The Laois county hurling team represents
Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from LoÃgis, a medie ...
in
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaÃocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
and is governed by
Laois GAA
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. The county board i ...
, the
county board
A county board is a common form of county legislature, particular of counties in the United States.
Related forms of county government include:
* Board of Supervisors — a form of county legislature in some U.S. states
* County commission, ...
of the
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...
, the
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...
and the
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
.
Laois's home ground is
O'Moore Park
, image =
, location = Portlaoise, County Laois, R32 CRF3, Ireland
, coordinates =
, opened =
, renovated = 2002
, owner = Laois GAA
, cost =
, capaci ...
,
Portlaoise
Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Ireland. It is located in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. The 2016 census shows that the town's population increased by 9.5% to 22,050 ...
. The team's manager is Willie Maher.
The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 1949, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1 ...
and has never won the National League.
History
Laois won one
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...
title, in 1915, when the day was so wet the team reportedly played the second half in their overcoats.
Laois currently competes in the
Liam MacCarthy Cup
The Liam MacCarthy Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to the team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the main competition in the prehistoric sport of hurling. Based on the design of a ...
(Tier 1 of the Senior Hurling Championship), but has also won three
All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship was an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association between 1974 and 2004 for the so-called 'weaker' hurling teams in Ireland. The teams now play in the Joe McDonagh Cup (Tie ...
s.
The hurlers reached
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
semi-finals in 1981 and 1983 before losing the Centenary Cup hurling final to
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
in 1984, and were back in the
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
semi-final in 1996.
Laois most recently contested the
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...
final in 1985, in what was to be a disappointing final defeat against
Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae UÃbh FhailÃ) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of UÃ Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...
.
Laois won the
Joe McDonagh Cup
The Joe McDonagh Cup is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It forms the second tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and is the second highest level of inter- ...
in
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, and went on to shock
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
in the preliminary quarter-final the next week to reach the All-Ireland Quarter Final. This was considered one of the greatest shocks in the history of the championship. The manager departed amid controversy in November 2020 after his criticisms of county board officials appeared on a podcast.
Current panel
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
RET Player has since retired from the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Current management team
:''Appointed 12 September 2022:''
*
Manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
: Willie Maher
*Backroom:
Dan Shanahan
Daniel Shanahan (born 4 January 1977) is an Irish former hurler. He has been a selector with the Waterford county team since 2013.
Born in Lismore, County Waterford, Shanahan was introduced to hurling by his father, a former hurler with Wat ...
(
Lismore, Waterford)
Managerial history
Laois have a history of appointing "foreign" managers, with
Georgie Leahy the most successful.
Georgie Leahy 1979–1985
Jimmy Doyle
James Doyle (20 March 1939 – 22 June 2015) was an Irish hurler who played as a right wing-forward for the Tipperary senior team.
Born in Thurles, County Tipperary, Doyle first played competitive hurling whilst at school in Thurles CBS. He ar ...
1985–1987
Paddy Kelly 1987–1989
Georgie Leahy (2) 1989–1991
Paddy Doyle
Paddy Doyle is an English athlete. The 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records recognised him as "The World Fitness Endurance Champion".
Personal history
Doyle was a member of the British Parachute Regiment
The Parachute Reg ...
1991–1993
Pat Critchley 1993–1995
Babs Keating
Michael "Babs" Keating (born 17 April 1944) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a forward for the Tipperary senior teams.
Born in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary, Keating first played competitive Gaelic games during his s ...
1995–1997
Pádraig Horan
Pádraig Horan (born 21 April 1950) is an Irish former hurler who played as a full-forward for the Offaly senior hurling team.
Horan made his first appearance for the team during the 1968–69 National League and subsequently became a regular ...
1997–2000
Seán Cuddy 2000–2001
Pat Delaney 2001–2002
Paudie Butler
Paudie Butler (born 1950) is a retired former GAA hurling coach and team manager, and former hurling, hurler and Gaelic footballer who was a dual player for the Tipperary GAA, Tipperary senior teams in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
But ...
2002–2005
Dinny Cahill
Dinny Cahill (born 29 December 1954 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary, Ireland) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. He is the former manager of the Antrim senior hurling team.
