'Something has to change urgently in Laois GAA' 

'Laois are on the up' was the song that rang around the bowels of Croke Park before the Tailteann Cup semi-final match at GAA HQ .

Laois GAA was at rock bottom by the time the game ended.

Rarely has the end of a game in headquarters felt so eerie, sad and raw. Indeed, most of the game felt strange as did the circumstances of match.

Thunder, lightening, broken toilets, seagull invasion, a seating free for all and a crush were all portents of a freakish day.

It was just as surreal on the field. Every time Down ran down the field a goal looked likely. They ended up with eight but there could have been a lot more.

Laois players stood on the field as hundreds of seagulls flew around the stadium at the end of the game. It was almost like vultures circling a carcass.

Players were in shock. There were hugs from friends and family. There were tears. It was like a wake - not a good one.

Even the Down players were subdued afterwards - perhaps like mourners.

The Laois players left everything on the field. They played to the final whistle. They've trained all season and sacrificed a lot. They battled through two games in the Tailteann Cup to reach a semi-final. They didn't deserve a drubbing

There were no boos from the fans at the end but there was upset. Fans who know that their players are responsible for a bad result will give vent to that from the stands. They didn't on Sunday.

There was clearly a sense in Croke Park that their frustrations lay elsewhere and that something has to change urgently in Laois GAA. 

Nobody really needs reminding that Laois won Leinster in 2003. Two decades later the Laois footballers are playing Division 4 football. They are playing in the second-tier championship competition.

Laois smashed through a ceiling in 2003 to compete among the elites. What has happened in the 20 years since? 

The Laois hurling set up has shown signs of life in recent years with the Joe McDonagh Cup win and the victory over Dublin in 2019 the high points. But the optimism has evaporated since. The circumstances of Eddie Brennan's departure as manager still hang like a cloud. 

There is a Centre of Excellence at O'Moore Park but bricks and mortar does not make footballers and hurlers. A strategy was  completed in recent years but that's covered in dust.

Change starts firstly with vision, idealism, ambition, and even dreams. These must be combined with hard-nosed pragmatism about where things are at and what can be achieved.

This must be followed by planning for the short, medium and long-term aims. Money must be found and lots of it. 

Then, the boring part but perhaps the hardest part - implementation.

But before anything happens the question must be - is the existing structure of the County Board fit for purpose? Is a new model needed that is more agile, adaptable and dynamic?

Does it need to be a 21st-century operation that is open and transparent and engaged with the people of Laois be they GAA or otherwise?

As to who should be running the GAA in Laois that is a matter for Clubs to decide. If they are happy enough with the status quo - there are no grounds to complain or give out.

Maybe clubs have got to the point where they don't care about the Laois teams anymore. Maybe, they have enough to be doing to keep their own ships afloat. They might also not want their players playing for Laois.

But maybe there is a benefit for clubs if the county teams do well. Maybe more money would come to Laois GAA in sponsorship and otherwise, that could be filtered down to the clubs.

Maybe, the performance of their own players either playing for Laois or trying to make county would improve if Laois are doing well.

Maybe, if Laois are doing well they would get more members, more players, more volunteers to achieve their club aims.

Perhaps, Sunday, June 25 will mark the beginning of a new era for Gaelic Games in Laois. If it is to be that, then a lot has to change.

But, Laois GAA people have the future in their hands.