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You all asked for it – so we have obliged with the second rankings of the 2025 season. With the club leagues now in ticking towards their conclusion and championship action just over a month away, we have compiled a list of the top 30 football teams in Laois. A number of factors come into play with these rankings – league form, last year's championship form, and whether a club are at full strength or not. Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett are up for this one – and remember, rankings can fall as well as rise.

It was a huge weekend for the Laois senior hurlers and they delivered with a big win over Westmeath.  Steven Miller was in O'Moore Park for the Joe McDonagh Cup game and he joins Alan Hartnett to reflect on it.  The pair also chat about the Feile finals which took place on Saturday evening.  And look ahead to the U-20 hurlers who face Kildare on Wednesday. 

You all asked for it - so we have obliged with the first rankings of the 2025 season.  With the club leagues now in full swing and championship action just a few months away, we have compiled a list of the top 30 football teams in Laois.  A number of factors come into play with these rankings – league form, last year's championship form, and whether a club are at full strength or not. Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett are up for this one – and remember, rankings can fall as well as rise.

Antrim 'virus', minor Leinster league final, Kelly Cup and more by LaoisToday

It was a very busy weekend on the GAA front and the latest Laois Football Podcast is here to look back at it all.  Up first, Steven Miller is joined by Alan Hartnett to reflect on the senior footballers' win over Antrim.  They look at what that means and we also hear from manager Justin McNulty.  It was a big weekend for Ladies too with the senior team drawing against Limerick and the minors defeating Wexford.  While we also have a Kelly Cup update ahead of the start of the local leagues.

Mark Comerford and Steven Miller chat about the Laois GAA club championship draws which took place on Thursday evening. Among the topics for discussion are the new senior hurling format. Will the flaws in the system come to the fore? And what will the knock-on effect in the lower grades be? On the football side of things, what, if any, are the standout senior football ties? How evenly-balanced is the intermediate grade? And talk about a Junior 'A' Group of Death!! This episode is available to listen to free of charge but if you would like to listen to our all our episodes, you can subscribe for €6.99 per month or €69.99 annually.

The meeting of the Laois and Kildare footballers is always one of the most anticipated fixtures in this part of the world.  Be it championship, league or O'Byrne Cup, it's a game that has thrown up some great moments over the years.  While Kildare have had the upper hand for most of the past 20 years, Laois have come out on top in the last two meetings - in last year's Tailteann Cup quarter-final in Tullamore and in the 2022 O'Byrne Cup semi-final, after penalties, in Carlow.  This Saturday they meet in the redeveloped St Conleth's Park in Newbridge, a 7pm throw-in under the lights that wouldn't have been the worst choice for RTE's live game.  Kildare, under new manager Brian Flanagan, have won their first three games and are top of the table. Laois, though they lost to Offaly in their first outing, are in third place having won their last two, including an impressive win over Sligo last Sunday.  To look ahead to the game, we have a special preview podcast, recorded live in the Joe Mallon Motors showrooms in Naas.  Joining us for the chat are former Kildare footballer Johnny Doyle, as well as three-time All Ireland final referee Maurice Deegan, who is currently a member of the Football Review Committee that have introduced the new changes to the game.  LaoisToday's Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett chat to the two lads about the rules, what they like and don't like, the form of both team, the new St Conleth's Park and some of Johnny's memories from playing Laois.  LaoisToday are proud brand ambassadors for Joe Mallon Motors and this episode was recorded in their showrooms on the Sallins Road in Naas. You can check out the Joe Mallon Motors website here.  Thanks to Anthony Mallon and Oisin Morris in Joe Mallon Motors and our videographer Paul Dargan for their support. 

