Laois county football team

Laois contested the second ever All-Ireland final in 1889 and also won the first ever National Football League final beating Dublin in the 1926 final. 1936 saw the only other appearance by Laois in an All-Ireland senior decider.

Laois beat Monaghan by a point in the 1986 National Football League final. Liam Irwin and Colm Browne both won All Stars for their performances that year.

During the 1990s Laois had a number of successes at Minor and U-21 level, including All-Ireland Minor Football Championships in 1996 and 1997.

During the mid-2000s Laois football became a strong force at all age levels.

Under former Kerry and Kildare manager Mick O'Dwyer, Laois were National Football League runners-up and Leinster Senior Football Championship winners in 2003. Laois would go on to contest the Leinster Senior Football Championship Final again in 2004 (lost after a replay) and 2005 (lost by 1 point). During the same period the Minor team were All-Ireland Minor Champions in 2003, and Leinster Champions in 2004, 2005 and 2007, while the U-21 panel were Leinster Champions in 2006 and 2007.

In 2006, Mick O'Dwyer's management of Laois ended and he was replaced by the former Limerick manager, Liam Kearns. After two years Liam Kearns was replaced by Sean Dempsey in 2008. Dempsey who had led the Laois minors to All-Ireland success in 2003 commenced a major re-building exercise in 2009 but failed to achieve any success and was replaced by Justin McNulty for the 2011 season. After three seasons in charge, McNulty stepped down to be replaced by Tomás Ó Flatharta.[1]

• Twice Finalists in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
  • 1889, 1936
• 3 All-Ireland Minor Football Championships
  • 1996, 1997, 2003
• 1 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship
  • 1973
• 1 All-Ireland 'B'
  • 1993
• 2 National Football Leagues
  • 1926, 1986
    • Once runners-up: 2003
    • Five times semi-finalists: 1952, 1978, 1994, 1995, 1997
• 6 Leinster Senior Football Championships
  • 1889, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1946, 2003
• 8 Leinster U21 Football Championships
  • 1964, 1969, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2007
• 9 Leinster Minor Football Championships
  • 1932, 1966, 1967, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2007
• 5 Leinster Junior Football Championships
  • 1907, 1941, 1968, 1973, 1993
• 5 O'Byrne Cups
  • 1978, 1987, 1991, 1994 and 2005

Laois have a total of 5 football All Stars.

• 1986: Colm Browne, Liam Irwin
• 2003: Fergal Byron, Joe Higgins, Tom Kelly

• Manager: John Sugrue
• Selectors: Brendan Delaney, Sean Cotter

Squad as per 2019 SFC v Derry.