 17 people have voted so far, from hurling and football. Options 1 and 4, are out in front with Options 5 in third, but unless something massively changes in the voting, it will be either Options 1 or 4, as only 1 vote separates them. It seems to be abundantly clear that the fans who voted, are upset that ex laois hurlers and footballers are not employed to work with schools and Clubs at underage level.

Also it is blatantly obvious that when the powers that be, put serious money into the C.O.E, They were clueless as unlike other countries, the failed to have one of the pitches an All weather pitch. I only done this to gauge how many of you felt, but I'm humbled by just how many voted, its strange as I only added the option to 4 votes, as a fellow patriot told me that 2 votes was not enough per person, yet 60% of you only voted on two options. Finally, every option has received votes. With the least votes going to the county board option. I may have unfortunately penned the option wrong, or people are so disinterested in the annual beauty contest, that they don't care. Thank you everyone and I lastly want to state my humility and gratitude to all, as their are a lot of people on this platform that are very clever people.

Hello all, again I wish to thank the 18 people who voted. I'm going to close the voting this night week, and you all can see how it all went, I shall write an email on your behalf, to the County board, thus giving them your feedback on the current state of Laois GAa.

Will the listen? Probably not, but I feel it incumbent on myself to give every individual who voted a voice. On that I promise

In fairness, the COE was completed, and has been continuously improved, without placing any major strain financially onto the clubs.

That wasn't the case in the past here, and isn't the case currently around the country elsewhere.

The COE is a great set up. Third pitch probably needs to be upgraded but the other two pitches are very good, pretty much playable all year round.
The surface in OMP is actually much poorer than either.

For anyone who hasn't voted, geymt your votes in as option 1 and 4 are only separated by two votes. I'm closing down the votes on Wednesday 2nd July. thanks to the 19 people how voted

There will be 2 all weather pitches in the county in 2 years time when the development in portlaoise GAA is completed. Portlaoise will also have an indoor arena almost the size of a full pitch.

Portlaoise will have get facilities but need to improve on the playing fields massive big club with nobody on the laois hurling panel and one on the u20 panel.

That's good news Bobby

Thank you for anyone who voted, leave an opinion.

'Greater emphasis on underage development,  employing ex Laois Hurlers and Footballers'

Typical prehistoric GAH attitude when it comes to development. The vast majority of these ex players haven't a notion how to coach, never mind understanding what it actually means to develop. Up and down the length and breath of the country, you have the same old cowboys robbing clubs blindly by charging ridiculous fee's to 'coach' teams.

Why should an ex Laois footballer get a role over a coach from Killeshin or The Heath who has been coaching for years?

As an ex senior club footballer for the best part of a decade, I can tell you right now I was very rarely 'coached' more told what to do.

I get you point off view Pugwash, certainly regarding ex hurlers and footballers. But it's more geared at underage teams, similar to what Pat Critchly and Chedder are doing with Setanta sports. But with respect, some explayers make excellent coaches, especially former captains, good communicators. I agree that their are not many with the x factor, but they are there.

But you would most probably agree to having more ex players involved in the County board.

They are the individuals who make decisions on what is best for every player from Killeshin to Clonaslee. There is a group of individuals voted in annually, some have NEVER KICKED OR HURLED in their lives. Ex players know exactly what is needed, as they are the people who have been in dressing rooms for years for years, talking, and seeing with their own eyes, the problems that inhibit Laois.

How is it that Kerry, Galway, Dublin and most off the Ulster Counties all have player representation at board level, but we rarely ever have.

Balance is key.

Brendan Phelan has resurrected the Setanta Programme almost single-handedly and I don't ever recall seeing his name on a Harps senior team.

Underage management teams don't need 6 ex-county players or 6 exceptional coaches; a blend of strengths, backgrounds, interests and personalities would be perfect.

The issue, of course, is that we have consistently struggled to get the quality or quantity we'd desire.
Hopefully things have turned a slight corner with the set-ups seemingly in a relatively strong place for this year.

"Countyboard hierarchy chosen from ex players, thus less laymen with egos"

Fairly insulting of the people giving up their time and energy to help run the county board.

Most of them are genuine people who want the best for the county and ego would be the last thing I'd associate with most of them.

Good luck getting "ex players" to fill all the positions, most of which are thankless enough jobs.

Thank you for your opinion, regarding SOME LAYMEN WITH EGOS, I know that theirare some people who give everything into Gaa in Laois, But unfortunately their are some that take everything from money to concrete, Narcissistic individuals with superiority complexes, getting picked. Not because their the best man for the job. Its all political brother. Same boys at the top like out politicians looking for votes
 They are not concerned about Courtwood or O'Dempsies. It is an awful situation. But some of them are great, but some need to be put out to pasture.

Quote from: Voice of tReason on July 04, 2025, 07:52:11 AMBalance is key.

Brendan Phelan has resurrected the Setanta Programme almost single-handedly and I don't ever recall seeing his name on a Harps senior team.

Underage management teams don't need 6 ex-county players or 6 exceptional coaches; a blend of strengths, backgrounds, interests and personalities would be perfect.

The issue, of course, is that we have consistently struggled to get the quality or quantity we'd desire.
Hopefully things have turned a slight corner with the set-ups seemingly in a relatively strong place for this year.

Agree with you on this point
A balance with everyone pulling in the same direction with no favoritism just all for the cause of improving the standards of both the management setups and the players. Having them better players going forward into the next groups.
As previously stated weeks ago your management/ coaches need to continuously upskill their capabilities to be able to progress with these age groups and for continuation.
How many managers / coaches have done their time from Minor U21 into Senior in our County ?

Voice and John1, you are after hitting they nail on the head. Firstly Brendan Phelan is One in a Thousand. A man with intelligence and a REAL DESIRE to push the concept of needing to work tirelessly and with everyone wanting to see the development of Hurling and Football with as many young people that our county can produce, bringing back the Great days of 96 97 and 98, and ( why I put this in the voting process) the work that was done with all the Minor Football teams, that although never managed to win an u21 ( should have beaten both kerry and Cork, but went on to win a leinster senior title, and get to 3 finals, should have beaten westmeath. Balance and honesty about where we are Currently at senior level..WE MUST GET AS MANY GOOD PEOPLE, WITH ONE DIRECTION IN MIND, WORK HARD WITH OUR UNDERAGE TEAMS. Make the young people proud to put the Blue and white Jersey on. Look men, although we don't have the population of Kildare cwe do have the same roughly, as kilkenny and Offaly. We need to put everything into our u16s u17s and u20s. Brendan and others will look after the younger age groups with other men. Finally I m not sure exactly what shan keegan does, but he would be an excellent Coaching mentor.

Great Poll missed the voting. There needs to be a couple of ways of developing our Underage Teams. How do the good like Abbeyleix, The Harps & Ballacolla take it to the next level.Put Mountmellick & Mountrath on The Map for too long both towns going years with giving nothing to Laois. I was at a Rathdowney Errill u15 game recently & they barely had 18 players some definitely u13s.Hopefully The big development in Portlaoise will kick things on there. Also what is Shane Keegan & The Hurling & Football development coaches doing for Schools Primary & especially Secondary. Not looking for immediate success at Underage in all clubs but Shanahoe have loads of girls playing football but barely contribute to their alliance with Colt etc. Likewise in football Arles had two amazing teams but are not producing much Underage Why?? I don't have all the answers or want to come across negative but We will get much worse if We don't start improving Underage teams now. As for having a Study on How to improve GAA in Laois what has been done on these Reccomendations from Nickey Brennan etc? Number 1 Reccomendation is another club in Portlaoise, How is that going?

Quote from: LaoisforSam on July 30, 2025, 10:07:25 AMGreat Poll missed the voting. There needs to be a couple of ways of developing our Underage Teams. How do the good like Abbeyleix, The Harps & Ballacolla take it to the next level.Put Mountmellick & Mountrath on The Map for too long both towns going years with giving nothing to Laois. I was at a Rathdowney Errill u15 game recently & they barely had 18 players some definitely u13s.Hopefully The big development in Portlaoise will kick things on there. Also what is Shane Keegan & The Hurling & Football development coaches doing for Schools Primary & especially Secondary. Not looking for immediate success at Underage in all clubs but Shanahoe have loads of girls playing football but barely contribute to their alliance with Colt etc. Likewise in football Arles had two amazing teams but are not producing much Underage Why?? I don't have all the answers or want to come across negative but We will get much worse if We don't start improving Underage teams now. As for having a Study on How to improve GAA in Laois what has been done on these Reccomendations from Nickey Brennan etc? Number 1 Reccomendation is another club in Portlaoise, How is that going?

Correct. To revive Laois in both codes, it needs a huge drive in our more urban areas. And then be supplemented by the traditionally strong rural clubs who have delivered consistently the last 20 years or more. Your Ballacolla, your Arles etc.

Take Clough/Ballacolla for example, they feed off a tiny 2 teacher school in Ballacolla, that's just about surviving, and a not much bigger 3 teacher in in Clough. It's probably a bit unsustainable what they're at, and you'd imagine the well may run dry for a period. But my point is, what are they doing differently that the likes of Shanahoe, Colt, Clonad etc couldn't do similar (I'm not trying to take a cut at the clubs BTW). And that's before I mentioned the larger areas like your Mountraths and Mountmellicks. Abbeyliex are a good example of how to turn things around in the town areas, and huge work has gone in the last few years.

Quote from: LaoisforSam on July 30, 2025, 10:07:25 AMGreat Poll missed the voting. There needs to be a couple of ways of developing our Underage Teams. How do the good like Abbeyleix, The Harps & Ballacolla take it to the next level.Put Mountmellick & Mountrath on The Map for too long both towns going years with giving nothing to Laois. I was at a Rathdowney Errill u15 game recently & they barely had 18 players some definitely u13s.Hopefully The big development in Portlaoise will kick things on there. Also what is Shane Keegan & The Hurling & Football development coaches doing for Schools Primary & especially Secondary. Not looking for immediate success at Underage in all clubs but Shanahoe have loads of girls playing football but barely contribute to their alliance with Colt etc. Likewise in football Arles had two amazing teams but are not producing much Underage Why?? I don't have all the answers or want to come across negative but We will get much worse if We don't start improving Underage teams now. As for having a Study on How to improve GAA in Laois what has been done on these Reccomendations from Nickey Brennan etc? Number 1 Reccomendation is another club in Portlaoise, How is that going?

Regarding Mountrath and Mountmellick, Mountrath seem to be consistently playing in the A at underage bit it never seems to materialise at adult and in fairness to Mountmellick they have gone back from being amalgamated at underage apart from minor where Port are put in with them and they won the intermediate championship last year and won their first round of Premier Intermediate championship though there does not seem to be too many standout players that could push on to become senior inter-county hurlers

Quote from: KyleExile on July 30, 2025, 11:19:49 AM

Quote from: LaoisforSam on July 30, 2025, 10:07:25 AMGreat Poll missed the voting. There needs to be a couple of ways of developing our Underage Teams. How do the good like Abbeyleix, The Harps & Ballacolla take it to the next level.Put Mountmellick & Mountrath on The Map for too long both towns going years with giving nothing to Laois. I was at a Rathdowney Errill u15 game recently & they barely had 18 players some definitely u13s.Hopefully The big development in Portlaoise will kick things on there. Also what is Shane Keegan & The Hurling & Football development coaches doing for Schools Primary & especially Secondary. Not looking for immediate success at Underage in all clubs but Shanahoe have loads of girls playing football but barely contribute to their alliance with Colt etc. Likewise in football Arles had two amazing teams but are not producing much Underage Why?? I don't have all the answers or want to come across negative but We will get much worse if We don't start improving Underage teams now. As for having a Study on How to improve GAA in Laois what has been done on these Reccomendations from Nickey Brennan etc? Number 1 Reccomendation is another club in Portlaoise, How is that going?

Correct. To revive Laois in both codes, it needs a huge drive in our more urban areas. And then be supplemented by the traditionally strong rural clubs who have delivered consistently the last 20 years or more. Your Ballacolla, your Arles etc.

Take Clough/Ballacolla for example, they feed off a tiny 2 teacher school in Ballacolla, that's just about surviving, and a not much bigger 3 teacher in in Clough. It's probably a bit unsustainable what they're at, and you'd imagine the well may run dry for a period. But my point is, what are they doing differently that the likes of Shanahoe, Colt, Clonad etc couldn't do similar (I'm not trying to take a cut at the clubs BTW). And that's before I mentioned the larger areas like your Mountraths and Mountmellicks. Abbeyliex are a good example of how to turn things around in the town areas, and huge work has gone in the last few years.

Men, I am nothing, as I honestly told everybody on the Laois Forum, that I'm an Alcoholic but sober.I have fusk all here I'm Nottingham England but a one bedroom flat, and I actually found a good decent English girl. But I yearn for home. Even if ireland is not what it was,But Irish men and women ( including Laois people  )have a wonderful heritage. I am A Christian man, and I honestly believe thT Christ gifted the Irish people their own Form of Sport in Hurling and football. It's ours to fo what we want with it.

I don't believe that Laois in general were poor. The Laois women are in TWO ALL IRELAND FINALS.I don't differentiate because some of you are possibly either going out with a couple of em, or you personally know them. The will be wearing the blue and white with pride. Yes there are obvious problems with our senior teams, especially the Footballers, who seem to have list total confidence, losing to Westmeath savagely. No matter how many excuses are made, the Laois hurlers were seriously poorer than 24 against Offaly.  We all have a right to free speech, thus at times we jump at one another. My simple honest opinion was that the LAOIS SENIOR COACHING TEAM, Just wasn't at the races. They had a plan A, but nothing else. By rights. Laois should never have beaten Carlow. I paid 760 Pounds to get to Doctor Cullen. That should tell some of you, that I love Laois and I. Miss 04,05, and 06. In 2005 The Laois senior footballers, who gave us memorable days, threw away the 05 final against Westmeath as ONE FOOTBALLER BEAT US. ANYWAY I WANT TO THANK THE 23 LADS THAT VOTED, AS I promised. I sent the poll and all of your votes, and I wrote a letter to the incoming chairman, giving many of your opinions, thus I warned him that the lack of success has left empty seats, I reminded him that a great hurling coach in 2019/20, filled o'moore Park against Dublin and brought in roughly 280.000 that day, and although 2020 was not as good, he coached the boys, many still in the team to run a County line Clare to one point, and if Tony Kelly wasn't there,  Laois would have got into another ALL Ireland quarter final. I will leave it at that as Verbal is probably having a cardiac arrest, reading what I say. I will finish by thanking you, fellow lovers of the County because its a great forum.

Quote from: The infidel in exile on August 01, 2025, 12:39:02 AMMen, I am nothing, as I honestly told everybody on the Laois Forum, that I'm an Alcoholic but sober.I have fusk all here I'm Nottingham England but a one bedroom flat, and I actually found a good decent English girl. But I yearn for home. Even if ireland is not what it was,But Irish men and women ( including Laois people  )have a wonderful heritage. I am A Christian man, and I honestly believe thT Christ gifted the Irish people their own Form of Sport in Hurling and football. It's ours to fo what we want with it.

I don't believe that Laois in general were poor. The Laois women are in TWO ALL IRELAND FINALS.I don't differentiate because some of you are possibly either going out with a couple of em, or you personally know them. The will be wearing the blue and white with pride. Yes there are obvious problems with our senior teams, especially the Footballers, who seem to have list total confidence, losing to Westmeath savagely. No matter how many excuses are made, the Laois hurlers were seriously poorer than 24 against Offaly.  We all have a right to free speech, thus at times we jump at one another. My simple honest opinion was that the LAOIS SENIOR COACHING TEAM, Just wasn't at the races. They had a plan A, but nothing else. By rights. Laois should never have beaten Carlow. I paid 760 Pounds to get to Doctor Cullen. That should tell some of you, that I love Laois and I. Miss 04,05, and 06. In 2005 The Laois senior footballers, who gave us memorable days, threw away the 05 final against Westmeath as ONE FOOTBALLER BEAT US. ANYWAY I WANT TO THANK THE 23 LADS THAT VOTED, AS I promised. I sent the poll and all of your votes, and I wrote a letter to the incoming chairman, giving many of your opinions, thus I warned him that the lack of success has left empty seats, I reminded him that a great hurling coach in 2019/20, filled o'moore Park against Dublin and brought in roughly 280.000 that day, and although 2020 was not as good, he coached the boys, many still in the team to run a County line Clare to one point, and if Tony Kelly wasn't there,  Laois would have got into another ALL Ireland quarter final. I will leave it at that as Verbal is probably having a cardiac arrest, reading what I say. I will finish by thanking you, fellow lovers of the County because its a great forum.

And..... moving on swiftly. We have lost our Lead S and C. Where does that leave us?

Quote from: Leixman on August 02, 2025, 10:11:52 AMAnd..... moving on swiftly. We have lost our Lead S and C. Where does that leave us?

What happened here?

Quote from: Leixman on August 02, 2025, 10:11:52 AMAnd..... moving on swiftly. We have lost our Lead S and C. Where does that leave us?

Is this the overall head of S&C at county level or one of the senior team coaches?

Quote from: The infidel in exile on August 01, 2025, 12:39:02 AMMen, I am nothing, as I honestly told everybody on the Laois Forum, that I'm an Alcoholic but sober.I have fusk all here I'm Nottingham England but a one bedroom flat, and I actually found a good decent English girl. But I yearn for home. Even if ireland is not what it was,But Irish men and women ( including Laois people  )have a wonderful heritage. I am A Christian man, and I honestly believe thT Christ gifted the Irish people their own Form of Sport in Hurling and football. It's ours to fo what we want with it.