LaoisToday was on stage at the National Ploughing Championships this year as we recorded a live podcast at the Briggs Equipment stand to mark the official launch of the new Laois GAA jersey. Briggs Equipment is the parent company of Laois Hire, who are the Laois GAA sponsors, and Laois footballers Ben Dempsey and Conor Heffernan as well as Laois hurler Fiachra C-Fennell were on hand for the occasion. In front of a large attendance, LaoisToday's Steven Miller presented a live show, where he first chatted to Gary Clements, the MD of Briggs Equipment and to PJ Kelly, Laois GAA chairman. He was then joined on stage by the three players, who modelled the new jersey and took part in a Q&A with Steven. The lads chatted about the 2024 season, some of their favourite moments in a Laois jersey and the advice they would give to young players, many of whom were in the audience. They then finished up with a short quiz, where Steven tested the lads on their knowledge of Laois GAA clubs.

The LaoisToday QuizCast made its Electric Picnic debut at the Ah, Hear tent in Mindfield on Friday.  It pitted three of the four contestants who battled it out in the Square Bar last year against each other.  Defending champion Brian Hogan returned with Murt Norton and Colin Delaney also taking to the stage.  With Jack Scully unavailable, we ran a wildcard round last week which Sean Hennessy came through.  The show got underway at 2.40pm and it was a packed tent with a massive crowd.  This was a straight final that began with 'Home and Away', involved Golden Goose and also had a new segment - 'Higher or Lower'.  After the three rounds, all contestants were still in touching distance of each other with Sean Hennessy in the lead.  But the final round is called 'The List' and there were 12 points on offer. Reigning champion Brian Hogan won the first two lists to regain the advantage.  The third list was shared between himself and Hennessy meaning it all came down to the final question.  The topic was RTE Sports Personalities and Hogan's ability to name them was the difference.

LaoisToday will be making its Electric Picnic debut this year when our popular QuizCast takes its place in the Ah, Here tent in Mindfield on Friday afternoon.  It's a proud occasion for LaoisToday to be on stage during the iconic festival.  We're returning with a special Electric Picnic version of our QuizCast, a repeat of last winter's inaugural event which packed out the Square Bar for the Grand Final.  Three of those finalists are back to appear at Electric Picnic - champion Brian Hogan as well as Clonad duo Colin Delaney and fan's favourite Murt Norton.  With one extra place up for grabs, we held a Wild Card Qualifier with Barry McEvoy from Castletown, Martin Fallon from Clonaslee and Annanough football goalkeeper Sean Hennessy battling it out.  We tested the lads on their soccer, GAA, rugby and golf knowledge - and there was one very worthy winner!

With the various Junior football grades getting underway two weeks ago, the top grades begin this week.  The Laois Shopping Centre SFC and IFC competitions begin from Wednesday and will continue for the next three months.  Before it all begins, we have ranked the top 30 football clubs in Laois.  A number of factors come into play with these rankings – league form, last year's championship form, and whether a club are at full strength or not. Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett are up for this one - and remember, rankings can fall as well as rise.

We had a star-studded line up of guests in the Square Bar in Portlaoise as we recorded a Friday night episode of our LaoisToday Football Podcast. Former Laois footballers Fergal Byron, Chris Conway and Gareth Dillon were among our guests as well as recent Laois U-20 managers Eddie Kinsella and Billy O'Loughlin and Midlands 103 commentator Pat O'Sullivan. We look ahead to the Laois v Down Tailteann Cup final as well as a great trip down memory lane with Fergal Byron recalling the unforgettable training sessions under Mick O'Dwyer in 2003. We also ask our guests to make a prediction ahead of the Laois football championship - and we finish by making up two teams to contest our quiz.

In the latest episode of the LaoisToday LoveLaois Podcast, we hear from Stephen Dowling, owner of Dunmasc Genetics. Stephen will be representing Laois at the National Enterprise Awards next week and is a client of the Laois Local Enterprise Office. He explains what his business is, how he's exporting across the world and the challenges he faces.

After several years of progress, 2024 has seen the Laois Ladies return to the turbulent times that have blighted them in the past.  2023 saw them reach the Division 2 league final, losing out to Armagh, but the championship was difficult and Laois ended up in a relegation playoff where they defeated Cavan.  But this year has been difficult. Laois were relegated from Division 2 without winning a match.  And in the time since that, their joint management team of Billy Kiernan and Tom Devereux have stepped down.  But Ballyfin man Stephen Duff has stepped up and will attempt to steady the ship for the remainder of the year.  Speaking on the Talking Sport Podcast, he acknowledges it will be a difficult task in the short-term.  Laois begin their Leinster campaign away to Meath on Sunday and with games against Dublin and Kildare to come, it won't get any easier.  But in a wide ranging chat, manager Duff is insistent that the narrative must change if the county is to progress.  While recognising that the seniors are the flagship team, Duff says it is incumbent on everyone involved in the Ladies game to put their shoulder to the wheel.

