1 – Season goes from bad to worse as Laois hit for five goals and dumped out of Leinster championship by Wicklow
And a bad season for the Laois footballers just got a whole lot worse.
Four weeks after being relegated to Division 4, they were hit for five goals in a chaotic game game in Aughrim and dumped out of the Leinster championship by Wicklow on a scoreline of 5-15 to 4-12.
At one stage in the second half they were 16 points down and though they battled back with a massive wind at their backs to get it back to six, a comeback never seemed likely.
2 – Laois student receives prestigious President’s Scholar Award from University of Limerick
A Laois student was among the recipients of a prestigious scholarship award at University of Limerick recently.
Emily Mulhall, from Ballinakill, received a President’s Access Scholar Award at a ceremony which took place at Plassey House, UL, recently.
The former Heywood Community School student’s award is aimed at widening access to university education.
3 – OPW confirm ‘no charge’ to be applied at Emo Court after fencing leads to petition
The Office of Public Works has confirmed that no charge for visiting Emo Court or its gardens is planned.
Concerns were raised by locals recently after fencing was erected close to the property.
A petition to ‘Keep Emo Court Free‘ was launched with almost 2,000 people signing it.
4 – Tough evening at the office as Kilkenny swat Laois aside with ease
Around 15 minutes before throw in at Nowlan Park on Saturday evening, black clouds gathered over the Kilkenny sky and a light shower blessed the crowds as they filed into the venue.
Roughly two hours later the final whistle had sounded, and from a Laois perspective it was a night of black clouds, and no obvious silver lining, as Kilkenny put the O’Moore men to the sword after a devastating attacking display.
2-34 to 1-14 was only part of the story. The hosts also racked up 17 wides over the course of the game, while on another night, they could easily have had another three or four goals.
5 – Laois football management to stay in roles after county board talks following defeat in Wicklow
Laois senior football manager Billy Sheehan and his backroom team are to remain in their positions following talks with county board officials in the aftermath of Sunday’s hugely disappointing 5-15 to 4-12 loss to Wicklow in the Leinster championship.
Sheehan and his management met with county board officials again on Monday evening on the back of similar lengthy discussions in Aughrim after the game.
It’s understood the management were willing to step aside if that was the wishes of the county board.
6 – Shock and sadness in Ballacolla as much-loved community man Seamus Maher passes away suddenly
The wider community of Ballacolla was thrown into a deep sense of shock and sadness early this week with the news of the sudden death of Seamus Maher.
Seamus passed away, aged in his mid 60s, while on holidays in Malta with his wife Aideen.
As news of his passing spread, he was remembered as a great neighbour, friend and community man with a good-humoured and generous nature.
7 – Laois brothers to take on fundraising Barrow Way Walk after little Evie’s life-saving care
A pair of Laois brothers are taking on a fundraising walk in aid of the Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital.
Crettyard brothers, Ciaran and John Delaney, will take on a 113km walk along the river Barrow from Robertstown in Kildare to St Mullins in Carlow.
Ciaran’s daughter Evie, who is now three-years-old, had a difficult start to life but is now thriving and attending playschool.
8 – ‘It’s not easy for any player to recover after a result like that but that’s the challenge facing us now’
Post-match interviews usually start by analysing the game that has just happened, perhaps breaking it down into different sections, but Seamus Plunkett was quick to acknowledge that after a game like his team had just endured against Kilkenny, there was no point getting into any great level of detail.
“It was a tough day and I feel for the players,” was his response.
“When a game goes like that and the score goes like that, it’s difficult to pick different parts out of it.
“But I do need to commend the players, everybody knew the circumstances that we were coming here to play this game and the lads were really good.”
9 – New deli in Mountmellick Your Stop is a class apart
If you’re going to do something, then it’s best to do it to the highest quality possible.
And that’s certainly an attitude that Ela Oczachowska brings to everything she does.
The owner of Your Stop in Mountmellick recently opened the store’s new deli and on our quick visit this week you couldn’t but be impressed.
10 – Potential for Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Trails laid bare as ambitious project is officially opened
Only four years ago the Slieve Bloom Mountain Bike Trail project was still in its infancy.
Though the seed of the idea had been sown at the turn of the decade, in 2018 there still wasn’t even a single kilometre of a trail across the mountains.
But on Friday last in the picturesque village of Kinnity on the Offaly side of the mountains, the project was officially opened by Heather Humphreys, Minister for Rural and Community Development.
Over €10 million has been pumped into the facility which entails 80km (and it will extend to 100km in time) of marked trails across the mountains – with bases at Kinnity in Offaly and Baunreagh in Laois – and one that is set to hold its own with anything of its kind internationally.
