Portlaoise GAA
| Portlaoise | |||||||||||||
| County: | Laois | ||||||||||||
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| Nickname: | The Town | ||||||||||||
| Colours: | White and Green | ||||||||||||
| Grounds: | Pairc Ui Fhaolain and Rathleague | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates: | 53°01′34.11″N 7°18′13.85″W / 53.0261417°N 7.3038472°WCoordinates: 53°01′34.11″N 7°18′13.85″W / 53.0261417°N 7.3038472°W | ||||||||||||
| Playing kits | |||||||||||||
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| Senior Club Championships | |||||||||||||
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Portlaoise GAA is a hurling and Gaelic football club in Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland.
History
The original club grounds off the Abbeyleix road in the town of Portlaoise were called Pairc Ui Fhaolain, after a former stalwart Bill Phelan. The club's present grounds are located outside the town at Rathleague.
The club colours are white with a green hoop.
Portlaoise GAA club is Laois's biggest and the most successful club since the inception of the Gaelic Athletic Association in Laois. It is also the most successful club in Leinster. They have won 11 Laois Senior Hurling Championship titles and a record 32 Laois Senior Football Championship titles. They are also the most successful club football team in Leinster having won the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship title on seven occasions.
In 1983, Portlaoise recorded a memorable win in the final of the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship and in 2005 they again reached the final where they were narrowly defeated by Ballina Stephenites.
Numerous famous players have played for them with Conor Boyle, Cahir Healy, and Paul Cahillane among the current county stars.
in 2015, Portlaoise sealed their 9th Laois Senior Football Championship in a row after a 2-13 to 0-7 replay win over Emo at O'Moore Park.
Notable Current Players
- Graham Brody
- Cahir Healy
- Kieran Lillis
- Conor Boyle
- Zach Tuohy
- Craig Rogers
- Brian McCormack
- Paul Cahillane
- Brian Smith
Notable players
Past players of note include Tom Prendergast, Mark Kavanagh, Ian Fitzgerald, Colm Parkinson, Colm Browne, Karl Lenihan, Niall Rigney, John Taylor, Pat Critchley, Peter McNulty (Gaelic Footballer) and Sean Delaney.
Zach Tuohy represented Laois as a junior and in 2009 he signed to play professionally with Carlton Australian Rules football club in Melbourne, going on to become a regular first-team player and representing Ireland in International rules football.
Juvenile Teams
Portlaoise has an excellent record at Féile na nGael (Hurling) and Féile Péil na nÓg (football) recording wins in Féile na nGael in 1980, 1981, 1993, and 2009, and wins in Féile na nÓg in 1983, 1992, and 2009. In 2009 Portlaoise recorded a rare double, winning the Féile Péil na nÓg in Kildare, Division 3, and the Féile na nGael at home in Laois/Offaly, Division 2.
In 2010, the u-12 players won both the hurling and football league and championship, after a highly successful year.
In 2009, the u-12a footballers won the football Championship, while the u-12a hurlers won the league.
Rathleague Pitch
The club began development in 2009 for a new GAA centre, which was completed in 2011. The pitch in Rathleague, near Bloomfield Cross, contains many pitches, juvenile and senior, including an all-weather senior pitch.