Cahill enjoyed a successful playing career at club lev ...
2005–2006
Damien Fox
Damien Fox (born 1961 in Tullamore, County Offaly) is an Irish sportsperson. The Gift as he is known on and off the field by his peers, plays hurling with his local club Tullamore and was a member of the Offaly and London senior inter-county ...
2006–2008
Niall Rigney
Niall Rigney (born 1969 in Portlaoise, County Laois) is an Irish retired hurling manager and player. He played hurling with his local club Portlaoise and was a member of the Laois
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ire ...
2008–2010
Brendan Fennelly
Brendan Fennelly (1956 – 31 July 2019) was an Irish hurling manager and player.
A member of the famous Fennelly hurling dynasty, he enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Ballyhale Shamrocks and at inter-county level with Ki ...
2010–2011
Teddy McCarthy
Thaddeus "Teddy" McCarthy (born 1 July 1965) is an Irish former hurler and Gaelic footballer who played as a midfielder at senior level for the Cork county football and hurling teams. In an eleven-year senior inter-county playing career, McC ...
2011–2012
Séamus Plunkett 2012–2015
Ger Cunningham
Gerard Cunningham (born 30 August 1961) is an Irish hurling manager and former player who played for Cork Senior Championship club St Finbarr's. He played for the Cork senior hurling team for 20 years, during which time he lined out as a goa ...
2015
**
Séamus Plunkett (2) 2015–2016
Éamonn Kelly
Éamonn Kelly (born 1968) is an Irish hurler who played as a full-forward for the Tipperary junior hurling team.
Born in Puckane, County Tipperary, Kelly first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he first linked up w ...
2016–2018
Eddie Brennan
Edward Joseph Brennan (born 2 October 1978) is an Irish hurling manager and former player. His league and championship career with the Kilkenny senior team lasted twelve seasons from 2000 until 2011. Brennan was the manager of the Laois senior ...
2018–2020
Séamus Plunkett (3) 2020–2022
Willie Maher 2022–
**=In a caretaker role
Players
Notable players
All Stars
Laois has 1 All Star.
1985:
Pat Critchley
Honours
National
*
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship, known simply as the All-Ireland Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition i ...
** Winners (1):
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1 ...
** Runners-up (2):
1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
,
1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022.
* January 2 – Luis ...
*
All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship was an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association between 1974 and 2004 for the so-called 'weaker' hurling teams in Ireland. The teams now play in the Joe McDonagh Cup (Tie ...
** Winners (3): 1977, 1979, 2002
*
Joe McDonagh Cup
The Joe McDonagh Cup is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It forms the second tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship and is the second highest level of inter- ...
** Winners (1):
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Laois turn on the style to capture Joe McDonagh Cup at Croke
''The Irish News
''The Irish News'' is a Compact (newspaper), compact daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's largest selling morning newspaper and is available throughout Ireland. It is broadly Irish nationalist in its view ...
'', 1 July 2019.
*National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
** Semi-finalists (3): 1981, 1983, 1996
* National Hurling League Division 2
** Winners (2): 1960, 1965
*All-Ireland Under-21 B Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-20 (previously Under-21) B Championship, the second tier competition in hurling is an annual series of games for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). The 2019 ...
** Winners (2): 2004, 2006
Provincial
*Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...
** Winners (3): 1914, 1915, 1949
** Runners-up (12): 1889, 1890, 1891, 1909, 1912, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, 1948, 1951, 1985
*Leinster Junior Hurling Championship
The Leinster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council.
The winners of the Leinster Junior Hur ...
** Winners (3): 1910, 1914, 1933
* Walsh Cup
** Winners (2): 1980, 1991
* Walsh Shield
** Winners (2): 2008, 2010
*Kehoe Cup
The Kehoe Cup ( ; ga, Corn Mhic Eochaidh) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association ( GAA) since 1977 for second- and third-tier inter-county teams in the province of Leinster in Irela ...
** Winners (1): 1982
*Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling All-Ireland Under-20 Championship known simply as the Leinster Under-20 Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the high ...
** Winners (1): 1983
*Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Hurling Minor Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Ass ...
** Winners (4): 1934, 1940, 1941, 1964
References
{{GAA National Leagues
County hurling teams