Down and Armagh representative confirmed for top Laois GAA job

Following a Laois GAA County Board meeting, Justin McNulty has been ratified as the new Laois Senior Football manager for 2024. McNulty joins Laois 10 years on since leaving his post where he was the manager for three years from 2010-2013. He comes into the post that was vacated by Billy Sheehan after Laois' heavy loss to Down in the Tailteann Cup semi-finals back in July.

McNulty, who's a member of the SDLP and a MLA for Newry and Armagh, will join Laois on a three-year contract. At this time, there has been no confirmation of his backroom team with a statement from Laois GAA saying that "Justin will work with the County Board and players' leadership groups to finalise the coaching team over the coming weeks".

The 2002 All-Ireland winner with Armagh had a successful campaign as Laois boss with the O'Moore County gaining promotion to Division 1 after defeating Donegal in the 2012 Division 2 Final. In that same year, Laois lost out to eventual All-Ireland champions Dublin while in 2013, Donegal reversed the result of the league final in Round 4 of the All-Ireland qualifiers. 

McNulty will join Laois with them sitting in Division 4 of the National League and set to play Offaly in the Leinster Football Championship. If Laois get the better of Offaly, they could potentially meet the All-Ireland champions Dublin the quarter-finals. Laois will also ply their trade in the Tailteann Cup unless they can somehow reach a Leinster final, something they haven't done since 2018 when John Sugrue was in charge.