BREAKING: Laois Ladies confirm Intermediate manager for 2025 season
A familiar face has been given the role full-time
Ballyfin native Stephen Duff has been announced as the Laois Ladies Intermediate manager after his ratification by the Laois LGFA County Board.
Duff had been in an interim role after he took the place of Tom Devereux and Billy Kiernan in April of this year. He managed Laois in the Leinster and All-Ireland Senior Championships. Laois almost pulled off the great escape but a last-minute penalty from Kildare relegated Laois to the Intermediate grade. Laois were also relegated to Division 3 of the league and in 2024, they only managed to get a result in one game, a draw against Tyrone in the league.
Laois LGFA posted the news on their Facebook page,"Laois LGFA are delighted to announce the ratification of Stephen Duff as Laois Ladies Intermediate Manager by the County Board. His management will follow in due course. Best wishes to him in the coming year," the statement said.
Duff led DCU to a second successive O'Connor Cup at the beginning of 2024. He also managed the Portlaoise Ladies side from 2020 up until October 2023.
In his four seasons as manager, Duff took Portlaoise to three Senior Championships as well as three consecutive Division 1 league titles as it wasn't played in 2020. The Town also reached the Leinster final in 2020 where they lost out to the formidable Foxrock Cabinteely.
Duff also started a Junior team at the beginning of his tenure to promote the development of younger players in and in 2023, they won a Division 3 league title and lost out to Crettyard in the Junior County Final.
Remarkably, the Ballyfin native only lost three competitive fixtures in his time as Portlaoise boss. The Leinster final in 2020, the semi-final against Sarsfields in 2021 and in 2022, they were beaten in Leinster by Eadestown.