PREVIEW: Third time lucky? Laois bid to end Joe McDonagh Cup final hoodoo against Carlow
The counties meet in Croke Park with Joe McDonagh Cup glory and promotion to the 2027 Leinster SHC on the line
The Laois senior hurlers will bid to end a six-year wait for Joe McDonagh Cup success when they take on Carlow in Saturday's final at Croke Park (throw-in 3.45pm).
It will be Laois' third successive appearance in the competition's showpiece event. Willie Maher's side fell short against Offaly in 2024 before Tommy Fitzgerald's men suffered heartbreak against Kildare in last year's decider.
Now Fitzgerald has the opportunity to lead Laois back to the winner's enclosure in a competition where he previously enjoyed success as a selector under Eddie Brennan when Laois lifted the trophy in 2019.
Standing in their way are familiar rivals Carlow, who know exactly what it takes to win this competition, having claimed the title as recently as 2023 when they defeated Offaly after extra-time.
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Meetings between the counties have regularly produced drama and there is little to suggest Saturday's encounter will be any different.
The sides have already met twice this year. Laois came out on top in the Walsh Cup Shield, winning 3-14 to 2-12 in Stradbally, but Carlow gained revenge in the opening round of the Joe McDonagh Cup on April 18.
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Goals proved decisive that evening as Carlow ran out convincing 4-17 to 1-17 winners, handing Laois a nine-point defeat. However, the scoreline perhaps doesn't tell the full story of a rivalry that has become one of the most competitive in the second tier of hurling.
In 2025, the counties drew in a dramatic encounter that ultimately helped Laois reach the final. A late Laois goal denied Carlow victory and secured the O'Moore County's place in the decider.
A year earlier, Carlow snatched a draw with a last-gasp penalty. That point ultimately proved crucial as Carlow went on to reach and win the final while Laois missed out on a place in the showpiece.
The counties also met in the 2024 Allianz Hurling League Division 2A final, with Laois producing one of their best displays of recent years to record a comprehensive 2-22 to 1-12 victory in Netwatch Cullen Park.
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With so much recent history between the teams, Saturday's final promises to be another tightly-contested affair. While Carlow's first-round championship win may give them confidence, Laois have shown throughout Fitzgerald's tenure that they are capable of matching any side in the competition.
The stakes could hardly be higher. Along with lifting silverware, the winners will secure a place in the 2027 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.
For Laois, it would mark a return to the provincial elite for the first time since their relegation in 2022 and would represent a significant step forward for a squad that has come agonisingly close in each of the last two seasons.
Expect a fierce battle, expect momentum swings and expect very little between the sides. If recent meetings are anything to go by, no more than a couple of scores will separate them when the final whistle sounds in Croke Park.
The Leinster Express/Laois Live live blog will be running from 2pm on Saturday with full build-up, team news and score-by-score coverage from GAA headquarters.