There shouldn’t be much of a problem in motivating Laois for the first round of this year’s provincial football championship

LAOIS football manager Justin McNulty shouldn’t have much of an issue in motivating his team for their first round of the 2026 Leinster senior football championship.

When the championship draw took place on Friday evening the gaps were audible when Laois were paired with neighbours, Offaly.

The game will probably be played in O’Connor Park in Tullamore as the two counties have had a home and away arrangement for many years.

The last time the pair met was just two years ago when Offaly game Laois a bit of a hammering in O’Moore Park.

Victory over the Faithful will see them progress to the quarter-finals where another local derby faces them when take on Kildare.

In the other two first round games are also local derbies with Carlow facing Wicklow and Westmeath taking on Longford.

In the other quarter-finals the reigning Leinster champions, Louth will play Wexford while the winners of Carlow-Wicklow will play Dublin and Meath will provide the opposition for the winners of Westmeath-Longford.

Laois and McNulty will be hoping to go at least one better that they did this when losing out to Louth in the provincial quarter-finals and subsequently exited the Tailteann Cup at the hands of Westmeath in the preliminary quarter-final.

DRAW Round 1 • Carlow v Wicklow • Westmeath v Longford • Offaly v Laois Quarter-finals • Offaly/Laois v Kildare • Meath v Westmeath/Longford • Louth v Wexford • Dublin v Carlow/Wicklow