PROFILED: 16 clubs, one Laois GAA SFC title and three relegation places

The last-ever 16-team Laois GAA Senior Football Championship throws in on Wednesday, July 22, with Graiguecullen taking on Emo in Portlaoise and Killeshin facing Stradbally in Ratheniska.

See our profiles of all 16 senior clubs below

Portarlington

​Manager – Ronan Sweeney

Selectors - Johnny Doyle, Cathal Ryan & Bobby Doris

Captain – Patrick O Sullivan

New players – Conor and Sean Moran, Ben McCann, Lucas Coleman, Conor Maher, Jack Murphy, Odhran O Reilly and Sean Michael Ward

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Mikey and Diarmuid Bennett in America. Jake Foster in Australia. Sean Byrne injured.

Last year – Champions

Star player – Paddy O’Sullivan

Key players – Colm Murphy, Rioghan Murphy

Prospects – Portarlington are aiming to win a third SFC title in a row and a sixth in seven years. They'll begin this year's championship as favourites and also boast a stronger panel than in recent seasons. They were without a number of key players during the opening rounds of the last two championships but still went on to lift the title on both occasions.

Portlaoise

​Manager – Turlough O Brien

Selectors - Simon Rea, Mick Lillis, Teddy McCormack, Kieran Dunphy.

Captain – Not Selected

New players – Mark O Connor, Conor O'Callaghan

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Injuries: Benny Carroll, Ricky Maher, Ciaran McEvoy. Away: Kieran Lillis.

Last year – Quarter-finalists

Star player – Kieran Lillis

Key players – Kevin Swayne, Damon Larkin

Prospects – Kieran Lillis is likely to miss Portlaoise’s first-round game as he’s currently in Australia on holiday. They were shocked by Courtwood in the quarter-finals in 2025 and will want to end a now seven-year wait to get their hands on the Jack Delaney Cup, having won it 35 times previously.

​Killeshin

​Manager – Ryan Van Haeften

Selectors - Matt Kelly, Niall English, Jason Hughes, Tommy Scully, Paddy Padden

Captain – Evan Lowry

New players – Shane Webb

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Adam Deering (Australia), Darragh MacDonald (Canada), Eoin Lowry (USA), Shane Webb (injury), James Davis (Injury), Eoin Brennan (work), David Aston (work).

Last year – Quarter-finalists

Star player – Conor Heffernan

Key players – Killian Roche, Evan Lowry

Prospects – Killeshin have reached the quarter-finals in each of the last three years but were beaten by neighbours Graiguecullen on every occasion. With a lengthy absentee list this time around, they would gladly settle for another quarter-final appearance.

​Stradbally

​Manager – Padraig Clancy

Selectors - Billy Murphy and Colm Kelly

Captain – Eoin Buggie/ Colm Begley

New players – Joe Larkin and Sean Maher up from minor. They were with the Laois minors earlier in the year.

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Cathal Buggie did his ACL against Carlow for the Laois U-20 footballers.

Last year – Senior ‘B’ finalists

Star player – David Donohue

Key players – Liam Knowles, Benny Lawlor

Prospects – Padraig Clancy’s side have been in the SFC ‘B’ for the last three years. That’s somewhere they won’t want to be again this year as with that comes the threat of being one of the three teams to be relegated from the championship

Courtwood

​Manager – Mark Bates

Selectors - John Fenlon, Tom O’Connell, Ross Dunphy, Robert Flynn, Eddie Mulligan

Captain – Sean O’Flynn

New players – Tadgh Slattery, Sean O’Connell

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Niall Dunne- Injured, Eoghan Slattery - Injured, Nathan Little - Injured, Rory Doyle - Injured, Mick Doyle - Injured, Robert Flynn - Injured. Don’t expect anyone back in the short term.

Last year – Beaten Finalists

Star player – Alan Kinsella

Key players – Matthew Byron, Ryan Little, Sean O’Flynn

Prospects – Courtwood have quite a long injury list, but that didn’t stop them from winning their first-ever ACFL Division 1 title. First-time finalists in 2025, they’ll be in and around that stage again this year, you’d imagine

​O’Dempsey’s

Manager – Eoin Kearns

Selectors – Micheal Finlay and Aidan McLernon

Captain – Barry Kelly

New players – Callum Ryan, Ultan Dunne and Joe Lennon

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Mark Barry is in America. Stephen Lennon and Ryan Phelan will miss the rest of the year through injury.

Last year – Relegation semi-finalists

Star player – Mark Barry

Key players – Matthew Finlay, Fionn Holland

Prospects – Eoin Kearns is back in charge for 2026 and will be hoping his side can compete on the other side of the draw this year, having beaten Crettyard in a relegation semi-final last year. The loss of Mark Barry for the first few rounds will be a big blow.

​Rosenallis

​Manager – Neville Dunne

Selectors - Mark Samules, Brian Claffey

Captain – Paddy Keating

New players – Jack Hyland, Will Thompson, Daithi Peake

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Emigration - Shane Farrell.

Last year – Senior B semi-finalists

Star player – Charlie Friel

Key players – Jack Claffey, John O'Loughlin

Prospects – Rosenallis reached a Division 2 semi-final, losing out to eventual league champions and reigning county champions Portarlington. They face a tough opener against Ballyroan-Abbey in Round 1 on Friday evening.

​Clonaslee St Manman’s

​Manager – Glen McEvoy

Selectors – Conor Gorman, Manus Dunne, Cormac Dunne, Michael O’Brien

Captain – TBC

New players – Conor Thornton

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Jack Owens (out for the year); Cathal Lee returned injured from the county and maybe out for 6/7 weeks. Absentee: Tom Smith on a J1 in Chicago, may be back for closing stages of championship.

