Laois LGFA's legendary 2001 champions to be honoured at Croke Park

The historic 2001 Laois LGFA team will be honoured at Croke Park during the TG4 All-Ireland Football Finals as the county marks the 25th anniversary of its famous All-Ireland triumph.

The team secured Laois' first, and to date only, Senior All-Ireland title on September 30, 2001, when 19-year-old captain Angela Casey lifted the Brendan Martin Cup following a dramatic 2-14 to 1-16 victory over Mayo. In a thrilling decider, Mary Kirwan's late free proved the difference as Laois denied Mayo a historic three-in-a-row and finally ended years of heartbreak on the biggest stage.

The success was especially significant given Laois had lost their previous seven Senior All-Ireland finals to the likes of Waterford, Kerry and Monaghan. Their long-awaited breakthrough was celebrated by a record crowd of more than 21,000 spectators at Croke Park. Goals from Kathleen O'Reilly and Mary Kirwan, from a penalty, helped secure one of the greatest days in the county's sporting history.

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The championship-winning panel featured a host of outstanding players including Claire Casey, Theresa Swayne, Sue Ramsbottom, Mary Kehoe, Aileen O'Loughlin, Angela Casey, Tracey Lawlor and the late Lulu Carroll, whose legacy lives on through the Laois Senior Ladies Championship trophy that bears her name. Mary Casey, another key member of the squad, missed the final through injury.

Twenty-five years after that memorable afternoon, the trailblazing Laois team will return to Croke Park this Sunday, August 2.