Laois Divisional Championship

[Laoiseabu]

Any Rosenallis fella able to tell me what the deal is with the Fennells and the "C"? Seems odd.

I believe their mother is a Culleton.
Culleton-Fennell was shortened when the lads went to primary school.

A fair mouthful alright. Thanks.

An even better question is , how many C fennel's is there in Rosenallis ? Seems to be a good few

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

[Laoiseabu]

Looking at him in the championship you wouldn't think he improved . Anyone stand out ?

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Results from tonight's games:

East Central:          2-12
West Northwest:   0-12
                                   
South East :           5-16
North East :           3-11           



East Central
Management Team: Dan Nelligan, Greg Ramsbottom, Brendan Quigley

Squad
Stradbally: Colm Begley, Wayne Comerford (inj), Liam Knowles, Eoin Buggie, Jack Deegan, Jody Dillon, Tom Shiel.
Ballylinan: Gary Walsh, Conor Behan, Andy McEvoy, Kevin Byrne, James Farrell, Robbie Donoher (inj), Alan Farrell (inj), Seamus Lacey.
St Joseph's: Aaron Cooney, Dan Dunne (inj), Adam Campion, Donal Ramsbottom, James Kelly, Michael Keogh, Brian Daly.
Ballyroan Abbey: Aaron Carroll, Shaun Murphy, John Rogers, Diarmuid Whelan, Martin Scully, Conor Brennan.
Park-Ratheniska: Richie Hitchcock, Padraig Dunne.
Timahoe: Ruairi O'Connor, Damien O'Connor.

West Northwest
Management Team: Shane Conlon, Derek Conroy, Darren Rooney

Squad
Ballyfin: Davy Connolly, James Moore, Ben Conroy, Sean Moore.
Clonaslee St Manman's: Willie Young.
Rosenallis: Cathal C Fennell, Fiachra C Fennell, Ruaidhri C Fennell, Eoin Dunne.
Mountmellick: Colm Coss, Niall Mullen, Darren Fitzpatrick, Jason Caffrey, Gearoid Hanrahan, James Mullaney, Ryan Mullaney, Eoin Keogh, Eoin George, Brendan Reddin.
The Rock: Aaron Dowling, Conor Flynn, Anavil Storey.
The Harps: Ciaran Comerford, Daniel Comerford.
Camross: Robert Tyrell.
St Brigid's (Dublin): John O'Loughlin (inj)

South East
Management Team: Martin Gorman, John Kealy, Brian 'Beano' McDonald

Squad
Arles-Kilcruise: Kevin Meaney, Francis Egan, David Conway, Ross Munnelly, Michael Wall, Caomhan Brennan.
Crettyard: Evan O'Carroll, Sean O'Shea, Michael Nash, Cormac Murphy.
Killeshin: David McDermott, Shane Bolger, Eoin Lowry, Evan Lowry, Stephen Attride, Kevin Ryan.
Arles-Killeen: Paul Kingston, Donie Kingston, Sean O'Shea.
Graiguecullen: Mark Timmons, Danny Bolger, Martin Doyle, Luke Alsybury, Trevor Collins, Paul Mulready, Brian Byrne, Aaron Forbes, Danny O'Reilly.
Barrowhouse: Emmet Malone.

North East
Management Team: Paul Lawlor, John Scully, Frank Finn

Squad
The Heath: Robbie Dowling, Alan Whelan, Brian Ging, Evin Keane, James Phelan.
Emo: Nigel Murphy, Shane Murphy, Niall Gorman, Darren Strong, Liam Crowley, Padraig Kirwan, Finbarr Crowley, Evan Costello, Jack Owens.
Portarlington: Scott Osborne, Robbie Piggott, Colm Murphy, Diarmuid Bennett, Graham Weldon, Patrick O'Sullivan, Jordan Fitzpatrick, Ronan Coffey (inj), Sean Byrne.
Annanough: Killian Horgan, Elliot Scully.

[BallyroanAbu]

I think the fact everyone showed up is the big positive here, they all want to make the Laois panel which is huge.  Credit where credit is due to Sugrue, managements  , the County Board, players & supporters for getting behind it.  It definitely has possibility's, a scoreboard would be a huge help in the Center of Excellence.

[town1980]

I think laoisabu has an issue with the graigue people

[Laoiseabu]

Town1980 just cause I make a factual statement about someone or something dosent mean I have an issue with them . I'm just pointing out what perhaps others might not see.

