Underage squads 2024

[Hurling123]

there was 4 of the panel that are not eligible to play minor next year .this year u16 group didn't have to many to play minor hurling this year unlike the year before . the belief would be that this group are not  as strong as last year group but if the current management  team was allowed stay with them i would imagine they will get a good return from this bunch.
just to be clear there was some talk here about parents holding the role as management  on these team's this is not true

this years team has Brendan Phelan last Season it was Brian Flanagan.none have kids of these ages

[ROCKETMAN1]

Does anyone have any idea how our academy teams are going this year? I saw u15 hurlers won something. Laois gaels post plenty of pics etc. on social media about teams but does anyone know how they are really moving. Are they competitive with the bigger counties or are we being well beaten amd we are only seeing these posts when we win a game against inferior opposition?? I would love to see all fixtures/results all the time, would give us a great indication of where we are and maybe encourage us all to go and watch a few games if  a team were indeed showing promise!

[Onefordroad]

The Laois u16 team are playing Wexford in a championship match this Saturday in the COE. Time TBD. It should give a good indication what level they are at. This is their first compeditive game after the Celtic Challenge which they won division 3 where they had some of the minor panel from this year who didn't get a run with the minors. They played the likes of Kildare, Meath, Offaly & Roscommon to win that out.

[Butch Cassidy]

Is it possible to get a panel list by names and clubs for all underage teams? Interested to know who is representing

[ottoman]

Does anyone have any idea how our academy teams are going this year? I saw u15 hurlers won something. Laois gaels post plenty of pics etc. on social media about teams but does anyone know how they are really moving. Are they competitive with the bigger counties or are we being well beaten amd we are only seeing these posts when we win a game against inferior opposition?? I would love to see all fixtures/results all the time, would give us a great indication of where we are and maybe encourage us all to go and watch a few games if  a team were indeed showing promise!

I have noticed this, and not just with Laois. Is there a reason why its so hard to find, look up underage intercounty fixtures, result, etc? You'd swear absolutely nobody (except those directly involved) would ever have any interest in trying to attend some of these games.

[Ogie]

Its hard to see fixtures / results because its development teams,/ Programmes, Croke Park see it as same and run it as same, to allow for the development of players in all counties without the pressure of 'winning', that's the ethos of it

As I said last year here its actually very hard to know where you are as most teams at 14/15 anyway are split, again a strong directive from Croke Park in recent years
So Laois U14 hurlers and footballers are carrying two teams most days split evenly, U16 narrows down to one team but play the likes of Clare, Tipp, Cork etc with 3 teams, Kilkenny two teams, Waterford two etc

The Laois U15 team that won recently was a predominantly B team, the stronger team are a decent squad with some very good hurlers, same with this years U14 hurlers, next years minors are a decent squad too

U14 hurlers recently beat two Clare teams, Offaly and a Kilkenny team and play in two Cork teams this weekend,
U14 Footballers lost to Meath, beat Westmeath and a Cork team, beat Kildare last Saturday

U15 hurlers beat Clare recently, lost to Limerick and Dublin and beat Wexford
U15 Footballers I cant comment, havent seen any fixtures / results or training

16s continuing after the Celtic Challenge success, but again proper structures from Croke Park / Leinster etc should have seen us in a higher division

Ultimately its a numbers game for most, its the Offaly's and Wexford we need to be level / contesting with, Tipp, Cork, Dublin etc will be picking from 100 good players, we are trying to bring through our top 25 to minor /U20 and maybe get 5/6 through to Senior 

[Voice of tReason]

Its hard to see fixtures / results because its development teams,/ Programmes, Croke Park see it as same and run it as same, to allow for the development of players in all counties without the pressure of 'winning', that's the ethos of it

As I said last year here its actually very hard to know where you are as most teams at 14/15 anyway are split, again a strong directive from Croke Park in recent years
So Laois U14 hurlers and footballers are carrying two teams most days split evenly, U16 narrows down to one team but play the likes of Clare, Tipp, Cork etc with 3 teams, Kilkenny two teams, Waterford two etc

The Laois U15 team that won recently was a predominantly B team, the stronger team are a decent squad with some very good hurlers, same with this years U14 hurlers, next years minors are a decent squad too

U14 hurlers recently beat two Clare teams, Offaly and a Kilkenny team and play in two Cork teams this weekend,
U14 Footballers lost to Meath, beat Westmeath and a Cork team, beat Kildare last Saturday

U15 hurlers beat Clare recently, lost to Limerick and Dublin and beat Wexford
U15 Footballers I cant comment, havent seen any fixtures / results or training

16s continuing after the Celtic Challenge success, but again proper structures from Croke Park / Leinster etc should have seen us in a higher division

Ultimately its a numbers game for most, its the Offaly's and Wexford we need to be level / contesting with, Tipp, Cork, Dublin etc will be picking from 100 good players, we are trying to bring through our top 25 to minor /U20 and maybe get 5/6 through to Senior 

Thanks for that Ogie.
Great to get that insight.

