Laois legends recall All -Ireland win: 'we were called the bridesmaids, never the brides!'
WATCH as Laois LGFA stars recall Croke Park victory over Mayo
Laois Gaelic footballers Angela Casey and Mary Kirwan have looked back with joy and pride on a historic All-Ireland win in 2001 in a special video made ahead of the 2026 LGFA All-Ireland Finals Day, where the Laois team will be honoured for their success. MORE BELOW POST.
Angela, who was captain on the day, recalled how Laois had lost four finals in a row before facing a star-studded Mayo team that featured Cora Staunton in the 2001 decider.
“We were called the bridesmaids but never the brides and finally in 2001, we won,” said Angela.
But Mary said Laois always had a strong football tradition and were building during the years of defeat.
The final itself ended dramatically with Laois scoring a free in the final seconds of a game that the RTÉ commentator Marty Morrissey described “as one of the finest” ever seen in Croke Park.
Angela praised the work of the late Sean ‘Goggie’ Whelan as team manager, noting his huge passion for Laois but also that he ‘meant business’ when he took the reins as coach.
While the ex-players knew they were a team to be reckoned with under Goggie’s leadership, Mary said Laois were seen as ‘underdogs’ which she admitted suited them.
While they made a day trip to Croke Park on the Friday before the match to see the pitch, unlike modern teams they didn’t stay in Dublin before the game but slept well in their own beds in Laois the night before. Angela recalls how the team went to Mass on Saturday night.
As for the day of the game they made a pit stop in the Poitin Stil, where the team enjoyed an Irish breakfast.
Angela remembers playing as a childhood dream come true to play in Croke Park. “All I could see was blue and white, it was brilliant, a great feeling,” she said.
Mary remembers her shock at playing full-forward but also recalls how everyone showed up on the day in a ‘tit for tat’ game.
Angela looked back on the penalty scored by Mary as ‘a massive’ moment in the game that she wasn’t able to watch.
“I just got down on my hunkers and closed my eyes,” she admitted.
The final score that sealed victory from a free brought “pure relief and joy - just elation”, said Mary.