REVEALED: The Laois GAA players set to represent their colleges in the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups

Fifteen Laois GAA players are set to represent their colleges this week as the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup competitions get underway.

Four footballers feature on Sigerson Cup panels: Killeshin’s Conor Heffernan (DCU), Portlaoise’s Ben Dempsey (UL), Emo’s Sean Greene and Annanough’s Jake Darcy (Maynooth).

Heffernan and Dempsey, both senior inter-county players, face a busy few weeks balancing the O’Byrne Cup, Sigerson Cup, and the return of the Allianz Football Leagues on Saturday, January 24. Heffernan will be aiming for a second Sigerson medal after helping DCU defeat UCD in last year’s final.

DCU travel to Ulster University, the side they beat in last year’s semi-final after extra-time, Maynooth face St Mary’s at Davitts GAC on Wednesday, January 7, at 1.30pm, and UL take on MTU Cork on the same day at 7.30pm.

Laois football manager Justin McNulty acknowledged the impact of college competitions.

"It does affect a number of our players, but it's the same for every kind of team in the country. Sigerson is an important competition, and we have to facilitate that. I think it's important that we do, because university football is a breeding ground for footballers. We support that, big time."

In the Fitzgibbon Cup, 11 hurlers from Laois will represent four colleges.

Maynooth: Mountmellick’s Jarlath Connolly, The Harps’ Bobby Murphy, Clough-Ballacolla’s Lochlainn Conway

UCD: Rathdowney-Errill’s Padraig Rafter, The Harps’ James Duggan, Abbeyleix’s Fionan Mahony

TUS Midwest: Abbeyleix’s Colin Byrne, Camross’ Eoghan Cuddy and James Cuddy

Garda College: Mountmellick’s Finn Lyons and Daniel Brennan (Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe)

Maynooth face UL in Group A on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm, with DCU the other team in the group. UCD travel to the University of Galway on Thursday at 7.30pm in Dangan. TUS Midwest and Garda College will begin their campaigns next week.

Laois hurling manager Tommy Fitzgerald echoed the challenge of juggling competitions.

"We've another game Thursday night, and we're just trying to see, I suppose, mix and match the panel.
Get game time in to fellas, and lads are playing Fitzgibbon as well, and we're mindful of that. So you're trying to, I suppose, get the schedules correct. But yeah, it's probably not ideal playing Thursday night again. Some players probably will have to play two games in four days. But we'll change the team up again on Thursday night. And as I said, it gives the lads more game time, more opportunities, and allows the lads to put their hand up before the first round of the league,” Fitzgerald said.

Full list of Laois players in Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups:

Sigerson Cup

Conor Heffernan (DCU)

Ben Dempsey (UL)

Sean Greene (Maynooth)

Jake Darcy (Maynooth)

Fitzgibbon Cup

Jarlath Connolly (Maynooth)

Bobby Murphy (Maynooth)

Lochlainn Conway (Maynooth)

Padraig Rafter (UCD)

James Duggan (UCD)

Fionan Mahony (UCD)

Colin Byrne (TUS Midwest)

Eoghan Cuddy (TUS Midwest)

James Cuddy (TUS Midwest)

Finn Lyons (Garda College)

Daniel Brennan (Garda College)

Inter-county action resumes this week, with the Laois hurlers hosting Carlow in the Walsh Shield on Thursday and the footballers facing the winners of Wexford or Carlow in the O’Byrne Shield semi-finals on Saturday.

READ NEXT: Laois GAA club looking to make big changes to club grounds