Laois GAA

{{{team}}}

File:Laois.gif
Irish:	Laois
Nickname(s):	The O'Moore County
Province:	Leinster
Ground(s):	O'Moore Park, Portlaoise
County colours:	Blue and White
County teams
NFL:	Division 1
NHL:	Division 1
Football Championship:	Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:	Liam McCarthy Cup

The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (Irish: 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 football and hurling teams. Separate county boards are also responsible for the camogie and ladies football 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 football championship in 2003.

Gaelic football

After winning minor All Ireland titles in 1996 and 1997 Laois became a field study to show if the minor championship really works as a breeding ground for success, topping up with an appearance in the All Ireland under-21 final with a breakthrough Leinster football championship in 2003 with former Kerry and Kildare manager Mick O'Dwyer. Laois won another minor All Ireland in 2003, beating Dublin in the final. 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 League semi-final three times in the 1990's

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Football 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 Leagues: 2
  • 1926, 1986
  • Semi-finalists: 1952, 1978, 1994, 1995, 1997.
• Leinster Senior Football Championships: 6
  • 1889, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1946, 2003

• Leinster Under 21 Football Championships: 7
  • 1964, 1969, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1998, 2006

• Leinster Minor Football Championships: 8
  • 1932, 1966, 1967, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005

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

• All Stars: 5
  • 1986 (Colm Browne, Liam Irwin), 2003 (Fergal Byron, Joe Higgins, Tom Kelly)
• All Ireland Senior B Football in 1993.
• O'Byrne Cup Football in 1978, 1987, 1991 and 1994.
• Women's MF in 1992.
• Portlaoise won All Ireland Club Football in 1983.

Famous Players

• Bobby Miller

• Tommy Murphy

• Tom Prendergast

• Beano McDonald

• Fergal Byron

• Liam Irwin

• Joe Higgins

• Colm Browne

• Bill Delaney

Hurling

Laois's one All-Ireland was back in the 1915 hurling Championship when the day was so wet the team played the second half in their overcoats.

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

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1915

• National Hurling Leagues: 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.

Famous Players

• Sean Delaney
• Pat Critchley

Bibliography

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

Clubs of Laois

see Category:Gaelic Athletic Association clubs in Laois

External links

• Laois on Hoganstand.com
• National and provincial titles won by Laois teams
• Club championship winners
• Laois GAA site
• http://-laois-.bebo.com/ The original Laois Bebo site