Our latest LoveLaois Podcast is here and this one is certainly made for the political anoraks among us. Steven Miller, Alan Hartnett and Mark Comerford are up for this one where the first question is all about the Taoiseach. Steven poses the question of if Leo Varadkar will be remembered as a good one or not. Stick on the politics train, the lads also remember the late Tom Mulhall who sadly passed away this week. They all spoke about the incident at the Stradbally St Patrick's Day parade. And somehow - they end up talking about Fr Ted!

It has been a couple of months since we last heard from Laois GAA's Head of Games Development Shane Keegan.  The Rathdowney native joins Alan Hartnett for this special episode of the Talking Sport Podcast to update us on all things in the coaching world.  Laois GAA have three coaching workshops in the coming weeks and the first of them is with Shane Smith. This, costing €10, takes place this Saturday, March 16, in the Centre of Excellence from 10am to 12.30pm and is aimed at hurling and football coaches from U-7 to U-11.  On Saturday March 23, Laois Games Development Coach Martin O'Connell is running a Strength and Conditioning workshop in the Centre of Excellence.  This, costing €5, takes place from 11.30am to 1.30pm and is aimed at those coaching hurling and football at U-15 and U-17 level.  Martin O'Connell will be back on Saturday March 30 for an Athletic Development workshop in the same location.  This will be aimed at U-11 and U-13 coaches for football and hurling and also costs €5.  On the Podcast, Shane also explains how plans are in place for the Cul Camps this summer and that Laois GAA will be recruiting coaches with a closing date of April 12.  While he also provides an update on the various Laois academy squads and how almost every primary school in Laois is receiving weekly GAA coaching.  Go Games will be getting underway shortly and Keegan has some new rules in mind to make it a better experience for all.  You can check it out below:

The inaugural LaoisToday Schools QuizCast Grand Final took place in the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise on Friday where The Heath NS, Timahoe NS, St Colman's NS from Stradbally and Rath NS all took part. The contestants were put through their paces by quizmasters Mark Comerford and Alan Hartnett before St Colman's NS eventually emerged victorious after a titanic battle. Almost 200 supporters were in attendance for what was a hugely atmospheric occasion. The LaoisToday Schools QuizCast is brought to you in association with Mulhall Meat and Fish Counter, located in Mulhall's SuperValu in Lyster Square, Portlaoise. Mulhall Meats have been serving the people of Laois for more than 90 years.

On the latest episode of the LaoisToday Podcast, we hear from Pavel Barter who is the presenter of the Runaway Joe podcast from RTE's Documentary on One series Runaway Joe tells the incredible, scarcely-believable, story of Joe Moloney, an Irish-American, who is on the FBI's most wanted list and who lived in Capard House in Rosenallis throughout the 1970s and 80s under an assumed name - Michael O'Shea. How he came to Rosenallis is a story in itself. In 1967, he was accused of murdering his wife June at their son's 5th birthday party in New York. But when he was in custody, he escaped and went on the run, eventually ending up in Dun Laoighaire in Dublin where he took on a new identity, under the name Michael O'Shea. During his time in Dun Laoighaire he bought a small garage, which later earned him a small fortune when the local council bought it off him - at a largely inflated price - as it stood in the way of a proposed Shopping Centre. The proceeds of this sale helped him to buy Capard House and 120 acres in Rosenallis and he lived there, along with his new wife Sheila Chandler O'Shea. However all this time the Gardai were aware of his true identity, having his matched his fingerprints to those of Joe Moloney, who remained on the FBI's Most Wanted list. But there was nothing they could do onky keep an eye on him as no was extradition treaty between Ireland and the US. In the meantime, under his new name, O'Shea threw lavish parties in Capard, renovated the house and built a career in the Irish film industry, working alongside the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Sean Connery. But he had also racked up serious debt at this stage and when the extradition treaty was eventually passed, he was arrested, jailed and brought to court. The case collapsed, however, and shortly afterwards, some stage in the mid to late 80s he disappeared again and hasn't been seen since. Pavel and his documentary team behind Runaway Joe have been trying to track him down. If he's still alive, he'd now be 88. As it's a live investigation, anyone with any information is asked to come forward and contact Pavel and his team. We chatted to Pavel about how the documentary started - and where it's going to go from here with a couple of episodes still to be produced.

The last place in the Dunamaise Arts Centre was up for grabs as Scoil Mhuire Fatima Timahoe met St Joseph's BNS Borris-In-Ossory.  This was a wildcard bout and it ended with history being made as for the very first time - one of our lists was completed.  Timahoe were represented by Ruairi Bowe, Daisy Ramsbottom and Lucy Scully.  They were here after defeating Rath in Round 1 but losing to Stradbally in Round 2.  While in the St Joseph's Borris-in-Ossory corner were Darragh Shortiss, Michael Nelligan and Tafara Zhou. They lost to Stradbally in Round 1 but got the better of Newtown in Round 2.  Like so many of our quizzes, the lists were the deciders with Timahoe's knowledge of car registration plates proving decisive.

There was no room for error as Rath National School and Scoil Bhride Clonaslee met in the Wildcard Round of the LaoisToday Schools QuizCast.  Clonaslee had reached this stage after defeating Newtown in Round 1 but losing to The Heath in Round 2.  While Rath NS had lost to Timahoe NS in Round 1 but beaten Holy Family in Round 2.  Rath NS were represented for a third time by Michael Behan, Aoife Murphy and Michael Nolan.  While back for Clonaslee again were Will Murray, Oran McEvoy and Donnachadh Owens. This one was close early on and keep an eye out for the final list where both teams go a considerable way towards completing it.

The final of our Round 2 clashes saw neighbours meet as St Colman's in Stradbally took on Timahoe NS.  Like in Round 1, representing St Colman's NS was Maci Moore-Doyle, Freya Byrne and Oran Lawlor. While Timahoe once again had Ruairi Bowe, Daisy Ramsbottom and Lucy Scully on duty.  Nothing separated the sides in Round 1 or 2 but Stradbally took a slight lead in Round 3.  Timahoe regained the advantage by winning the first list in the final round to set up the last one as the clincher.  And that went the way of Stradbally who sealed their spot in the final alongside The Heath.  Timahoe are still alive though and will be back next week for the quarter final.

The first spot in the grand final of the Schools QuizCast was up for grabs as The Heath met Clonaslee in Round 2.  With both sides winning in Round 1, one more win from either school will secure their place in the showpiece event on Match 1.  The Heath were once again represented by John O'Hara, Finn Moore and Conall Lalor.  While back for Clonaslee again were Will Murray, Oran McEvoy and Donnachadh Owens.  There was nothing between the teams in the first two rounds but The Heath got ahead midway through and powered to the end.  They go through while Clonaslee are still alive and will compete in the quarter final.

Round 2 of the Wildcard section continued as Borris-In-Ossory and Newtown NS clashed.  This was a winner takes all clash with the loser out for this year and the victor into Round 3. Cillian Shiels, Sophie Purcell and Rian Powell were once again representing Newtown. While in the St Joseph's Borris-in-Ossory corner were Darragh Shortiss, Michael Nelligan and Tafara Zhou. This game came right down to the final list where Borris-In-Ossory's knowledge of EU countries just tipped them over the line.

