Back in June we revisited one of the Laois hurler’s finest victories which took place in Croke Park over Clare in 1985.
Laois 1-18 Wexford 2-13
1985 Leinster SHC Semi-final
In living memory the Laois hurlers have often put up very competitive showings against some of the top counties – but unfortunately the wins have been few and far between.
Laois’s win over Dublin in 2019 and Offaly in 2015 were very special days but the 2000s and 1990s were barren decades, meaning you have to go all the way back to 1985 for the last major scalp, when the county’s fine team of that era beat Wexford to qualify for the Leinster final for the first time in 34 years.
Yet at the time, it wasn’t really viewed as an upset. Laois had a fabulous team during the early to mid 1980s. In 1981 they reached a league semi-final and were hard done by in a controversial Leinster championship loss to Offaly (the year they won their breakthrough All Ireland).
The following year they drew with Offaly in the championship and in 1984 they went all the way to the Centenary Cup final, recording some notable wins along the way.
Yet their finest day came on the last Sunday in June in 1985 when they beat Wexford in Croke Park.
“Decades of disappointment and near misses in the championship were swept aside in a frenzy of excitement as Laois bravely resisted the anticipated Wexford comeback,” reported the Leinster Express the following Wednesday.
“It was a glorious victory for Laois.”
But the were very positive soundings the week before the game with the preview headline in the Leinster noting: “Laois team in great shape and hungry for glory.”
While Laois had lost their previous ten championship clashes with Wexford and you had to go back to 1941 for the last win in the fixture, they had beaten Wexford twice during that year’s league, including a relegation playoff that sent them down to Division 2.
“The O’Moore County side is bubbling with an air of confidence and anticipation,” added the preview.
“Thousands of dedicated Laois fans will be making their way to Croke Park … and can be forgiven for setting their sights on a return trip for the provincial decider in mid-July.”
“It has taken time to build up the Laois team to its present improved level,” said hurling board chairman Michael Lawlor. “(But) I believe the lads have matured so well that they are now good enough and talented enough to be rated with the best.”
Laois, however, got off to a very slow start and were 1-3 to 0-3 down after 15 minutes.
“But tenacity in the face of adversity has long been a trait in this Laois team,” reported Philip Quinn in the Irish Independent the following day.
The Laois half back line of Christy Jones, Joe Dollard and John Taylor “were splendid throughout” added the Independent
They also had high praise for Eugene Fennelly’s dead-eye free-taking that saw him finish with 10 points as well as Mick Walsh who finished with four from play and captain Pat Critchley, who was described as “inspirational” and “perpetual motion”.
By half time the sides were level, with Laois’s goal coming from Martin Cuddy got on to the end of a long delivery from Jones.
But Laois kicked on impressively in the second half and stretched 1-17 to 1-11 clear at one stage and were “playing with a new air of confidence that had long been lacking from the O’Moore county” added the Leinster Express, who gave front page treatment to the hurling triumph alongside their coverage of the Local Elections which took place the same weekend.
Unsurprisingly Wexford fought back and a goal from Martin Fitzhenry as well as points from Billy Byrne and George O’Connor had them back within a point with time almost up.
Yet Laois were able to see it out with a Eugene Fennelly free after a foul on PJ Cuddy a crucial score.
On that same day Offaly and Kilkenny played out a thrilling draw but Offaly would win the replay and ultimately prove too strong for Laois in the final at the end of July.
Indeed it was a busy year for Laois GAA supporters, with the footballers also reaching the Leinster final that year after a famous win over Meath only to lose to Dublin in the final.
For that Laois team, that win over Wexford was their peak. Manager Georgie Leahy, who had overseen a couple of great seasons, would move on from the job and Laois would drop off that standard over the next couple of years.
Thirty six years later and Laois still await another win over Wexford having lost all nine of their last championship meetings.
You can see highlights of that 1985 game here.
SCORERS – Laois: Eugene Fennelly 0-10 (all frees), Mick Walsh 0-4, Martin Cuddy 1-0, PJ Cuddy 0-2. Wexford: T Dempsey 1-3, M Fitzhenry 1-1, J Fleming 0-3, M Quigley, P Courtney, B Byrne and G O’Connor 0-1 each
LAOIS: Morgan Kelly (The Harps); Mick Bolger (The Harps), John Bohane (Portlaoise), John Delaney (Errill); Christy Jones (Kilcotton), Joe Dollard (Camross), John Taylor (Portlaoise); Pat Critchley (Portlaoise), Mick Ahearne (Clough-Ballacolla); Mick O’Sullivan (Castletown), Martin Cuddy (Camross), Eugene Fennelly (Abbeyleix); Mick Walsh (Ballinakill), PJ Cuddy (Camross), Pat Cleary (Errill).
WEXFORD: John Nolan; Liam Turner, Tony Walsh, Pat Kenny; Eamon Cleary, James O’Connor, John Conran; Paudge Courtney, George O’Connor; Billy Byrne, John Fleming, Ger Cody; Martin Fitzhenry, Martin Quigley, Tom Dempsey. Subs: T Dunne for Quigley.
REFEREE: Paschal Long (Kilkenny)
SEE ALSO – Check out all of our 2021 Remembered stories here