Anecdotally, I've heard our U14 and U15 hurling set-ups are really well-run.
That's not to say other panels aren't positive by the way, just what I've heard from talking to people with players involved.

[Ogie]

Last years U14 hurling was top class, organised and very well run / coached and I know the manager and some of the management team stayed with the U14s this year and the other half moved on up with the 15s, seems to be a good idea too to bring a good crop together hopefully

U14 Football squad well run also this year too,

I know there's always criticism but a lot of good Laois men involved with all panels, in both codes, just plenty more guidance / support ( expertise & financial ) always helps! 

[Butch Cassidy]

Thanks Ogie, great to get an update. Do you know who is involved in the underage teams?

[The infidel in exile]

Well done Ogie, you certainly have your finger on the pulse. Make sure to let us know if the u16s beat Wexford.

But I really don't understand what value it has by putting the u16s in Division 3 hurling, playing against Roscommon?? It may be different now, but years ago, they only had 3 senior hurling clubs, and Four roads used to nearly always win it.

[ROCKETMAN1]

Last years U14 hurling was top class, organised and very well run / coached and I know the manager and some of the management team stayed with the U14s this year and the other half moved on up with the 15s, seems to be a good idea too to bring a good crop together hopefully

U14 Football squad well run also this year too,

I know there's always criticism but a lot of good Laois men involved with all panels, in both codes, just plenty more guidance / support ( expertise & financial ) always helps! 

Thanks Ogie, you definitely have your ear to the ground! I understand the fact that they are development squads and there is an ethos attached to that but it would be nice to get a bit more insight in to these squads, who is on them the club representation, the coaches etc. I saw Offaly had a big presentation for their academy squads at the start of the year with parents and all in attendance. It would be great for the young lads to have something similar, show them it is a big deal to represent our county! I do see some fixtures on the Laois Gaa website for the teams now which is good. I see that you say a couple of age groups have really good set ups which is great to hear, I would be hopeful that all the set ups are the same so we can push on and hopefully become a bit more successful!

[Ogie]

Laois Gaa did similar with their academy squads at the start of the year, all panels are named on social media pages

An evening was held with players, parents, Shane Keegan , John Murphy Nutritionist, and Aine McNamara a professor in Elite performance and brilliant Laois woman, an excellent evening

Then players and parents met each management team on other dates in the CoE laying out their plans, it's just not all shared with catchy videos on Twitter

Laois Gaels supply them all with gear, breakfast in the CoE on Saturday mornings, hot food after games,
There's a lot good being done too!

Minor hurling managment this year was -
Glen McEvoy, Dermot McGill, Chris Murray and I'm forgetting others S&C Jason Woods 

Celtic Challenge / U16 this year -
Brendan Phelan ( who has also done huge work re starting the Setanta programme, Cathal Brophy, Conor Doran, a teacher from Portlaoise I can't think of his name, and another coach S&C Brian Ging

U15 Hurling - Robbie Delaney, Brendan Lowry, Neil Foyle, Brian Bredin, Matthew Collier, S&C Brian Ging

U14 Hurling - Trevor Moore, Tadgh Doran, Jimmy Hyland, Shane Cahill, David Sheeran, Pat Critchley S&C Jason Woods

U14 Football - Chris Conway, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Paddy Ryan, plus two more, S&C Kevin Swyane 

Others may fill in the 15/16/minor management teams for me

 

[Joeythelips]

That's a strong setup for u-14 football. Good to see it

[redsetanta]

Thanks Ogie for taking the time to put that together.

Hopefully we get a good batch in either code that can do well and get the county behind them a bit like Offaly over the past few years. A leinster final or two would be great to see in the next few years.

[The infidel in exile]

Ogie, I'm led to believe that our u12 team played Offaly in the C.O.E, on the morning of the McDonagh final. I know that the are unbelievably young, but does anyone know what the score was, as they were taken too Croke Park after the match. It really blessed me when I heard about those young lad's putting on the Laois Jersey for their first ever time, imagine a mother and father watching their 11 or 12 year old out there on the pitch. Absolutely amazing