Rath National School and Holy Family were involved in a dramatic encounter as Round 2 of the LaoisToday Schools QuizCast got underway.  This was a winner takes all clash with the loser out for this year and the victor into Round 3.  And with everything on the line, the sides produced a stunning battle that had, after another stewards inquiry, to be decided by a tiebreak.  Rath were once again represented by Michael Behan, Aoife Murphy and Michael Nolan while Holy Family shuffled their pack.  In came Carrie Gorman, Alex Korovesi and Dylan Lawlor who performed brilliantly.  We initially thought that Holy Family had won but then realised that we had incorrectly marked an answer that Rath gave as wrong.  We thought Dungarvan was the county town of Waterford but it turns out - surprise, surprise - the children know more than us! Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan WAS the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford - but that is now Waterford City which Rath NS said.  A tiebreaker was quickly arranged and Rath came through.

It was a battle of Portlaoise Parish in the final of our Round 1 matches with Holy Family facing The Heath NS.  Holy Family have six members on their team and representing them in this quiz was Lily-Rose Delaney, Ari Ajayi and Sarah Ging.  The Heath had John O'Hara, Finn Moore and Conall Lalor - the latter being a proud Portlaoise man but firmly in the black and amber for this one.  The sides could not be split in the opening three rounds which finished three points apiece.  But The Heath got the better of their opponents in the final round to take the win in the end.  The Heath now go through to Round 2 where one more win will book their place in our Grand Final in the Dunamaise Arts Centre on Friday, March 1. But Holy Family still have another chance and will hope to battle their way through the Qualifier phase.

There was huge drama as Scoil Mhuire Fatima Timahoe and Rath National School clashed in Round 1 of the LaoisToday Schools Quiz Cast. Ruairi Bowe, Daisy Ramsbottom and Lucy Scully were on duty for Timahoe while Michael Behan, Aoife Murphy and Michael Nolan competed for Rath.  There was serious drama in this one as a mistake on our end meant that Timahoe were incorrectly awarded the win in the first recording of the contest.  But like Laois when Mick Turley kicked the point that never was against Carlow, Timahoe graciously offered Rath a replay.  In the end, it came down to who could remember the 16 teams who competed in the 2023 Laois senior football championship the best.  Timahoe did advance at the second time of asking but Rath are still alive and will be a tough battle for anyone in the Qualifier section.  Timahoe now go through to Round 2 where one more win will book their place in our Grand Final in the Dunamaise Arts Centre on Friday, March 1. All episodes of the LaoisToday QuizCast are available to download and listen to in Podcast format.

It's a long way from Crettyard to Clonaslee so primary schools from the two areas being paired against each other in the LaoisToday QuizCast makes for a novel pairing. Thankfully, the advent of Zoom meant that a long road trip wasn't necessary for either and Scoil Bhride of Clonaslee and Newtown were able to play out a thrilling Round 1 battle. Will Murray, Oran McEvoy and Donnacadh Owens were on duty for Clonaslee while Cillian Shiels, Sophie Purcell and Rian Powell-Ryan were representing Newtown. Champions League winners, World Cup winners, Irish and UK politics, capital cities, Roald Dahl books and European countries were among the topics covered in this round. And it was the Clonaslee lads that advanced to Round 2 after a tight battle that saw Newtown get off to a shaky start before recovering to bring the contest right to the very last question. Clonaslee now go through to Round 2 where one more win will book their place in our Grand Final in the Dunamaise Arts Centre on Friday, March 1. Newtown aren't out of contention and now go to our Wildcard phase where they too will try and come through to take one of the remaining final places. All episodes of the LaoisToday QuizCast are available to download and listen to in Podcast format. The LaoisToday Schools QuizCast is brought to you in association with Mulhall Meat and Fish Counter, located in Mulhall's SuperValu, Lyster Square Portlaoise. Mulhall Meats have been serving the people of Laois for over 90 years.

