Laois senior hurling team named ahead of Joe McDonagh Cup opener against Carlow

Laois senior hurling manager Tommy Fitzgerald has named his starting 15 for Saturday evening's Joe McDonagh Cup clash against Carlow in Netwatch Cullen Park.

There are three changes from the team that were crowned Division 2 champions against Kerry in Portlaoise three weeks ago. Clough/Ballacolla's Diarmaid Conway replaces The Harps' Cody Comerford, Slieve Bloom's Ben Conroy takes the place of James Keyes, and Castletown's Martin Phelan wears 14 and will start instead of Cillian Dunne.

Picky Maher has recovered from his slight injury issue to be named on the bench. Should he come on, it'll be his first championship appearance since Laois' preliminary quarter-final loss to Wexford in 2024.

LAOIS: Cathal Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla); Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill), Lee Cleere (Clough/Ballacolla), Diarmaid Conway (Clough/Ballacolla); Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis); David Dooley (Rosenallis), Aidan Corby (Clough/Ballacolla); Aaron Dunphy (Clough/Ballacolla), Jack Kelly (Rathdowney/Errill), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown); Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom), Martin Phelan (Castletown), Tomas Keyes (Camross).

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SUBS: Eoin Reilly (Abbeyleix), Padraic Dunne (The Harps), Jordan Walshe (Clough/Ballacolla), Eoin Gaughan (Camross), Fionan Mahony (Abbeyleix), Gearoid Lynch (Ballinakill), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe), Cillian Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla), Stephen Maher (Clough/Ballacolla), Mark Dowling (Camross), Cormac Byrne (Abbeyleix).

The game throws-in at 6pm on Saturday, April 18. You can follow all the action live from 5.50pm on the Leinster Express/ Laois Live.