CONFIRMED: Laois GAA finalise fixtures and structure of football and hurling championships

Laois GAA have finalised the fixtures dates and the structures of the upcoming football and hurling club championships.

A couple of ideas were outlined two weeks ago but now a structure and fixture dates have been agreed following a meeting last night.

After the GAA agreed that matches could resume from July 17 instead of July 31, it was now possible to bring the start of hurling and football championships in Laois forward by two weeks but this will not happen.

The proposal to play the senior football championship final after the conclusion of the inter-county season has been scrapped and instead, Round 3 of the senior and junior championships has been brought forward.

These will now take place on the weekend of August 27-30 meaning that they will be on the same weekend as Round 3 of the hurling championships.

That allows for the football final to be brought forward by a week to be played on October 4/5 and gives two clear weeks between the final and the proposed resumption of inter-county action on October 17.

There is no structural change to the football championships but there is a slight tweak to the hurling.

In the Laois Senior hurling championship, only two teams will advance to the knockout stages from the four-team groups – bringing it into line with the Premier Intermediate, Intermediate and Junior championships.

This means that all hurling championships from Senior to Junior ‘A’ will commence on the weekend starting July 31 and will be played every second week with the finals all on the week of September 24-27.

The main dates outlined are:

Hurling

• July 31-August 2 – Hurling Championships Round 1
• August 13-16 – Hurling Championships Round 2
• August 27-30 – Hurling Championships Round 3
• September 11-13 – Hurling Championship Semi-finals and Relegation
• September 24-27 – Hurling Championship Finals

Football

• August 6-9 – Football Championships Round 1
• August 20-23 – Football Championships Round 2
• August 27-30 – Football Championships Round 3
• September 4-6 – Senior and Junior Football Championship Quarter-finals and Intermediate Semi-finals
• September 18-20 – Senior and Junior Football Championship Semi-finals and Intermediate Final
• October 3-4– Senior and Junior Football Championship Finals

Check out the draws in full below:

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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

HURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

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 to host football workshop on returning to action

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/06/25/confirmed-laois-gaa-finalise-fixtures-and-structure-of-football-and-hurling-championships/