If the rest of the LaoisToday Schools QuizCast competition can provide the same drama that the students of St Colman's of Stradbally and St Joseph's of Borris-in-Ossory, then we're in for some treat. The very first contest needed a tie-breaker to separate the schools, in what is the first episode of our new competition. Eight schools from around the county will battle it out over the coming weeks to see who will advance to our live final in the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise on Friday, March 1. Representing St Colman's NS was Maci Moore-Doyle, Freya Byrne and Oran Lawlor while in the St Joseph's Borris-in-Ossory corner were Darragh Shortiss, Michael Nelligan and Tafara Zhou. Our quizmaster Mark Comerford put the students through their paces - but they were well able for everything he threw at him - in our now well-established rounds of 'Golden Goose, 'Home or Away', 'The List' and our new Capital Cities round. Indeed the team were still tied right at the finish, requiring a sudden death tie-breaker where the Stradbally team managed to get the deciding question right. They now go forward to Round 2, where one more win will secure their place in the Dunamaise. And the brave boys of Borris-in-Ossory aren't finished yet as they go into our Wildcard phase where they will need to beat two schools to take one of the four final places. All episodes of the LaoisToday Schools QuizCast will be available to download to in Podcast format.

The Laois senior footballers begin their National Football League Division 4 campaign this Saturday when they welcome Longford to O'Moore Park.  And in this special episode of our Talking Sport Podcast, we're joined by our occasional contributor Billy O'Loughlin who managed Longford in 2022.  We are also joined by Damien Butler from Leitrim who has a strong insight into the Division 4 scene while LaoisToday's Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett complete the four-man panel.  Who will go up? What way will the Laois team line out? What should we watch out for and is Longford's pre-season form in winning the O'Byrne Cup for the second year running a good or bad thing.  We talk attacking goalkeepers, political managers, indoor games and a whole lot more.

Brian Hogan was the very impressive winner of the inaugural LaoisToday QuizCast, seeing off the challenge of Murt Norton in a thrilling finale in the Square Bar in Portlaoise in early December. In a special one-off Christmas episode of the QuizCast, he returns to chat about his success. He reveals the research he did, the topics he reckoned wouldn't come up - and explains how might not have won at all had he got some of the other questions. Plus, he shows his class with a 3-1 win over the combined efforts of Steven and Alan in a special round of 'The List' where he shows his knowledge of All Ireland hurling champions, World snooker winners and Kildare GAA clubs.

The 2023 LaoisToday QuizCast came to a conclusion in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday night when the four semi-finalists - Brian Hogan, Murt Norton, Colin Delaney and Jack Scully - battled it for supremacy in front of a live audience. With a full house and a cracking atmosphere, quizmaster Mark Comerford put the contestants through their paces. And though there was a high standard of questions, there was also a very high standard of answers with both semi-finals and final being well contested affairs. The final was only decided with the very last question. And as well as a thrilling decider, we also had an entertaining curtain raiser - where Team Alan did battle with Team Steven in the 'Senior B'. Team Alan was comprised of LaoisToday's Alan Hartnett as well as Timahoe father and son duo Pauric and Liam 'Sheriff' Ramsbottom while Steven Miller from LaoisToday was joined by Courtwood's Mick Hogan and Portarlington's Darren Bracken. This year's LaoisToday QuizCast has been brought to you in association with the Square Bar, Market Square, Portlaoise. We are also grateful to Mulhall's SuperValu, the Midlands Park Hotel, Ballykilcavan Brewery, The Wandering Elk and Supermac's who kindly sponsored prizes. Thanks to everyone who took part, and to those who watched and listened to the various rounds over the past number of weeks. We'll be back in 2024!

Excitement is building as we are now just hours away from the live semi final and final of the inaugural LaoisToday QuizCast. Murt Norton, Brian Hogan, Jack Scully and Colin Delaney will face off in a bid to be crowned champion. The action gets underway at 8pm in The Square Bar in Portlaoise and ahead of the final, we are here to preview it all. Steven Miller is joined by Mark Comerford and Alan Hartnett where the lads pick out their pre-final favourites. The tables are then turned on Mark and Alan as Steven becomes quizmaster for one night only!

