Laois GAA

infobox GAA county
county gaa = Laois GAA
crest =
irish = Laois
province = Leinster
nickname = The O'Moore County
county colours = Blue and White
grounds = O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
dominant sport = Gaelic Football
nfl div = Division 1
nhl div = Division 1
football champ = Sam Maguire Cup
hurling champ = Liam McCarthy Cup
ladies football =
camogie =
pattern_la=_shouldersonwhite |pattern_b=_whitehorizontal |pattern_ra=_shouldersonwhite
leftarm=1874CD |body=1874CD |rightarm=1874CD |shorts=FFFFFF |socks=1874CD
|The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) ( _ga. Cumann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Laois) or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.

History

One of a select group of counties to have contested All Ireland finals in both football and hurling, Laois have recently enjoyed a football revival associated with the success of their minor teams from 1996 on and the winning of the Leinster Senior Football Championship in 2003.

Gaelic football

A great display by midfielder Liam Irwin helped Laois beat Monaghan by a point in the 1986 National Football League final. They have been to the National Football League semi-final three times in the 1990s.

After winning All-Ireland Minor Football Championships in 1996 and 1997 Laois became a field study to show if the minor championship really works as a breeding ground for senior success. They topped up an appearance in the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship final with a breakthrough Leinster Senior Football Championship in 2003 under former Kerry and Kildare manager Mick O'Dwyer. Laois won another All-Ireland Minor Football Championship in 2003, beating Dublin in the final.

In 2006, Mick O'Dwyer's management of Laois ended and he was replaced by the former Limerick manager, Liam Kearns.

Honours

*All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Finalists: 2
**1889, 1936
*All-Ireland Minor Football Championships: 3
**1996, 1997, 2003

*All-Ireland Junior Football Championships: 1
** 1973

*All-Ireland ‘B’: 1
**1993

*National Football League: 2
**1926, 1986
**Semi-finalists: 1952, 1978, 1994, 1995, 1997
*Leinster Senior Football Championships: 6
**1889, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1946, 2003

*Leinster U21 Football Championships: 8
**1964, 1969, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2007

*Leinster Minor Football Championships: 9
**1932, 1966, 1967, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007

*Leinster Junior Football Championships: 5
**1907, 1941, 1968, 1973, 1993

*O'Byrne Cup: 5
**1978, 1987, 1991, 1994 and 2005

*All Stars: 5
**1986 (Colm Browne, Liam Irwin), 2003 (Fergal Byron, Joe Higgins, Tom Kelly)

*"'Women's MF in 1992
*"'Portlaoise won All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 1983

Famous Former Players

*Bill Delaney
*Tommy Murphy
*Mick Haughney
*Des Connolly
*Paddy Dunne
*Fintan Walsh
*Jack Kenna
*Bobby Miller
*Karl Lenihan
*Tom Prendergast
*Liam Irwin
*Colm Browne
*Mick Aherne
*Mick Dempsey
*Pat Roe
*Leo Turley
*Mick Lawlor
*Tony Maher
*Denis Lalor
*George Doyle
*Hugh Emerson
*Damien Delaney
*Ian Fitzgerald
*Colm Begley
*Fergal Byron
*Chris Conway
*Kevin Fitzpatrick

Laois Gaelic football Squad

Laois Club Football

The major local club competitions in Laois are the championships which are listed below.

In addition, all teams compete in the All-County Football League from Division 1 down to Division 5.

Laois Senior Football Championship

Laois Intermediate Football Championship

Laois Junior Football Championship

Laois Junior "B" Football Championship

Laois Junior "C" Football Championship

Laois Under 21 Football Championship

Laois Minor Football Championship

Hurling

Laois's only All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship title was in 1915 when the day was so wet the team reportedly played the second half in their overcoats.

The hurlers reached National Hurling League semi-finals in 1981 and 1983 before losing the Centenary Cup hurling final to Cork in 1984, and were back in the National Hurling League semi-final in 1996. Laois's last big Leinster Senior Hurling Championship win, over Wexford in 1985, was followed by a disappointing final defeat against Offaly.

Honours

*All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship: 1
**1915

*National Hurling League: 1
**2002
**semi-finalists 1981, 1983, 1996.
**Div 2 Hurling in 1960 and 1965

*All-Ireland Senior B Hurling: 2
**1977 and 1979,

*Leinster Senior Hurling Championships: 3
**1914, 1915, 1949

*Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championships: 1
**1983

*Leinster Minor Hurling Championships: 4
**1934, 1940, 1941, 1964

*Leinster Junior Hurling Championships: 3
**1910, 1914, 1933

*All Stars: 1
**1985 (Pat Critchley)

*"'Walsh Cup H in 1980 and 1991,
*"'Keogh Cup H in 1982.

Notable Former Players

*Mick Aherne
*Jack Finlay
*Pat Critchley
*PJ Cuddy
*Pat Roe
*Sean Delaney
*Timmy Fitzpatrick
*Frank Keenan
*Paddy Lalor
*Christy O'Brien
*Paddy Ruschitzko
*John Taylor
*Denis Lalor

Laois Hurling Squad

Laois Club Hurling

The major local club hurling competitions in Laois are the championships which are listed below.

In addition, all teams compete in the All-County Hurling League from Division 1 down to Division 5.

Laois Senior Hurling Championship

Laois Intermediate Hurling Championship

Laois Junior Hurling Championship

Laois Under 21 Hurling Championship

Laois Minor Hurling Championship

Laois Junior "B" Hurling Championship

Laois Junior "C" Hurling Championship

Bibliography

A Hundred Years Of The GAA In Laois by Teddy Fennelly, 1984.

Clubs of Laois

see

External links

* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Laois/ Laois on Hoganstand.com]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Laois/Profile.aspx National and provincial titles won by Laois teams]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Laois/Titles.aspx Club championship winners]
* [http://laoisgaa.ie/ Laois GAA site]
* [http://www.laoistalk.com Laoistalk.com - news feed forum on Laois GAA]
* [http://www.forum.laoistalk.com Laoistalk.com discussion Forum - Discussion forum for Laois GAA]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article850324.ece?token=null&offset=0 Times article on 2003 Leinster win]