'This year we're going to do it'- Laois Camogie’s Pat Collier ahead of second successive All-Ireland final

Laois Camogie are back where they desperately wanted to be, preparing for another shot at All-Ireland glory.

One year on from a gut-wrenching one-point loss to Tipperary in the Premier Junior final, the team has clawed its way back to the same stage and will take on Armagh this Sunday, August 10.

For joint-manager Pat Collier, the scars of 2024 never truly faded, but they’ve been a constant motivator during the 2025 campaign. Speaking at a recent Meet and Greet event held in Clonad GAA, he reflected on the emotional aftermath of last year’s final and the uphill climb that followed in building a new squad.

“We're absolutely thrilled to be back and when we went back down the tunnel after being interviewed last year, we stopped at the dressing room wall because there was a good speech inside by some of our senior players and tears and you know yourself. It was really refreshing for me and Rob to hear, even though we were heartbroken. The girls inside were saying that they’re going to come back next year to try and give this one more go.

“People think we have 17 or 18 clubs to pick from, but we have eight. Last year, we had a panel of 31, 16 or 17 came back due to college, work, travelling, all that, that's part of sport. That's huge for Laois and we had to find another 15 girls, which took a lot of doing, a lot of work for Rob and me behind the scenes and those girls have driven the other girls on.

“As far as learning from last year, for me, Laois were the better team, but we just missed clinical scores at an important time. This year, we’ve been working on that the whole time in training about the finishing and I think we've improved. We've scored a lot of goals this year, I believe if we can get two or three in the final, we'll take some beating,” he said.

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Given how much the panel has changed since last year, it’s remarkable how seamlessly the new players have settled. With several teenagers likely to feature from the start on Sunday, Collier praised their maturity and development over the course of the season.

“For me and Rob as managers, that's the biggest thing this year. Three or four of those young girls will probably start in this final, most of them came out of minor last year so like it's a huge step up to get into an All-Ireland final and play but they've played all year, they've learned their trade through the league, we've played good practice matches over the last month and like they'll be ready to rock and roll, they won’t let us down,” Collier said.

It’s a belief that’s rooted in a bigger vision shared by Collier and fellow manager Robert Jones since day one. When the opportunity came to take over the team, the pair were convinced that Laois were punching below their weight at Junior level and they set out to change that.

“When Paddy (Dwyer) contacted me about this job and I went to Rob. Once Rob was happy to come with me, the one thing that we said when we sat down was that this team is hurling below where we believed that Laois Camogie should be. We had a club team last year that almost got to an All-Ireland final at intermediate level. There are nine of that team playing for Kerry next Sunday in the Intermediate final. There is no reason that this team can't take that step up. I always believed when I was playing myself that you definitely have to lose one to win one.

“This is a very young team average age of maybe 21. The girls who are coming in the next two or three years are going to strengthen this team again, so I do believe that they're good enough to be Intermediate, but you've still got to go out and take that step up.

“That day against Carlow, we didn't play to our potential. We didn’t have our full team; we were missing maybe four that day, that's a lot for Laois with small numbers. Since then, we've improved, especially up front. It’s up front where we need to get more clinical.

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“Our back line for the last year and a half, they're just a class outfit. They're tough, they're hardy and they're not afraid to put in their heads. That's the way we play the game and that's the way we train our backs. You've got to be vicious, but up front, you need to hurl with your head, get your head up, find a girl in a better place and punish when you get a chance to punish. This year in Croke Park, we will punish. That's a cert,” he explained.

A huge part of that transformation has come off the field, too. Collier revealed that one of the most crucial changes has been a shift in power, from clubs to county, in terms of player management. He believes it has laid the foundation for Laois Camogie’s progress.

“When Rob and I decided, after a month of talking, to take this job, the first man we sat down with was Paddy. People don't realise that in Laois Camogie, the clubs ruled the roost and that's always the way it's been. I'm involved with Laois Camogie for over 10 years, Rob was too with the minors, but the clubs ruled the roost. County players were training with their clubs during the week, so when Rob and I came in, there was one thing we requested. We wanted the county board and us as the managers to rule the roost on when players train with their clubs or when we release them to their club.

“I believe that's a huge factor, so that's thanks to Paddy and Robert and me and our county board for backing us up on this. That has turned Laois Camogie inside out. Irrelevant of who takes up this job next year, the year after, that rule must stay. It's in every county, I've done my homework; Tipperary, Kilkenny, Cork, they're the rules. I said to Paddy, if you don't row in with us, we won't be here for a month, but Paddy did and his committee did, even though the clubs might not have been that happy, but now they see the fruition. We're in our second All-Ireland final in 12 months, and this year we're going to do it,” Collier stated.

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As the countdown to Croke Park enters its final stretch, Collier is hopeful that good fortune on the injury front continues right through to Sunday.

“Liadan C-Fennell had a broken hand there for six weeks and she's back for the last three weeks. She has played two matches and she was our captain last year. She's a huge cog in this wheel, so it's great to have her back. We need her firing on all cylinders like everybody else, but she was the only injury worry that we had. We were just speaking last night that we’re after being blessed with injuries and I just hope it continues that we get through without any major injuries, so, look hopefully onwards and upwards,” he ended.

Laois v Armagh will throw-in at 1pm on Sunday, August 10 in Croke Park.