Last year – Relegation semi-finalists

Star player – Niall Corbet

Key players – Cathal Lee, Bob Downey

Prospects – Clonaslee St Manman’s have found themselves on the wrong side of the draw over the last three years. They survived a relegation final in 2023, reached the Senior ‘B’ final in 2024 and then last year beat Ballyfin in a relegation semi-final. That was after they had reached their first-ever SFC quarter-final in 2022 when Portlaoise beat them 0-15 to 0-9.

​Arles-Killeen

​Manager – Paddy Christie

Selectors - Jody Walsh, TJ Julian

Captain – Oisin Byrne

New players – Eoin Kelly and Daire Eyre are up from minor. Mick Wall back from long-term injury.

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – No retirements. No long-term injuries.

Last year – Quarter-finalists

Star player – Paul Kingston

Key players – Colin Dunne, Ennae Byrne

Prospects – Quarter-finalists in each of the last two years, Arles-Killeen have shown admirable consistency. Managed by former Dublin player Paddy Christie, their dangerous forward line is capable of beating any defence on its day.

​Park-Ratheniska

​Manager – Johnny Nevin

Selectors - Pat Brennan, Mark Butler, Colm Casey

Captain – Richie Hitchcock

New players - Matt Cunningham, Conor Headen

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Rian McEntee returned to Monaghan and James Connolly to Australia with work.

Last year – Intermediate champions

Star player – Cian Nolan

Key players – Simon Fingleton, Brian Dunne

Prospects – Park-Ratheniska are back in the SFC after two years in the Intermediate Championship. They face a tricky opener against Arles-Killeen in Round 1 on Saturday evening. With 3 teams being relegated, they could be under pressure to stay up in 2026.

The Heath

Manager – Donncha Phelan

Selectors - Michael Lenihan & JJ Kirby

Captain – Neil Keane

New players - Harry Browne, Denis Browne, James Doyle

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – PJ Daly & Dylan Kavanagh are in Australia. Denis Booth injured

Last year – Senior ‘B’ finalists

Star player – Paddy Fitzpatrick

Key players – Sean Kirby, Brian Ging

Prospects – For the second year in a row, The Heath have been drawn to face county champions Portarlington. The loss of both PJ Daly and Dylan Kavanagh will hurt them as both players brought pace to the team. They missed out narrowly on a place in the ACFL Division 2 final.

Ballyroan-Abbey

Manager – Martin Murphy

Selectors - Rody McEvoy, John Murphy, Brendan McWey and Michael Fitzpatrick

Captain – Conor Brennan

New players – None

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – None

Last year – Quarter-finalists

Star player – Diarmuid Whelan

Key players – Shaun Fitzpatrick, Davin McEvoy

Prospects – Martin Murphy’s side have been in the last 8 of the SFC in three of the last four years. That’ll be the minimum requirement again this year as they look to reach a first semi-final in five years.

Graiguecullen

Manager – Maurice Browne

Selectors - Michael Kehoe, Michael Hand, Patrick Scully

Captain – Mark Timmons

Vice Captain – Jamie Sheehan

New players – Josh, Jamie and Danny O Brien transferred from St Joseph’s

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – No long-term injuries. Panel pretty much the same as last year.

Last year – Semi-finalists

Star player – Brian Byrne

Key players – Trevor Collins, Dylan Murphy

Prospects – Graiguecullen have become one of the SFC's nearly teams in recent years. They have reached the semi-finals in each of the last three seasons but have been unable to take the final step. Their last County Final appearance came in 2020.

Emo

Manager – Greg Ramsbottom

Selectors - David Gorman, Conor Lawlor, Evin Keane

Captain – Pa Kirwan

Vice Captain – Sean Greene

New players – None

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Finbarr and Liam Crowley in London.

Last year – Senior ‘B’ champions

Star player – Pa Kirwan

Key players – Davy Costello, Pa Hosey

Prospects – Emo have finished their championship campaigns in the Senior 'B' section in each of the last two years. They will be hoping to avoid an exit from the SFC this time around. The last time they reached the quarter-finals was in 2023, where they lost to eventual champions St Joseph's.

St Joseph’s

Manager – Brian Cardiff

Selectors - Cian Reynolds, Enda Butler, Liam Stapleton

Captains – Brian Daly and Danny Hickey

New players – Bobby Rowan, Seán Rowan

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – Enda Butler retired and is now a selector.

Last year – Semi-finalists

Star player – Brian Daly

Key players – Darragh Farrell, Eoghan O’Flaherty

Prospects – Athy’s Brian Cardiff is the new man in charge for 2026. Joseph’s reached the semi-finals last year and lost out to first-time finalists Courtwood. The same team then beat them in the ACFL Division 1 final, with St Joseph’s looking to win a third Division 1 title in a row.

Crettyard

Manager – John Murphy

Selectors - Pa Brennan, Connor Kelly, Michael Jordan

Captain – Patrick O’Reilly

New players – Jack Doyle, Tiernan Patterson and Cormac Brennan (All up from minor last year)

Any retirements, long-term absentees through injury, emigration or other reasons – No players missing due to injury or retirement.

Last year – Relegation finalists

Star player – Evan O’Carroll

Key players – Ciaran Burke, Cormac Murphy

Prospects – Crettyard will have been delighted to retain their senior status for 2026 after defeating Ballyfin in last year's relegation final. What made that achievement even more impressive was that they did it without their talisman Evan O'Carroll, who had suffered an ACL injury in 2024 and only returned as a substitute in the relegation decider against Ballyfin. They face a daunting opening assignment on Thursday evening when they take on 2023 champions St Joseph's in Round 1.