Laois LGFA stars eye silverware at college finals weekend in Belfast

This weekend, some of Laois’ top Ladies Gaelic footballers will take centre stage in Belfast as they represent their colleges in the prestigious AIG HEC O’Connor Cup Weekend at the Dub Arena, Queens.

With players competing across the O’Connor, Giles, and Lynch Cups, Laois football is well-represented at all levels. The semi-finals of the competitions take place on Friday, March 14.

The top-tier O’Connor Cup sees Laois talent competing at the highest level. Emily Lacey (St Joseph’s) will be a key figure for UCC as they take on University of Galway for a place in the final.

Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan) and her DCU teammates face a tough battle against UU Jordanstown as they bid to continue their remarkable run. DCU, captained by Meath star Emma Duggan, are chasing three-in-a-row and recently claimed a fourth consecutive Division 1 league title after beating UCC in the final.

DCU’s strength is evident, with players like Offaly’s Kate Kenny, Kildare’s Laoise Lenehan, and Meath’s Robyn Murray among their ranks. UCC, meanwhile, will look to the likes of Aoife Healy (Cork), Brid McMaugh (Waterford), and Tipperary’s Emma Morrissey to push them over the line.

The Giles Cup semi-finals will see an all-Laois clash as Ciara Crowley (Portlaoise) and UCD take on DCU2, where Aishling Fitzpatrick (The Heath) and Kelly O’Neil (Graiguecullen) will be looking to cause an upset.

Meanwhile, Katie Donoghue (Timahoe) will be in action for Mary I as they take on Maynooth University, where Aoibhe Byron (St Conleth’s) will be aiming to help her side book a place in the final.

Aoife Cummins (St Conleth’s) will line out for MTU Cork in the Lynch Cup semi-final against DKIT. A win would see her team face either UU Magee or UCD’s second team in Saturday’s final.

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The finals of all three competitions take place on Saturday, March 15, with the O’Connor Cup final set to be streamed live on TG4. AIG’s sponsorship of the event has helped ensure all games will be available to watch online, allowing fans to follow the action from wherever they are.

With Laois players involved in multiple teams across different grades, there’s plenty of local interest in how the weekend unfolds. By Saturday evening, some of them could be celebrating national college titles.