[Laois fan]

I was disappointed at the poor representation from Portarlington. As a club, they should be very disappointed as well. They may have a lot of young players, but they seem to be going nowhere. That a town of its size could only manage to have one player on view says much about them............Bshit shitstirring comment While port only had two playing a further three were there but injured,one was abroad on holidays and another couldnt get off work .Young slevin and mohan who were prob portbs better players this year werent called in

[O moore parklife]

Is slevin not injured??

[Laoiseabu]

Best players this year ? The chap got injured in the first game of the championship so didn't play. U must be thinking of someone else

[Unlaoised]

West north west looked the most disjointed out of the 4 teams but the Moore chap was a standout .

Games had a nice bite about them but in truth it was the county men or ex county men like a meaney which stood out.

I suppose if it added 3 players to the panel and maybe a returning meaney / boyle /kehoe /or Merdith then we would be stronger going forward..

Was few lads i couldnt make out in the second game which were good one half back on the south east team in particular

[Pablo Escobar]

Steven Miller makes a great point that a North Laois team could work in the Laois senior championship. As it stands Mountmellick, The Rock , Kilcavan, Rosenallis, Clonaslee, Castletown and other clubs predominantly hurling in nature could be viable and most competitive . I also believe a South Laois  team made up of Annanough , Park/Rathineska , Timahoe, Barrowhouse, Spink, The Harps etc could also work. I believe the two teams would be two great additions to the senior championship. The North Laois team would be very strong . I hope the legacy of this divisional competition is that these two divisional teams are introduced into the senior championship and that the gaels situation is abandoned . The county board should support both of theses teams and appoint managers like they have for these competitions

[SCFC]

Steven Miller makes a great point that a North Laois team could work in the Laois senior championship. As it stands Mountmellick, The Rock , Kilcavan, Rosenallis, Clonaslee, Castletown and other clubs predominantly hurling in nature could be viable and most competitive . I also believe a South Laois  team made up of Annanough , Park/Rathineska , Timahoe, Barrowhouse, Spink, The Harps etc could also work. I believe the two teams would be two great additions to the senior championship. The North Laois team would be very strong . I hope the legacy of this divisional competition is that these two divisional teams are introduced into the senior championship and that the gaels situation is abandoned . The county board should support both of theses teams and appoint managers like they have for these competitions

This sounds like a very good idea.

When push comes to shove I'm not so sure.

I'd have advocated a few area teams for a long time now but we already have 16 senior clubs in their own right.

Now, of course 16 is too many and adding another two to make it 18 would be crazy but the big problem is getting the 16 senior clubs (who are a powerful voting block) to back their own numbers being reduced.

I can't imagine the last couple of intermediate champions, Emo and Courtwood being delighted with having to take on the whole north west of the county! Or some of the other senior teams who are constantly in the relegation battle such as Ballyfin or The Heath.

A complete overhaul is needed not throwing in two big area teams.

We'd be much better off having eight senior clubs and four decent area senior teams.

If for arguments sake the 8 senior clubs were Josephs, Portlaoise, Portarlington, O'Dempseys, Graigue, Ballyroan, Stradbally and Killeshin, it would leave the likes of Crettyard, Emo, Ballylinan and the two Arles teams available to be part of area teams.

Wouldn't a Na Fianna team of Ballylinan, the two Arles teams, Crettyard and Barrowhouse be logical?

Then maybe Timahoe, Park Ratheniska, Annanough and The Heath.

Emo, The Rock, Courtwood, Mountmellick and Kilcavan.

Then a kind of "hurling area" team of Spink, Harps, Ballyfin, Rosenallis, Clonaslee, Slieve Bloom, Camross and all the other junior B and C clubs.

[Pablo Escobar]

This would of course be the ideal situation as we have far too many senior clubs. Kerry only have eight I believe. The 4 area teams you have outlined would work but it's the getting down to 8 that is the problem . I think we had a ridiculous number of senior teams in the mid 90s, definitely in the 20's possibly more.

[Downtheroad]

This would of course be the ideal situation as we have far too many senior clubs. Kerry only have eight I believe. The 4 area teams you have outlined would work but it's the getting down to 8 that is the problem . I think we had a ridiculous number of senior teams in the mid 90s, definitely in the 20's possibly more.

Most counties have pared back the numbers at Senior level over the past decade. Tipperary, Wexford and Galway have cut numbers in a big way. Kerry has 8 senior clubs  while Laois are persisting with 16. 12 senior sides and 4 divisional sides would make things interesting. We also would then have a decent intermediate championship. The problem in Laois is that any team apart from Portlaoise can be relegated in a given year with the converse that all teams could potentially reach the final if they avoid Portlaoise. In 2017, Ballyfin arguably  the weakest in Senior going into 2019 were capable of beating Stradbally only last year.