Laois county hurling team
The Laois county hurling team represents Laois in hurling and is governed by Laois GAA, the County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the National Hurling League.
Laois's home ground is O'Moore Park, Portlaoise. The team's manager is Séamus Plunkett.
The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 1949, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1915 and has never won the National League.
History
Laois won one All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 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 (Tier 1 of the Senior Hurling Championship), but has also won three All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships.
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 most recently contested the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship final in 1985, in what was to be a disappointing final defeat against Offaly.
Laois won the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019, and went on to shock Dublin 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.[1] The manager departed amid controversy in November 2020 after his criticisms of county board officials appeared on a podcast.[2]
Séamus Plunkett returned as manager in February 2021.[3]
Current squad
Team as per Laois vs Tipperary in the All-Ireland SHC quarter-final, 14 July 2019
Current management team
- Appointed 1 February 2021:[4]
- Manager: Séamus Plunkett
- Coach: Donach O'Donnell
- Analyst: Francie Forde
- Strength and conditioning coaches: Leo Tiernan and David Matthews
- Nutritionist: Arthur Dunne
- Physiotherapists: John Sugrue, Conor Bolton
- Team doctor: J. P. Campion
Players
Honours
- 1 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
- 1915
- 0 National Hurling Leagues
- Thrice semi-finalists (1981, 1983, 1996)
- 2 Div 2 Hurlings (1960, 1965)
- 3 All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships
- 1977, 1979, 2002
- 2 All-Ireland Under-21 B Hurling Championship
- 2004, 2006
- Leinster Senior Hurling Championships: 3
- 1914, 1915, 1949
- Joe McDonagh Cup: 1
- 1 Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championships
- 1983
- 4 Leinster Minor Hurling Championships
- 1934, 1940, 1941, 1964
- 3 Leinster Junior Hurling Championships
- 1910, 1914, 1933
- 2 Walsh Cups
- 1980, 1991
- Walsh Shield: 1
- 2008, 2010
- 1 Kehoe Cup
- 1982
References
- "Shock of the summer as Laois stun Dublin and book All Ireland quarter final date with Tipperary". Irish Independent. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- "Eddie Brennan steps down as Laois manager". RTÉ. 24 November 2020.
- "Laois confirm return of Seamas 'Cheddar' Plunkett". RTÉ. 1 February 2021.
- "Plunkett rubber-stamped as Laois manager". Hogan Stand. 1 February 2021.
- Critchley’s green shoots lift Laois Irish Examiner, 6 July 2013.
- Critchley's historic tale as sole All Star in Laois Irish Independent, 25 May 2020.
- Laois turn on the style to capture Joe McDonagh Cup at Croke The Irish News, 1 July 2019.