Laois footballers go in search of redemption in Tailteann Cup semi-final

It's almost a year to day since Laois played Down in the 2023 Tailteann Cup semi-finals. It's day that everyone involved with Laois would like to forget as Down fired eight goals past Laois in Croke Park under the management of Billy Sheehan.

This Sunday provides Laois with a shot at redemption as they go in search of reaching the Tailteann Cup decider on Saturday, June 13 with Justin McNulty now at the helm for Laois.

Antrim will be Laois' opponents on Sunday with The Saffrons having defeated Fermanagh, a side who defeated Laois in the group stages, in last week's quarter-finals. They also got the better of London in the preliminary quarter-finals. Under the guidance of Andy McEntee, they're also looking to right the wrongs from last year having been defeated in the other semi-final against eventual champions Meath. 

Sunday's appearance at Croke Park is Laois' second of 2024 having captured the Division 4 league title against Leitrim in March. Laois will be competing alongside Antrim in next year's Division 3 campaign so Sunday's game will give both sides a flavour of what's to come in 2025. Antrim won three of their seven games in Division 3 with the victories coming against Offaly and the two relegated sides, Wicklow and Limerick.

Antrim have named the following side for the game against Laois; Michael Byrne; Declan Lynch, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan; Niall Burns, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese; Patrick McAleer, Cathal Hynds; Colm McLarnon, Patrick McBride, Ruairi McCann; Ryan McQuillan, Ruairi McCann, Marc Jordan.

Laois' team for Sunday; Killian Roche (Killeshin); James Kelly (St Joseph’s), Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise), Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen); Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan), Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska); Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Mark Barry (O’Dempsey’s), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard), Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise); Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington), Niall Dunne (Courtwood), Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen)

The Laois team named for Sunday shows one change from the one that was named against Kildare with James Kelly giving the number 2 jersey instead of Dylan Kavanagh although you would expect that Ben Dempsey and Eoin Lowry to start the game even though they're named to start on the bench. Both players had been chosen among the substitutes last week alongside James Kelly but all three players came into the starting 15 before throw-in.

Ballyroan-Abbey's Aaron McEvoy has taken the place of Dylan Kavanagh on the Laois 26-man panel for Sunday's game. Kieran Lillis and Rioghan Murphy both came off the bench against Kildare having been named to start so Justin McNulty has a very strong squad at his disposal as they go in search of reaching the Tailteann Cup final on Saturday, July 13.

Tickets can be bought online here while tickets can be purchased in person via selected participating SuperValu stores; SuperValu Stradbally, Breslin’s SuperValu Rathdowney, McConville’s SuperValu Mountmellick, McLoughlin’s SuperValu Portarlington, Mulhall’s SuperValu Portlaoise, SuperValu Abbeyleix and SuperValu Parkside Portlaoise. The Leinster Express/ Laois Live will be providing a free live blog from Croke Park.

Laois v Antrim throws-in at 2pm on Sunday, June 23 with the game being shown live on RTÉ. Down and Sligo compete for a place in the final in the other semi-final.