Laois GAA teams set for a busy week of action

This week will be one of the busiest weeks on the inter-county calendar as it sees no more than six Laois teams out in various codes. 

The Laois Senior footballers will begin their Leinster campaign this weekend as do the Minor football team on Wednesday evening. The U-20 and Minor hurling sides will play on Thursday and Friday respectively while the Laois U-20 footballers are in action this evening. Willie Maher's Laois Senior hurling team begin their quest to lift the Joe McDonagh Cup on Saturday.

First up, the Laois U-20 footballers will play Meath this evening in Laois Hire O'Moore Park with a Leinster semi-final the reward for the winners, the losers will in turn face into a quarter-final. 

Wednesday evening sees the beginning of the Minor Leinster Football Championship as the O'Moore County will face Longford at 7.30pm. The group is made up of fellow midlands sides as Offaly and Kildare join them in Group 1.

The Laois U-20 hurlers will be hoping to build on their first round win over Kildare with a clash against midland rivals Carlow on Thursday from 7.30pm in Laois Hire O'Moore Park. A win for Laois would cement a top two finish at least with Kerry to play next week.

Damien Carter's Minor side will end the Leinster group stages against Antrim in Abbottstown on Good Friday from 2pm. His side have yet to register a win with losses to Kilkenny and Galway in the first two rounds.

The Laois Senior hurling team take to O'Connor Park on Saturday afternoon to face Offaly in the first round of the Joe McDonagh Cup. The competition serves up as a second-tier All-Ireland Championship with the top two teams advancing to the final with the winner gaining a spot in next year's Leinster Championship as well as an All-Ireland Preliminary Quarter-Final against the third-placed Leinster and Munster Senior championship teams.

The weekend finishes up with Billy Sheehan's Laois footballers facing Wexford in the first round of the Leinster Championship. Laois have already beaten Wexford this year in Division 4 on a scoreline of 1-18 to 1-13. The game takes place in Laois Hire O'Moore Park this Sunday April 9 at 3.30pm. 

See a full list of the Laois GAA fixtures below: 

Tuesday April 4

Leinster U-20 FC Round 3

Laois Hire O’Moore Park 19:30 Laois v Meath

Wednesday April 5

Leinster MFC Round 1

Laois Hire O’Moore Park 19:30 Laois v Longford

Thursday April 6

Leinster U-20 HC Round 2

Laois Hire O’Moore Park 19:30 Laois v Carlow

Friday April 7

Leinster MHC Round 3

Abbottstown 14:00 Laois v Antrim

Saturday April 8

Joe McDonagh Cup Round 1

O’Connor Park 15:00 Laois v Offaly

Sunday April 9

Leinster SFC Round 1

Laois Hire O’Moore Park 15:30 Laois v Wexford