Messages

I tend to agree with you Redsetanta, as I'm lead to believe that three of Carlows better players have retired. His name evades me for now, but I truly hope that the number 4 from Rosenallis is back before April. Fine hurler, and I thought that Eamon Fitz from Abbeyleix would have been called up, as I don't see his name on the Football panel, he's a right terrier

Although I'm not living in Ireland anymore,It's quite sad to hear that secondary school Gaa has not improved since the time that I lived in the County. But I remember in the early 2000s, I believe that it was 2004 when I referred a first round game between Laois school's junior team and C.B.S Kilkenny, Zane Keenan hurled that day, and although he scored about 2.6, Laois School's were beat to death. If I remember correctly the C.B.S scored 7 goals.
I felt for them because it was disheartening for 14 year old. But at the time the County was football mad.

It sounds like nothing has changed, But in reality, other than Portlaoise, School's hurling has improved, especially in Mountrath and Haywood.

I think that St Fergals have gone back a bit, but our Minor hurling team's are improving as last year they hammered Offaly and could have beaten Wexford, if it wasnt for that half forward they had, who was special.

I don't know much about Paul Keegan, but I assume that all he can do is liaise with secondary schools as you won't force them.

My guess is that they are telling him that they will work with him, then spin him a line afterwards.
Who would have ever thought that Portarlington wouldn't be a million miles off the Town in hurling. Strange times. Let's hope that this year's minors are as strong, although I was slightly surprised that last year's County finalists didn't have a great look in on the panel, 2 from Ballypickas, and one from Castletown. Delighted for the picks lad's but surely The current Champions had more than one player with the required standard. Just a humble opinion

I am in agreement, I suppose I should have suggested that Laois ( for whatever reason ), Don't have an abundance of big physical men, Colin Byrne has a Year or so of growth.
I don't know about Mark Dowling of Camross, whether he is on the panel, but he is Certainly a presence when he plays at 14. There are Countries that just, for a reason unbenonced to people in general, have Big men, Limerick, who also have a series gym workrate, Neath, Derry, Dublin due to population density, Fermanagh, Cork, and Kerry, and Tipperary.

Tony Kelly, and DJ Carey wernt big men

No, He was last seen on his World tour in Venezuela three days ago in a KFC with a Laois top in Caracas, apparently he is on his way to Colombia

Maybe they are where they belong, And maybe they aren't as good as I think. But other than Camross who won by 6, every other game came down to one score. I Humbly think that if they made a greater effort and had better coaching they would have went to at least a Semi final, like 23, and 24. I still cannot believe that Cormac Byrne ( who can hurl naturally on either side, along with Fionan Mahoney, are not in or around the starting County fifteen. Anyway we shall see next year. Even though we beat them to win our first Senior Hurling trophy this year, I would like to see Borris kilcotton, go further this year.

Correct, I'm sorry, but it's clearly a confidence issue with Abbeyleix, They had just beaten the potential champions by 4 points, ans were absolutely giving a lesson to B/K, after 40 minutes (11 points up). All I'm saying is if that was Camross or R/E, even though we had beaten them, they would NEVER HAVE LET B/K BACK INTO THE GAME, Aaron Dunphy or not. Abbeyleix have as good a half forward line as in the County, But our Manager does not rate Fionan Mahoney Cormac and Colin Byrne or Ned Fitzpatrick. Abbeyleix lost a quarter final that night on the line. Now we have finished 8th, in front of Portlaoise and Castletown team

At first, when the County board changed the Senior Hurling Championship to 10 teams, is was against the concept as I felt that it wouldn't help the Senior Championship, and also degrade the P.I.H.C, But I was wrong, instead of the top Six cantering into quarter finals, All games in Round 5, were must win games.

As an Abbeyleix supporter, I must agree with the contributer that stated that there needs to be a serious debate, about how they threw away certain games that the likes of Camross would never allow to happen.

Abbeyleix have four forwards that would get on every team in the County. How Cormac Byrne is not on the Laois team is Lamentable, Fionan Mahoney and young Fitzpatrick from Ballyroan is a terrier, although I believe football is number one for him, but I think that he won't make a football team due to his size,


I watched all their games on clubber, the first game against The Harps ( Two teams that have been at the top of underage Hurling for at least 8 years) Although Abbeyleix were poor on the night, they threw the game away in the last 7 minutes.   

The were poor again, against an inferior Castletown team ( NO Offence, just true) But the made a brilliant comeback to take the lead, only for Castletown to Draw.

Against B/K, They were the real Abbeyleix team for 45 minutes Cormack, Colin, killian and Sam Quinn were super. They were 11 points to the good, after 39 minutes, with great confidence after beating R/E by 4, the round before, But they made one of the greatest mistakes of the Year by not sticking Mahoney on the Best half forward in Laois (Aaron Dunphy)

He brought B/K back into the game, along with his brother, He was brilliant, although the referee had a part to play by giving B/K Four very soft frees. But it was Their own fault, as they Should have beaten B/K by 4 or 5 points.

If the won that game, the Camross match would have been a non entity as Abbeyleix would have been on 5 points and in a quarter final.

It is inevitable talking about the Camross game, as Abbeyleix have Never beaten Camross in a Championship game, and they will have to carry that cross longer. Personally I would love to see both B/K and Roseanallis go well, but I personally cannot see beyond, Camross or Clough/Ballacolla

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.

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.

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?

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.

I don't know what the Abbeyleix coaching team were thinking by moving Fionan Mahony at full forward. After 23 minutes, Castletown were totally dominating the Midfield and half forward line. Abbeyleix left Mahoney wasted inside, qhen he is at his best between half back and Midfield. Castletown had 6 different scorers from play.

I Mahoney was I his natural position, he would have put in his usual hard working shift, like the league final against B/K, IF HE is not back there in the last three games, Abbeyleix won't reach the quarter finals, as R/E, B/K AND CAMROSS, all have decent half forward lines, and R/E will be though to beat

Totally agree regarding Abbeyleix being poor, but they did dominate the last 11 minutes against Castletown, although Castletown deserved to win. That is Championship hurling, which means that Abbeyleix MUST BEAT R/E ON THE 1ST. But how Cormack Byrne is not a starter on the Laois team is beyond me

Abbeyleix To Beat The HARPS by 5 plus.
R/E to beat Rosenallis by 7 plus
Ballinakill and B/k, Draw.
Camross to beat Portlaoise 8 plus.

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.