Courtwood

Infobox GAA club
club gaa = Courtwood
irish = Coill na Cúirte
crest =
founded = 1962
province = Leinster
county = Laois
nickname = The Wood
colours = All white
grounds = Kilbracken
pattern_la = |pattern_b= |pattern_ra=
leftarm=FFFFFF |body=FFFFFF |rightarm=FFFFFF |shorts=FFFFFF |socks=FFFFFF
|

Courtwood Gaelic Athletic Association Club is a football and hurling club, located in the north east corner of County Laois in Ireland. The club is located in the eastern half of Emo parish with a small catchment area around the village of Ballybrittas and the local school Rath NS.

The locality is bordered on one side by County Kildare and by neighbouring clubs in Laois, Annanough, O'Dempseys and Emo.

The club is almost completely a football club, although recent years have seen Courtwood dabble in the small ball game. Courtwood field football teams at intermediate and junior B but in 2008 opted out of hurling competition. Juvenile football affairs are catered for by St Pauls Juvenile GAA club, an amalgamation with fellow parishioners, Emo. Courtwood also amalgamate with Emo at minor and Under 21 level.

History

The club was founded in 1962. Previous to this, players from the locality played with the Jamestown club.

Courtwood has won the Laois Junior Football Championship twice (1970 and 1986) and the Laois Intermediate Football Championship twice (1971 and 1987).

In 2006, Courtwood won the Laois Junior "C" Football Championship. The previous year Courtwood reached the Laois Intermediate Football Championship final where they were narrowly beaten by Crettyard. 2007 saw Courtwood again reach the Laois Intermediate Football Championship final but Graiguecullen were to deny them once again.

Famous Players

Courtwood is the home club of Fergal Byron, the 2003 All-Star goalkeeper who was also instrumental in Laois's 2003 Leinster SFC triumph. He was joined in 2007 on the Laois senior panel by Niall Donoher, a minor and under 21 star with Laois.

George Doyle and John O'Connell both played senior football with Laois in the 1990's while Tommy Dunne was on the Laois team beaten in the Leinster SFC final in 1968.

Managers

External links

* [http://www.courtwood.laois.gaa.ie Courtwood GAA Official Website]
* [http://www.laoistalk.com Laoistalk - Laois GAA News Website]

References

* [http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2003/10/29/story15621.asp Minor B win of 2003]
* [http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnationalist/2007/10/11/story26848.asp 2007 Intermediate final defeat]
* [http://www.laoistoday.ie/sport/Courtwood-scoring-power-seals-the.1718958.jp 2006 Junior win]