A reminder of what the 2020 Laois GAA championship draws actually look like

With all that has gone on this year, even the most die-hard GAA supporter would be forgiven for not knowing what way the local club championship draws are.

But with Laois GAA this week outlining their plan for how the championships can proceed we are taking a look at who will actually be playing who when the action finally gets underway again.

The local hurling championships will begin on the weekend of July 31 with the football starting a week later on August 6-9.

In the senior football, Portlaoise will begin their quest for four-in-a-row with a meeting with Ballylinan, who will be managed for the 2020 season by former Laois and Portlaoise manager Mick Lillis.

The other standout fixtures see neighbours Courtwood and O’Dempsey’s meet in the senior championship for the first time in almost 30 years while newcomers Rosenallis will play last year’s beaten semi-finalists and neighbours Ballyfin in the opening round also.

Stradbally v Portarlington, Arles-Killeen v Graiguecullen, The Heath v Arles-Kilcruise, Killeshin v Emo and Ballyroan-Abbey v St Joseph’s complete the Round 1 lineup

The senior and intermediate championship will follow the same format as recent years with a back door in place in the early stages.

Relegated Crettyard will play Timahoe in the opening round of the intermediate grade with last year’s beaten finalists Clonaslee taking on Mountmellick in a repeat of last year’s semi-final.

Annanough will meet The Rock while the second teams of Portlaoise and O’Dempsey’s have been drawn against each other.

Check out the draws in full below:

Laois Shopping Centre SFC

Round 1

• Portlaoise v Ballylinan
• Courtwood v O’Dempsey’s
• Rosenallis v Ballyfin
• Stradbally v Portarlington
• Arles-Killeen v Graiguecullen
• The Heath v Arles-Kilcruise
• Killeshin v Emo
• Ballyroan-Abbey v St Joseph’s

Laois Shopping Centre IFC

Round 1

• Portlaoise v O’Dempsey’s
• Timahoe v Crettyard
• Annanough v The Rock
• Mountmellick v Clonaslee

Laois Shopping Centre JFC ‘A’

Group A

• Killeshin
• Ballylinan
• Ballyroan-Abbey
• Portlaoise

Group B

• Errill
• Barrowhouse
• Camross
• St Joseph’s

Group C

• Portarlington
• Kilcavan
• The Heath

Group D

• Park-Ratheniska
• Castletown
• The Harps

Laois Shopping Centre JFC ‘B’

Group A

• Graiguecullen
• Arles-Kilcruise
• Mountmellick
• Rosenalls

Group B

• The Rock
• Timahoe
• Stradbally
• Emo

Group C

• Arles-Killeen
• Slieve Bloom
• Spink

Laois Shopping Centre JFC ‘C’

Round 1

• Annanough v Shanahoe

Round 2

• Annanough or Shanahoe v Rathdowney
• Mountrath v Borris-in-Ossory
• The Heath v Colt
• Killeshin v Ballyroan-Abbey
• Park-Ratheniska v St Joseph’s
• Kilcotton v Ballyfin
• O’Dempsey’s v Kilcavan
• Courtwood v Clonaslee

Laois Shopping Centre U-20 ‘A’ FC

Group A

• Sarsfields
• St Joseph’s
• The Heath
• Courtwood-Emo
• Portlaoise

Group B

• Stradbally Parish Gaels
• O’Dempsey’s
• Graiguecullen
• Portarlington
• Ballyroan-Abbey

Laois Shopping Centre U-20 ‘B’ FC

Group A

• The Harps
• Rosenallis
• Ballylinan
• Na Fianna Og

Group B

• Killeshin
• Clonaslee
• Park-Ratheniska/Spink

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In the hurling championship, there has been a slight change to the format of both the senior and premier intermediate grades.

In a bid to reduce the number of rounds from six to five, the quarter-final stage has been done away with. So only two groups will emerge from each group, instead of three.

The groups remain the same as they were drawn.

Defending Laois SHC champions Rathdowney-Errill have been drawn with neighbours Clough-Ballacolla, Abbeyleix and Castletown in the 2020 Laois SHC.

The other group will see last year’s beaten finalists Borris-Kilcotton alongside 2017 and 2018 champions Camross as well as Ballinakill and senior newcomers Rosenallis.

The draw was seeded again so that last year’s finalists Borris-Kilcotton and Rathdowney-Errill were kept apart while the semi-finalists Camross and Clough-Ballacolla were seeded also.

The bottom team in each group will meet in the relegation final.

The same format will apply to the newly named Premier Intermediate championship where relegated Portlaoise have been grouped with Ballyfin, Slieve Bloom and Laois’s newest club Colt-Shanahoe.

The other group sees The Harps, beaten finalists in the last two seasons, drawn with Clonaslee, Mountrath and Camross, the only second team in the competition.

And in a change this year, the Intermediate and Junior hurling championships will also revert to a group basis.

Check out all the draws in full below:

Laois Shopping Centre SHC 

Group A

• Rathdowney-Errill
• Clough-Ballacolla
• Abbeyleix
• Castletown

Group B

• Borris-Kilcotton
• Camross
• Rosenallis
• Ballinakill

Laois Shopping Centre Premier IHC

Group A

• Portlaoise
• Ballyfin
• Colt-Shanahoe
• Slieve Bloom

Group B

• The Harps
• Camross
• Clonaslee
• Mountrath

Laois Shopping Centre IHC

Group A

• Borris-Kilcotton
• Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe
• Clough-Ballacolla
• Mountmellick

Group B

• Ballypickas
• Trumera
• Rathdowney-Errill
• Clonad

Laois Shopping Centre JHC ‘A’

Group A 

• Rathdowney-Errill
• Abbeyleix
• Colt-Shanahoe
• The Harps

Group B

• Castletown
• Borris-Kilcotton
• Portlaoise
• Mountrath

Laois Shopping Centre JHC ‘B’

Group A 

• The Harps
• Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe
• Kyle
• Camross

Group B

• Portlaoise
• Mountmellick
• Ballinakill
• Rathdowney-Errill

Laois Shopping Centre JHC ‘C’

Round 1

• Castletown v Camross
• Ballyfin v Colt-Shanahoe
• Trumera v Clough-Ballacolla
• Clonaslee v Abbeyleix

Quarter-final 

• Castletown or Camross v Borris-Kilcotton
• Ballyfin or Colt-Shanahoe v Rosenallis
• Trumera or Clough-Ballacolla v Clonad
• Clonaslee or Abbeyleix v Ballypickas

Laois Shopping Centre U-20 HC

Group A

• Castletown
• Borris-Kilcotton
• Portlaoise
• Camross

Group B

• Abbeyleix
• The Harps
• Raheen Parish Gaels

Group C

• Rosenallis
• Clough-Ballacolla/Mountrath
• Na Fianna

Group D

• Rathdowney-Errill
• Ballinakill-Ballypickas
• Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe

SEE ALSO – Laois GAA propose slight change to senior club hurling championship but football format to remain the same

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/06/12/a-reminder-of-what-the-2020-laois-gaa-championship-draws-actually-look-like/