Laois GAA confirm senior, U-20 and minor hurling managers for 2027
Tommy Fitzgerald, Derek Delaney and Brendan Phelan were all ratified at Monday night’s county board meeting
The Laois GAA hurling managers for the 2027 season were officially ratified at Monday evening’s county board meeting.
All three managers who guided the Laois hurling teams in 2026 will remain in their roles for 2027.
Tommy Fitzgerald will remain as Laois Senior Hurling manager for 2027, taking his current term to three years. Fitzgerald’s side enjoyed a superb 2026 campaign, winning the Joe McDonagh Cup after beating Carlow in the final, having lost the decider in each of the previous two years.
Laois also secured an immediate return to Division 1B of the National Hurling League, winning all seven of their Division 2 games. They will compete in Division 1B and the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in 2027.
The U-20 hurling manager will be another Portlaoise man in Derek Delaney, who is also returning for a third year in charge. Delaney guided Laois to a Leinster semi-final in 2025, where they were beaten by Kilkenny, while their 2026 campaign ended at the quarter-final stage against Wexford.
The final hurling management role to be filled was the Laois minor position, with The Harps’ Brendan Phelan remaining in charge for the 2027 season.
Laois won their opening three championship games against Kerry, Kildare and Antrim in 2026 to progress to the Tier 1 groups. However, they lost all three of their group games to Galway, Wexford and Westmeath, bringing their campaign to an end on May 2.
With all three appointments now confirmed, attention will turn to preparations for the 2027 inter-county season.