Will it be third time lucky for Aidan Corby and the Laois hurlers in the Joe McDonagh Cup?

​​The Joe McDonagh Cup campaign begins this weekend for the Laois senior hurlers, who make the trip to Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening for a Round 1 meeting with Carlow.

It has been a case of near misses for Laois in recent seasons, having reached the final in each of the last two years, only to fall short against Offaly in 2024 and Kildare in 2025.

Clough/Ballacolla’s Aidan Corby has been central to their efforts, and he gave an insight into how preparations have gone since Laois secured the Division 2 title with victory over Kerry on March 28.

“They're going grand, so they are in fairness, everything's kind of going to plan. The evenings are a bit brighter now as well, so lads will be looking forward to going training that bit more. Looking forward to the championship now. Hopefully, get off to a fast start because you need one, the way the fixtures are lined out,” he said.

A demanding run of fixtures awaits Laois, with Carlow, Antrim and Westmeath making up their opening three games. With such a tight schedule, Corby emphasised the value of hitting the ground running.

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“Exactly, you don't really have any time to be waiting around, you need a quick start. A win in the first three games has you, not there, but you've pretty much one foot in the final. That's kind of our plan, but it's Carlow's first game, and that's what our main aim really is. You don't want to be losing that and then be on the back foot. The main aim is to get a win over Carlow and work from that,” Corby said.

Last year’s dramatic encounter with Carlow is still fresh in the memory, when Laois needed a late goal to book their place in the final. Corby is hoping for a less nerve-wracking outcome this time around.

“Oh, Jesus, no, couldn't have left it any tighter in fairness. It's the first game now. I know they'll be mad to get one over us after last year, especially because it’s down in Carlow again, so it's going to be a fair old dog fight,” he added.

Laois come into the competition on the back of an impressive league run, winning all seven of their Division 2 games to claim the title. However, Corby admits it remains to be seen how that form will translate into championship hurling.

“It's kind of hard to know really. If you win the first game, you say it's great, and if you lose it, you could say you weren't playing good enough opposition. It's hard to say if it's either good or bad. I think everyone on the panel got game time over the league. In other years, that wouldn't really happen if it was a bit more competitive. There are ups and downs to both. It's hard to say either way if Division 2 would make much of a difference coming into the run of the championship,” he added.

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Their most recent outing saw them overcome Kerry comfortably in the league final, with Corby highlighting that performance, particularly the opening half, as a benchmark.

“We were delighted with the final anyway. That was definitely our best performance, especially in the first half. It dipped a bit in the second half, but we felt that the first half was the best team performance we had this year, anyway. I suppose it's perfect timing running into the championship,” Corby said.

Turning his attention to Saturday’s clash, Corby pointed to key areas where the game could be decided, particularly in dealing with Carlow’s attacking threats.

“They have savage ball winners. They have 3 or 4 lads up front that are top-class forwards. We’ll have to try and manage them. Ruck balls, I suppose and stuff like that is the main thing. We’ll have to try to stop their ball winners getting on to it, especially the 3 lads up front. They could probably make most county teams, they’re that good. If you can try and hold them, you have a good chance and you can see where it goes from there,” he said.

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Control around the middle third is another area Corby believes will be crucial, with modern games often hinging on that sector of the field.

“It's that middle third from the half-backs to the half-forwards, if you're on top in those positions, you have a fairly good chance of winning the game. That's where most of the ball is played really, between puck outs and whatever else. There's a big emphasis on that middle third. If you can get on top there, you do have a very good chance of winning the game,” the Clough/Ballacolla clubman commented.

There has also been a welcome boost for Laois with the return of Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher, who is back involved after a long-term ACL injury. Corby believes his presence will be invaluable, both on and off the pitch.

“Ah, sure, it’s class. Picky has been easily the best hurler in Laois, I'd say, I don't know for how long, since he came up senior nearly. The experience he has, especially on big days and stuff like that. He's an extra voice in the dressing room as well, which is massive because it's a young enough team, too. Having Picky there is a big boost, and a lot of the younger lads can learn from him as well. It's massive to have him back, I'm delighted he's there,” Corby concluded.

Laois will take on Carlow in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday, April 18, from 6pm. They’ll then play Antrim, Westmeath, Down and London in their other group games.