"Some people nearly call us a cult" Oonagh Maher on Clough Ballacolla's Success

In Early October Clough Ballacolla achieved a historic three in a row when winning the Laois Senior Hurling championship. They were the first team since Castletown in the early 2000s to achieve that level of success. 

Their Chairperson Oonagh Maher feels the club is going through a particularly special period. Speaking to GAA.ie she outlined the reasoning for the success of the 11-time Laois Champions. 

“We are a club of 300 people, it is amazing what we do. Some people nearly call us a cult - that we all stay together. We don't venture too far from the village." Says Maher 

“The dedication of the players and management at different times to help out the lads, to put them where they needed to be. In fairness, we have a good committee too, and we have a good juvenile structure. I think the community has rallied around.

“All we have in our village is hurling, we have two pubs that were closed during Covid, and the shop is gone. There isn't a lot to do in the village except to hurl or play sport.” 

Oonagh went on to speak about the impact that manager Declan Laffan has had on the club 

“He understands what it means to us, the same as what it means to his own club. The players trust him and he trusts the players. He has been brilliant for us since he took over.”

Laffan revels in Clough-Ballacolla completing three in a row quest