National Football League, 1926 In 1926, Laois won the first ever National Football League title beating Dublin in the final played in New Ross by 2-1 to 1-0.
Chris Miller and Jack Delaney were called into the side when Paddy Lenihan and Bill Kealy who had played in earlier games had left for the USA.
Number Name Club 1 Bill Irwin Ballyroan 2 Paddy Bates 3 Jack Browne Annanough 4 Matt Delaney Annanough 5 Tom Cribben Portarlington 6 Dick Miller (Captain) Annanough 7 Joe Ward Portarlington 8 Chris Miller Annanough 9 Bill Whelan Ballyroan 10 Jim Miller Annanough 11 Paddy Whelan Portarlington 12 Joe O'Shea Portarlington 13 Jack Delaney Stradbally 14 John Miller Annanough 15 Tom Costello Portarlington 16 17 18 19 20
Leinster Senior Football Championship, 1946 In 1946, Laois won their fifth Leinster Senior Football Championship title, beating Kildare by 0-11 to 1-6 in the final played at Croke Park.
Number Name Club 1 Andy Whelan Jamestown 2 John Lalor Jamestown 3 Jim Sayers Timahoe 4 Mick Delaney Stradbally 5 Mick Jones Ballyroan 6 Tommy Murphy Graiguecullen 7 Benny Hunt Portarlington 8 Mick Haughney Graiguecullen 9 Matt Dunne Annanough 10 Faun Hughes Jamestown 11 Bill Delaney Stradbally 12 Morgan Delaney Stradbally 13 Mick Fanning Ballyroan 14 Chris Delaney Stradbally 15 Paddy Peacock Ballyroan 16 Paddy Sixsmith Crettyard GAA 17 Fran Nerney Annanough 18 19 20
Irish Times Jim Sayers interview
Leinster Under 21 Football Championship, 1964 On 2 August 1964, Laois won the first ever Leinster U21 Football Championship title, with a 1-8 to 0-8 win over their midland rivals Offaly in the final.
Laois went on to play Kerry in the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship final but were beaten 1-10 to 1-3 at Croke Park on 13 September.
Number Name Club 1 Tom Miller Timahoe 2 Teddy Fennelly Portlaoise 3 Tony Maher Portlaoise 4 John Conway Arles 5 Gabriel Lawlor Emo 6 Jim Leonard (c) Stradbally 7 Syd Harkin Portlaoise 8 Eamonn Mulhall Ballyroan 9 Paddy Brennan Crettyard 10 John Fennell Portlaoise 11 Mick Fennell Graiguecullen 12 Danny Brennan Arles 13 Christy O'Connor O'Dempseys 14 Pascal Delaney Portlaoise 15 Brian Delaney Portlaoise 16 Dick Miller Timahoe 17 John Meehan Ballyroan 18 Chris Miller 19 20
Leinster Minor Football Championship, 1966 On 24 July 1966, Laois won their second Leinster Minor Football Championship title with a 1-10 to 0-7 win over Offaly in the final at Croke Park.
Laois went on to play Down in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship semi-final but, after a 1-11 to 2-8 draw, Laois were beaten 3-8 to 2-4 in the replay in Navan on 28 August.
Number Name Club 1 Sean Delaney Stradbally 2 Danny Luttrell Courtwood 3 Tom Manley Portarlington 4 Andy Fennell Graiguecullen 5 Paddy Dunne Courtwood 6 Seamus Doran Portlaoise 7 Jim Mangan Portarlington 8 Donal Hoare Portlaoise 9 Seamus Fleming St Josephs 10 PJ Payne Mountmellick 11 Paddy Lawlor Emo 12 Kevin O'Brien St Josephs 13 Johnny Lawlor (c) Emo 14 Leo Brennan St Josephs 15 Matt Hyland The Heath 16 17 18 19 20
Leinster Minor Football Championship, 1967 On 30 July 1967, Laois won their third Leinster Minor Football Championship title with a 1-8 to 2-4 win over Dublin in the final in Newbridge.
Laois went on to play Cork in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final but were beaten by 5-14 to 2-3 at Croke Park on 24 September.
Number Name Club 1 Tony Burke 2 Michael Murphy 3 Pat Fingleton 4 Jim Mangan (c) Portarlington 5 John Kavanagh Courtwood 6 C McEvoy 7 C Murphy Portarlington 8 Ivor Houlihan Mountmellick 9 Seamus Fleming St Josephs 10 Sylvester Furey 11 Bobby Miller Timahoe 12 Stevie Allen Portarlington 13 Enda Condron Ballylinan 14 Johnny Lawlor Emo 15 Tommy Keane 16 Tony O'Brien St Josephs 17 18 19 20
Leinster Under 21 Football Championship, 1969 On 9 August 1969, Laois won their second Leinster U21 Football Championship title with a 2-7 to 2-6 win over Wicklow in the final.
Laois went on to play Roscommon in the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship semi-final but were beaten 2-13 to 0-9 in Roscommon on 23 August.
