Management for five of the six county teams announced
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LAOIS GAA have formally announced the management structures for five of the six county teams, with the senior hurling management team currently being finalised and will be announced in the coming days.
Just two changes in manger have been made from last year, both of those at minor level, Dave McGrath and Brendan Phelan in football and hurling respectively. Both were looking after the affairs of Laois U/16 teams last year.
Justin McNulty and Tommy Fitzgerald will again manage the senior teams, as will Kieran Kelly and Derek Delaney at U/20 level.
For McNulty this will be his third year in charge of the senior footballers. He will be joined again in 2026 by coach/selectors Ross Munnelly and Diarmuid Carroll. Oscar O’Dwyer will look after strength and conditioning.
The senior hurling team is yet to be finalised after coach/selector Niall Corcoran has stepped down from that role. This will be Fitzgerald’s second year at the helm after he took on the role late last year as manager, Tipperary’s Darren Gleeson, unexpectedly departed the role on health grounds.
Ballylinan’s Kieran Kelly will again manage the U/20 footballers for what is his third year in charge. He will be joined by Brian ‘Brunao’ McCormack, Billy Delaney and Tomas Brett as coach/selectors with Pauraic McEvoy looking after strength and conditioning.
Similarly , Portlaoise’s Derek Delaney will continue as U/20 hurling manager for a second year. Delaney will be joined on the sideline by coach/selector, Joe O’Callaghan while he also has Declan Phelan, Shane Maher and Garry Moore, as selectors and Paddy Lowry as strength and conditioning coach.
Brendan Phelan (The Harps) is the new minor hurling manager, replacing Glem McEvoy. The minor hurling management team is completed by coach/selectors Damien Walsh, Conor Doran, Cathal Brophy and Eoin Lonergan, and strength and conditioning coach, Jason Woods.
Dave McGrath from Arles-Killeen takes over as the new minor hurling manager. He takes over from John Larkin. He will be joined by Darren Strong as coach/selector, Mick O’Brien and Tom Minihan as selectors and Brian Ging in charge of strength and conditioning.
In a statement, Laois County Board said: “We extend our best wishes to all players, coaches, and support staff as they begin preparations for the year ahead.”
