2019 is a year that will go down in the annals of Laois hurling history as one of the most memorable ones ever.
The senior hurlers won the Joe McDonagh Cup after defeating Westmeath in Croke Park and then stunned the hurling world a week later by knocking out Dublin.
That set up an All-Ireland Quarter final against eventual winners Tipperary which is where the journey ended for 2019.
Also this year, one of Laois’s most famous hurlers was inducted into the Leinster GAA Hall of Fame.
Borris-In-Ossory’s Christy O’Brien was paraded in front of the crowd at half time in the Leinster hurling final between Kilkenny and Wexford.
Born in 1933, O’Brien first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he linked up with the Laois minor team.
He joined the senior panel during the 1952 championship. Christy later became a regular member of the starting fifteen, however, he ended his playing days with the county without any silverware.
As a member of the Leinster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions, he won four Railway Cup medals.
Throughout his career O’Brien made 20 championship appearances. He retired from Laois following the conclusion of the 1968 championship.
At club level, Christy is a five-time championship medallist with Borris-in-Ossory.
He led his club to victory in 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961 and lastly in 1972.
Christy is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers to ever play the game and back in 2010 he was selected at full forward on a a special Hurling Team of the Century made up of players never to have won an All-Ireland medal.
Back in 2017, a DVD about Christy O’Brien was launched by Noel Sheridan in Racket Hall in Roscrea.
But now, to honour him and an incredible year for the Laois senior hurlers, a video has been produced.
The song, ‘The bould Christy O’Brien’ was written over 50 years ago by Mick Bowe from Mountrath.
The song was updated to mark the honouring of Christy and the success of the hurlers.
Edited by Billy Sinnott, the video features Don Sinnott who listens to Laois’s win over Dublin on Midlands 103 with Jack Nolan.
At full time, he is joined by young Laois fan Rían O’Reilly who inspires him to sing the Christy O’Brien song.
Check it out below:
