The GAA inter-county season begins this weekend with the Laois hurlers in action in the Walsh Cup.
The hurlers are in Rathdowney on Sunday for a 1.30pm throw in against Wexford.
And ahead of the game, manager Tommy Fitzgerald has named a 26-man panel.
Of the 15 named to start, there are some notable returning faces and some players who are set to make their debuts.
The most high profile of those is in the half forward line where Rathdowney-Errill’s Jack Kelly, who was nominated for an All-Star in 2019 but hasn’t played for Laois since 2020, is back.
In the full back line, Portlaoise’s Ciaran McEvoy also returns while so too does Ballinakill’s Ian Shanahan after he stepped away last year.
Of the new faces, Abbeyleix’s Fionan Mahony is named at wing back while Clonad’d Fionn Holland and Clough-Ballacolla’s Cillian Dunne are in the forwards.
One of the most notable inclusions on the bench is Abbeyleix’s Eoin Reilly who is named as the sub keeper.
While Eoghan Cuddy (Camross), Padraig Rafter (Rathdowney-Errill) and Jack Breen (Castletown) will all be hoping to make debuts from the bench.
If Laois win, they will be at home to the winners of Dublin and Carlow on January 8 in the Walsh Cup quarter final.
Should they lose, they enter the Walsh Shield at the quarter final stage where they are set to be at home to the loser of the aforementioned tie on the same date.
LAOIS: Cathal Dunne (Clough-Ballacolla); Donnchadh Hartnett (Rosenallis), Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise), Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill); Ryan Mullaney (Castletown), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Fiachra C-Fennell (Rosenallis); Fionan Mahony (Abbeyleix), David Dooley (Rosenallis); Martin Phelan (Castletown), Fionn Holland (Clonad), Jack Kelly (Rathdowney-Errill); Cillian Dunne (Clough-Ballacolla), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe), Cormac Byrne (Abbeyleix)
SUBS: Eoin Reilly (Abbeyleix), Joe Pearson (Clough-Ballacolla), Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla), Cormac Hogan (Clough-Ballacolla), Padraic Dunne (The Harps), Eoin Gaughan (Camross), Eoghan Cuddy (Camross), Padraig Rafter (Rathdowney-Errill), Jack Breen (Castletown), Colin Byrne (Abbeyleix), Tomas Keyes (Camross)
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