The countdown is on to the live LaoisToday QuizCast semi final and final in The Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday night at 8pm. Following a series of Round 1 and quarter final clashes held via Zoom, we were down to a final four of Murt Norton, Brian Hogan, Jack Scully and Gavin Deering. Sadly however, Gavin has had to pull out and in a bid to find his replacement, we are back with a semi-final wildcard playoff. All of the Round 1 and quarter final losers were offered the chance to return and four of them have thrown their hat in the ring. In this episode, Timahoe's Pauric Ramsbottom, Clonad's Colin Delaney, Portarlington's Darren Bracken and Camross' Eoin Scully battle it out for the final place. With quiz master Mark Comerford unavailable, Steven Miller steps into the hot seat. He is joined by Alan Hartnett and the pair have devised a brand new format to determine the overall winner. The lads are first drawn into mini semi finals with the winner of each advancing to the final where the victor will be in The Square Bar on Friday night. This is all about your ability to name lists and the last person standing will be the winner. The semi finals are a straight shoot out while the final will be the best of three.

LaoisToday QuizCast: Quarter-final - Gavin Deering v Steven Miller by LaoisToday

LaoisToday QuizCast: Quarter-final - Murt Norton v Barry McEvoy by LaoisToday

The second quarter-final in the LaoisToday QuizCast sees Courtwood's Brian Hogan take on Timahoe's Pauric Ramsbottom. Brian made short work of Darren Bracken in the first round, and has his sights set on a spot in our live finale. Pauric put Alan Hartnett to the sword with ease in Round 1 but faces a much tougher opponent in the quarters. The winner will book their place in the Square Bar on Friday, December 8, where the semi-finals and final will be held live.

The first quarter-final in the LaoisToday QuizCast sees Jack Scully of Portlaoise Panthers fame go up against Laois ladies football goalkeeper Eimear Barry. Jack was the highest scorer of all Round 1 winners, installing him as outright favourite to win this entire thing out. Eimear scraped past her colleague Mo Nerney but showed enough promise to say she could go far in this competition. The winner will be the first to book their place in the Square Bar on Friday, December 8, where the semi-finals and final will be held in part of a special event.

LaoisToday QuizCast: Round 1 - Gavin Deering v Mark Timmons by LaoisToday

The Battle of Clonad 2023! The latest pairing of the LaoisToday QuizCast sees Clonad hurling colleagues Murt Norton and Colin Delaney slog it out for a quarter-final place.  Two high-standard contestants, this is a clash that goes the way of the favourite, but only after a very tough test.  The LaoisToday QuizCast is a straight knockout general sports quiz devised by our Quiz Master Mark Comerford. The Round of 16 and quarter-final pairings are all being recorded on Zoom with the semi-finals and final to be hosted in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday, December 8.

By now, the new LaoisToday QuizCast is in full swing, as we reach the halfway point in Round 1. There are 16 contestants in all in what is a straight knockout competition, a general sports quiz devised by our Quiz Master Mark Comerford. The Round of 16 and quarter-final pairings are all being recorded on Zoom with the semi-finals and final to be hosted in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday, December 8. This episode features Courtwood's Brian Hogan battling against Portarlington's Darren Bracken. The LaoisToday QuizCast is brought to you in association with the Square Bar Portlaoise, which will host the finale of this competition on Friday, December 8.

LaoisToday QuizCast: Round 1 - Eimear Barry v Mo Nerney by LaoisToday

In the latest episode of the LaoisToday QuizCast, Bernard Rochford from Mountmellick goes head-to-head with his former Ballyfin College schoolmate Jack Scully, a man strongly associated with the Portlaoise Panthers Basketball Club and who more or less lives in St Mary's Hall! One of our contestants puts in a very impressive performance to lay down a marker for this competition. And the other is left with some regrets after a few questionable answers. The LaoisToday QuizCast is brought to you in association with The Square Bar, Market Square, Portlaoise, which will host the final of this competition on Friday, December 8.

The latest episode of the LaoisToday QuizCast sees LaoisToday Hurling Man Barry McEvoy from Castletown go up against Mountrath's Michal 'Beag' Boyhan. It's a decent contest - but the Round 1 winner here will go forward to the quarter-finals with a fair degree of confidence. There are 16 contestants in all in what is a straight knockout competition, a general sports quiz devised by our Quiz Master Mark Comerford. The Round of 16 and quarter-final pairings are all being recorded on Zoom with the semi-finals and final to be hosted in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday, December 8.

