Portlaoise GAA set to commemorate championship-winning teams from 1984 and 2004

Portlaoise GAA are set celebrate two historic anniversaries at the club's upcoming Dinner Dance.

The Town famously captured the Senior and Minor championships in both hurling and football back in 1984. Remarkably, John Bohane, Pat Critchley and Joe Kennan were starters on both the hurling and football teams in 1984. 2024 also marks 20 years since the club won the Laois Senior Football and Senior Hurling championships with the football side going on to claim Leinster glory. It also marks 60 years since Portlaoise won their first title in 57 years back in 1964.

In 1984, both Senior sides had to come through replays in the final on their way to glory. The footballers defeated Ballyroan at the second attempt after the original fixture ended level, 1-6 to 0-9. That team contained many high-profile stars such as Tom Prendergast, Eamon Whelan and Colm Browne. All three Portlaoise players were all named in the Laois GAA Team of the Millennium while Browne won an All-Star with Laois in 1986.

The hurlers clashed with The Harps with the first game ending 1-8 to 2-5 before Portlaoise won by double scores in the replay, 2-14 to 1-7. The team consisted of many well-known figures such as Critchley, who went on to win a hurling All-Star in 1985, John Taylor and Seamus 'Cheddar' Plunkett, who has managed the Laois hurlers on two occasions.

2004 is also a hugely successful year for the club as the footballers got the better of Emo in the decider (0-15 to 0-6) while the hurlers defeated Castletown 2-8 to 0-7. Cahir Healy, Brian Mulligan, Brian McCormack and Tommy Fitzgerald all started on both sides with many others being apart of both panels. Aidan Fennelly and Tommy Fitzgerald are now both Senior managers with Portlaoise as Fennelly has taken over the footballers while Fitzgerald takes Portlaoise back into the Senior Championship having won the Premier-Intermedaite championship in 2023.

The Portlaoise footballers' journey continued outside of the county as they beat Offaly's Rhode in the quarter-final before beating Kilmacud Crokes in the semi-final. Meath's Skyrne were the opposition in the final with a 1-11 to 2-4 victory seeing Portlaoise win the Leinster Championship in St Conleth's Park in Newbridge. Colm 'Wooly' Parkinson went on to win Leinster Club Player of the Year having also won Laois Player of the Year in 2004.

Midlands Park Hotel will be the venue for the Dinner Dance on Sunday, February 4 as the club celebrates a fine year in 2023 as their ladies team won a league and championship double with their hurlers claiming the Premier-Intermediate championship to take their place in the Senior championship for this year. 

Music by the Luna Boys on the night with tickets priced at €50 with a Prosecco reception followed by three course meal.  Contact Catherine Fitzgerald  087 681 4018 Teresa O Reilly 087-6204432 Lorraine McCormack +353 (86) 398 8636 or Eamon Fennelly 087 614 0640 for tickets.