Number Name Club 1 Tony Burke Killeshin 2 Danny Luttrell Courtwood 3 Tom Manley Portarlington 4 Eamonn Roycroft Portarlington 5 Tom Clancy Timahoe 6 Christy Murphy Portarlington 7 Liam Delaney Arles 8 Ivor Houlihan Mountmellick 9 Bobby Miller Timahoe 10 Stevie Allen Portarlington 11 Seamus Fleming St Josephs 12 Johnny Lawlor Emo 13 John Clancy Timahoe 14 Paddy Lawlor Emo 15 Har Mulhare Portlaoise 16 Leo Brennan St Josephs 17 18 19 20
Leinster Under 21 Football Championship, 1982 In 1982, Laois won their third Leinster U21 Football Championship title beating Longford by 2-11 to 0-3 in the final played in Tullamore on 18 July.
Number Name Club 1 Martin Conroy Ballyroan 2 Noel Campion St Josephs 3 Pat Roe The Heath 4 Micky Drennan (c) Ballyroan 5 Eddie Kelly O'Dempseys 6 Mark Kavanagh Portlaoise 7 Frankie Whelehan O'Dempseys 8 Tommy Murphy Portarlington 9 Mick Dempsey St Josephs 10 Liam Irwin Ballyroan 11 Jimmy Lewis Portlaoise 12 John Ramsbottom Timahoe 13 Pascal Doran Graiguecullen 14 Declan Horan Ballyroan 15 Christy Maguire Graiguecullen 16 Sean Murphy Ballyroan 17 Sean Booth The Heath 18 19 20
National Football League, 1986 In 1986, Laois won their second National Football League title beating Monaghan by 2-6 to 2-5 in the final played in Croke Park.Laois Nationalist article on 1986 NFL final
The men from the O'Moore County were the surprise team of the season coming from Division 3 to take the second highest honour in the game. Laois were the masters in the first thirty minutes leading at half-time by 2-4 to 1-1. Liam Irwin was majestic at midfield and scored four great points. John Costello was excellent his high fielding was Majestic. Pat Brophy and Colm Browne were excellent in defence. Eamon Whelan and Willie Brennan took their goals with style. Michael Caulfield was the scorer of Monaghan's goal.
Early in the second half Martin Conroy made a wonderful save from Michael Caulfield. In the 39th minute Monaghan reduced the deficit to 3 points when Ray McCarron scored from the penalty spot after Nudie Hughes was pulled down by Martin Conroy. The O'Moore County men's defence responded magnificently to the challenge restricting the defending champions attack to just four points in the second half.
Number Name Club 1 Martin Conroy Ballyroan 2 Paddy Dunne Ballyroan 3 Martin Dempsey St Josephs 4 Eddie Kelly O'Dempseys 5 Mick Aherne O'Dempseys 6 Pat Brophy Emo 7 Colm Browne (c) Portlaoise 8 John Costello O'Dempseys 9 Liam Irwin Ballyroan 10 Gerry Browne Portlaoise 11 Willie Brennan Graiguecullen 12 Tom Prendergast Portlaoise 13 Mick Dempsey St Josephs 14 Eamon Whelan Portlaoise 15 Christy Maguire Graiguecullen 16 Noel Prendergast Portlaoise 17 Ger Lawlor Emo 18 Brian Nerney O'Dempseys 19 John Ramsbottom Timahoe 20
Leinster Minor Football Championship, 1998
On 2 August 1998, Laois won their sixth Leinster Minor Football Championship title with a 2-9 to 0-12 win over Dublin in the final at Croke Park.
Laois went on to play Tyrone in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final but were beaten at Croke Park in September.
Number Name Club 1 Willie Moran Arles/Killeen 2 Robert Jones Kilcotton 3 Brian Gaynor Portlaoise 4 Colm Clear Portlaoise 5 Aidan Fennelly Portlaoise 6 Paudge Leonard Ballylinan 7 Brian McCormack Portlaoise 8 Johnny Behan (c) O'Dempseys 9 Brian Fitzpatrick Portlaoise 10 Kieran Kelly Ballylinan 11 Jamie Moran Graiguecullen 12 Mick Clancy The Heath 13 Pauric Clancy Timahoe 14 Brian McDonald Arles/Killeen 15 Benny O'Connell Timahoe 16 17 18 19 20
Subs: John Graham, Colm Byrne, Pauric Phelan, Eoin Browne, Damien Walsh, Donal Miller, Mark Dunne, John Ml. McDonald, John O'Neill.
Leinster Senior Football Championship, 2003 In 2003, Laois won their sixth Leinster Senior Football Championship title beating Kildare by 2-13 to 1-13 in the final played in front of 64,800 fans at Croke Park.
Number Name Club 1 Fergal Byron Courtwood 2 Aidan Fennelly Portlaoise 3 Colm Byrne Portlaoise 4 Joe Higgins St Josephs 5 Darren Rooney Clonaslee-St.Manmans 6 Tom Kelly St Josephs 7 Kevin Fitzpatrick Portlaoise 8 Pauric Clancy Timahoe 9 Noel Garvan St Josephs 10 Ross Munnelly Arles/Kilcruise 11 Mick Lawlor Emo 12 Gary Kavanagh Stradbally 13 Brian McDonald Arles/Killeen 14 Ian Fitzgerald (c) Portlaoise 15 Damien Delaney Stradbally 16 Barry Brennan Graiguecullen 17 Donal Miller Annanough 18 Stephen Kelly St Josephs 19 Hugh Emerson Portarlington 20
References