In the latest episode of the LaoisToday QuizCast, Alan Hartnett from LaoisToday takes on Timahoe's Pauric Ramsbottom in a surprisingly one-sided affair. There are 16 contestants in all in what is a straight knockout competition, a general sports quiz devised by our Quiz Master Mark Comerford. The Round of 16 and quarter-final pairings are all being recorded on Zoom with the semi-finals and final to be hosted in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday, December 8. The LaoisToday QuizCast is brought to you in association with the Square Bar Portlaoise, which will host the finale of this competition on Friday, December 8.

After weeks of planning and scheduling in the background, the first episode of the new LaoisToday QuizCast is here. There are 16 contestants in all in what is a straight knockout competition, a general sports quiz devised by our Quiz Master Mark Comerford. The Round of 16 and quarter-final pairings are all being recorded on Zoom with the semi-finals and final to be hosted in the Square Bar in Portlaoise on Friday, December 8. In this episode, Steven Miller of LaoisToday takes on Eoin Scully from Camross in a contest that goes right to the wire. You can watch this episode on YouTube or listen on Soundcloud in podcast format.

After 51 days, the Rugby World Cup came to an exhilarating end on Saturday, with one of the greatest finals ever played. Mark Comerford is joined by Steven Miller to review the final, and give their verdict on the tournament as a whole. We also take a look forward to the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour, and ask is it an antiquated idea. The IRFU have appointed a new Performance Director - how will it affect Irish rugby? And finally, as this is the last edition of Rugby World Cup Podcast, we preview our newest podcast coming down the tracks - the LaoisToday QuizCast. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has listened over the last nine weeks.

Enda Rowland has another busy season with his club, county and country. And he is the special guest on this week's LaoisToday Talking Sport Podcast. He chats about his new role as Laois Hire brand ambassador and what it entails plus he discusses his own new gym business Enda Rowland Health and Fitness. As well as that he chats about the disappointment of losing the recent Laois senior hurling final with Abbeyleix and the thrill of representing his country in the Shinty international against Scotland. He also looks ahead to the 2024 campaign with Laois, even if he is currently enjoying a small bit of down time before pre-season training gets underway.

Paris - Saturday, October 28 at 8pm - New Zealand v South Africa in the World Cup Final. The two most successful nations in rugby history are tied on three World Cup victories each. Mark Comerford is joined by Alan Hartnett and Steven Miller to preview the first final between the two sides since that infamous game in 1995. We also look back at two very different semi-finals, where England were just ten minutes away from shocking the Springboks. A new format has been announced for the 2027 World Cup in Australia; we look ahead at what that will mean. And following on from discussions last week, we give contestants and listeners a trial run of the brand new LaoisToday sports quiz that will be taking off in November.

The quest to win a quarter-final continues for Ireland. The greatest Irish team of all time came up just short last week in Paris, losing out to New Zealand for the second consecutive World Cup. Mark Comerford is joined by Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett to look back on last weekend's massive disappointment. We also look at the other three quarter-finals, which helped make last weekend the greatest in rugby history. We take a look ahead at the semi-finals, featuring Argentina v New Zealand and England v South Africa. And there is more big games on the local scene following Portarlington's impressive win over Portlaoise last Saturday.

Nobody, green, blue or otherwise, could have foreseen the ease with which Ireland dismantled Scotland on Saturday night. Mark Comerford is joined by Steven Miller and Alan Hartnett to look back on that fantastic pool-topping performance. We also take stock of a historic weekend that saw Portugal shock Fiji, and Argentina book their place in the knockouts at the expense of Japan. We examine the Ireland 23 named to face New Zealand this Saturday. And finally, a look ahead at all four of this weekend's quarter-finals.

In this special episode of the Talking Sport podcast, we interview Billy Phelan, the Abbeyleix man who has recently published a very impressive history of the local GAA club. Ahead of Sunday's Laois senior hurling final, he chats about how the club fell on hard times after being dominant in the 1940s, playing in two senior semi-finals himself, the story behind the name St Lasarien's and why Abbeyleix supporters shout 'Cmon on the Fung'.