I don't believe that Laois in general were poor. The Laois women are in TWO ALL IRELAND FINALS.I don't differentiate because some of you are possibly either going out with a couple of em, or you personally know them. The will be wearing the blue and white with pride. Yes there are obvious problems with our senior teams, especially the Footballers, who seem to have list total confidence, losing to Westmeath savagely. No matter how many excuses are made, the Laois hurlers were seriously poorer than 24 against Offaly.  We all have a right to free speech, thus at times we jump at one another. My simple honest opinion was that the LAOIS SENIOR COACHING TEAM, Just wasn't at the races. They had a plan A, but nothing else. By rights. Laois should never have beaten Carlow. I paid 760 Pounds to get to Doctor Cullen. That should tell some of you, that I love Laois and I. Miss 04,05, and 06. In 2005 The Laois senior footballers, who gave us memorable days, threw away the 05 final against Westmeath as ONE FOOTBALLER BEAT US. ANYWAY I WANT TO THANK THE 23 LADS THAT VOTED, AS I promised. I sent the poll and all of your votes, and I wrote a letter to the incoming chairman, giving many of your opinions, thus I warned him that the lack of success has left empty seats, I reminded him that a great hurling coach in 2019/20, filled o'moore Park against Dublin and brought in roughly 280.000 that day, and although 2020 was not as good, he coached the boys, many still in the team to run a County line Clare to one point, and if Tony Kelly wasn't there,  Laois would have got into another ALL Ireland quarter final. I will leave it at that as Verbal is probably having a cardiac arrest, reading what I say. I will finish by thanking you, fellow lovers of the County because its a great forum.

Trying to decipher what you're saying would give anyone a heart attack.

Quote from: The infidel in exile on August 01, 2025, 12:43:28 AM

Quote from: The infidel in exile on August 01, 2025, 12:39:02 AMMen, I am nothing, as I honestly told everybody on the Laois Forum, that I'm an Alcoholic but sober.I have fusk all here I'm Nottingham England but a one bedroom flat, and I actually found a good decent English girl. But I yearn for home. Even if ireland is not what it was,But Irish men and women ( including Laois people  )have a wonderful heritage. I am A Christian man, and I honestly believe thT Christ gifted the Irish people their own Form of Sport in Hurling and football. It's ours to fo what we want with it.

I don't believe that Laois in general were poor. The Laois women are in TWO ALL IRELAND FINALS.I don't differentiate because some of you are possibly either going out with a couple of em, or you personally know them. The will be wearing the blue and white with pride. Yes there are obvious problems with our senior teams, especially the Footballers, who seem to have list total confidence, losing to Westmeath savagely. No matter how many excuses are made, the Laois hurlers were seriously poorer than 24 against Offaly.  We all have a right to free speech, thus at times we jump at one another. My simple honest opinion was that the LAOIS SENIOR COACHING TEAM, Just wasn't at the races. They had a plan A, but nothing else. By rights. Laois should never have beaten Carlow. I paid 760 Pounds to get to Doctor Cullen. That should tell some of you, that I love Laois and I. Miss 04,05, and 06. In 2005 The Laois senior footballers, who gave us memorable days, threw away the 05 final against Westmeath as ONE FOOTBALLER BEAT US. ANYWAY I WANT TO THANK THE 23 LADS THAT VOTED, AS I promised. I sent the poll and all of your votes, and I wrote a letter to the incoming chairman, giving many of your opinions, thus I warned him that the lack of success has left empty seats, I reminded him that a great hurling coach in 2019/20, filled o'moore Park against Dublin and brought in roughly 280.000 that day, and although 2020 was not as good, he coached the boys, many still in the team to run a County line Clare to one point, and if Tony Kelly wasn't there,  Laois would have got into another ALL Ireland quarter final. I will leave it at that as Verbal is probably having a cardiac arrest, reading what I say. I will finish by thanking you, fellow lovers of the County because its a great forum.

 :o  :o

Yes Tom Hargroves has finished up. Non renewal of 3 year contract

Quote from: Voice of tReason on August 02, 2025, 03:13:45 PM

Quote from: Leixman on August 02, 2025, 10:11:52 AMAnd..... moving on swiftly. We have lost our Lead S and C. Where does that leave us?

Is this the overall head of S&C at county level or one of the senior team coaches?

So it was the CB's decision? Not that he chose to go