Dunne delivers as Laois hurlers crowned Joe McDonagh Cup champions
Cillian Dunne was man of the match with 1-6
Laois are the 2026 Joe McDonagh Cup champions after a superb second half saw them past Carlow in Saturday afternoon’s final in Croke Park.
Cillian Dunne finished the game with 1-6 on his Croke Park debut, while Picky Maher racked up nine points by the end of the contest.
There was no time wasted in getting the first score in this year’s Joe McDonagh Cup final as Marty Kavanagh opened the scoring inside the first 10 seconds. Laois replied immediately down the other end as Picky Maher scored after 30 seconds. Then disaster struck for Laois as a shot from Carlow looked to be dropping into Eoin Reilly’s possession. However, the Abbeyleix clubman batted the ball to the ground and there was James Doyle to strike the ball first time along the ground and into the back of the Laois net.
To be fair to Laois, they recovered well from the goal and scored the next five points as Carlow went 18 minutes without registering a score. Mossy Keyes got the first of those before Picky pointed his first free. Aaron Dunphy pointed a superb score under the Cusack Stand to level the sides. Laois went ahead soon after as Cillian Dunne and Martin Phelan split the posts,
Carlow’s second point of the game came from a Kavanagh free before Chris Nolan somehow missed the target after James Doyle had made a great catch. Picky kept Laois two points ahead with another free, 0-7 to 1-2 after 23 minutes. Laois full-back Podge Delaney made a great block to deny Donagh Murphy with Kavanagh putting the resulting 65 over the bar.
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Dunne and Picky (free) added points for Laois, while Kavanagh got his second from play for Carlow. Laois went three points up when Picky Maher scored two points on the trot. Fiachra Fitzpatrick and Evan Kealy replied with scores for Laois, but the O’Moore County stayed ahead.
Dunphy and Kavanagh traded scores, but Laois finished the half with two points unanswered to take a three-point lead into the dressing rooms. Dunne and Ben Conroy scored as Laois ended the half with all six forwards having scored. Laois led 0-13 to 1-7 at the break. Carlow ended the half with 11 wides to Laois’ seven, but it was still all to play for.
Jack Treacy got the first point of the second half before Picky Maher tapped over two frees. Treacy added another before a Kavanagh free out the deficit to two points.
Laois kept scoring down the other end as Picky (free) and a great score from Fiachra C Fennell kept Laois ahead. The next four scores were swapped as Chris Nolan and Fiachra Fitzpatrick raised white flags for Carlow, while Aaron Dunphy and Picky Maher scored for Laois.
It was back to two points again when James Doyle and Donagh Murphy both split the posts. Then came the big moment for Laois as Cillian Dunne ran on to a breaking ball and smashed the ball past Brian Tracey.
Treacy got a point in reply for Carlow before Jack Kelly sprang off the bench to push Laois five points ahead with 10 minutes to play. Carlow were poor in front of the posts and had racked up 19 wides to Laois’ nine after 60 minutes.
Laois’ lead was back to three as Kevin McDonald and Kavanagh pointed a free each. Laois captain David Dooley and Carlow’s Chris Nolan both scored a point each before Laois finished with a flurry of scores to win by nine points in the end.
Kelly added two more points from the bench, while Cillian Dunne finished the game with an astonishing 1-6. James Keyes also scored as Laois climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the Joe McDonagh Cup and secure promotion to the Leinster SHC.
FINAL SCORE
LAOIS 1-27
CARLOW 1-18
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SCORERS- Laois: Picky Maher 0-9 (0-6 frees), Cillian Dunne 1-6, Aaron Dunphy and Jack Kelly 0-3 each, Ben Conroy, David Dooley, Mossy Keyes, Fiachra C Fennell, James Keyes and Martin Phelan 0-1 each. Carlow: Marty Kavanagh 0-7 (0-4 frees, 0-1 65), James Doyle 1-1, Jack Treacy 0-3, Fiachra Fitzpatrick and Chris Nolan 0-2, Donagh Murphy, Kevin McDonald (free) and Evan Kealy 0-1 each.
LAOIS: Eoin Reilly (Abbeyleix); Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill), Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla), Cody Comerford (The Harps); Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown); David Dooley (Rosenallis), Aidan Corby (Clough/Ballacolla); Martin Phelan (Castletown), Picky Maher (Clough/Ballacolla), Aaron Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton); Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom), Cillian Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla), Tomas Keyes (Camross). Subs: Mark Dowling (Camross) for Keyes (50 mins), Jack Kelly (Rathdowney-Errill) for Conroy (54 mins), Fionan Mahony (Abbeyleix) for Corby (58 mins), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe) for Phelan (65 mins), Gearoid Lynch (Ballinakill) for Dunphy (69 mins).
CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Jack McCullagh; Jon Nolan, Kevin McDonald, Evan Kealy; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Ciaran Whelan; Conor Kehoe, Jack Treacy, Donagh Murphy; Martin Kavanagh, Chris Nolan, James Doyle. Subs: Paddy Boland for Kehoe (39 mins), Jake Nolan for Murphy (53 mins), John Michael Nolan for Whelan (62- 64 mins Blood), John Michael Nolan for Kealy (66 mins), Fiach O’Toole for J Treacy (72 mins).
Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford)