The Laois County Board of the

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

(GAA) () or Laois GAA is one of the 32

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, ...

s of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for

Gaelic games Gaelic games () are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the most popular of the s ...

County Laois County Laois ( ; ) 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 Loígis, a medieval kingdom. Hist ...

. The county board is also responsible for the Laois county teams. The county football team contested the second ever

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) () is the premier inter-county competition in Gaelic football. County (Gaelic games), County teams compete against each other and the winner is declared All-Ireland Champions. Organised by the ...

(SFC) final in

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. In 1926, the county won the final of the first

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competition, defeating

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. 1936 brought the team's only other appearance in an All-Ireland SFC decider. The county hurling team won an

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(SHC) in

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History

Laois is a dual county, and has a comparable record at both football and hurling. It is one of a select group of counties to have contested All-Ireland finals in both football and hurling. Laois is a six-time Leinster Senior Football Champion, and three-time Leinster Senior Hurling Champion. In recent times Laois have been more successful footballers than hurlers. Laois minors have had considerable success over the past two decades, and the Laois senior footballers reached the Leinster final in 2003 (victorious), 2004, 2005 and 2018. As of

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, Laois hurlers compete in the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Sponsorship

MW Hire sponsored Laois GAA for 14 years, while Laois Hire was announced as its new sponsor in a five-year deal from October 2022 onwards.

Football

Clubs

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 7. Laois Senior Football Championship Laois Intermediate Football Championship Laois Junior Football Championships Laois Junior B Football Championship Laois Junior C Football Championship Laois Under 21 Football Championship Laois Minor Football Championship

Portlaoise Portlaoise ( ), or Port Laoise (), is the county town of County Laois, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Midland Region, Ireland, South Midlands in the province of Leinster. Portlaoise was the fastest growing of the top 20 largest town ...

won All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship in 1983.

County team

Laois contested the second ever

(SFC) final in 1889. In 1926, the county won the final of the first

competition, defeating

. 1936 brought Laois's only other appearance in an All-Ireland SFC decider. Laois defeated

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), Monaghan barony. The population of the town as of the 2022 cen ...

by a point in the 1985–86 National Football League final. Liam Irwin and Colm Browne both won All Stars for their performances that year. During the 1990s Laois had a number of successes at minor and under-21 level, including

All-Ireland Minor Football Championship The Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship is the premier under-17 "knockout" competition in Gaelic football played in Ireland. 2017 was the final year of the minor under 18 football championship as it was replaced by an under ...

s in 1996 and 1997. During the mid-2000s Laois football became a strong force at all age levels. Under former Kerry and

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manager Mick O'Dwyer, Laois finished as National Football League runner-up and

Leinster Senior Football Championship The Leinster Senior Football Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship and shortened to Leinster SFC, is an annual inter-county Gaelic football competition organised by the Leinster GAA, Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Asso ...

winner in 2003. Laois would go on to contest the Leinster Senior Football Championship Final again in 2004 (lost after a replay) and 2005 (lost by one point). During the same period the minor county team won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship again in 2003 and the

Leinster Minor Football Championship The Leinster Minor Football Championship is the premier under-17 "knockout" competition in gaelic football played in the province of Leinster. 2017 was the final year of the minor under 18 football championship as it were replaced by an under 17 ...

in 2004, 2005 and

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, while the under-21 county team won the Leinster Under-21 Football Championship in 2006 and 2007.

Hurling

Clubs

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 6. Laois Senior Hurling Championship Laois Senior B 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

County team

Laois won one

(SHC) title, in 1915, when the day was so wet the team reportedly played the second half in their overcoats. Laois has also won three All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship titles. 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 ...

(NHL) semi-finals in 1981 and 1983. The team then lost the Centenary Cup hurling final to Cork in 1984. The hurlers were back in the NHL semi-final in 1996. Laois most recently contested the Leinster SHC final in 1985, with the result a defeat to Offaly. Laois won the Joe McDonagh Cup in

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, and went on to shock

in the preliminary quarter-final the next week to reach the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final. This was considered one of the greatest shocks in the history of the championship.

Camogie

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010-2015, "Our Game, Our Passion",

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

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, Laois, Louth and

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

were to get a total of 17 new clubs by 2015. The Harps won three consecutive All-Ireland Club JCC titles between 2006 and 2008. Laois won the All-Ireland JCC's Nancy Murray Cup in 2007. The team won the third division of the

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. As of 2024, Laois were playing in the junior championship and the National Camogie League's Division 3. Noel Brennan managed the team in 2023. Pat Collier and Robert Jones succeeded him in 2024. Former Offaly hurler Barry Whelahan has coached the team. The team won an under-16 B title in 2000.

Ladies' football

Laois has a ladies' football team.

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

Club catchment areas
*
Laois on Hoganstand.com

National and provincial titles won by Laois teams

Club championship winners

Laoistalk.com - news feed forum on Laois GAA

Laoistalk.com discussion Forum - Discussion forum for Laois GAA

Times article on 2003 Leinster win
{{GAA bodies Gaelic games governing bodies in Leinster Leinster GAA Sport in County Laois