Portlaoise GAA Club

Portlaoise People

Formed in 1887 Portlaoise GAA Club has a long, rich and varied history. Many great people have been woven into this history and below are some of their stories. 

Sources for these stories come from club members past and present as well as from the invaluable books about the club including Peter O’Neill’s book Portlaoise G.A.A. ‘One moment in time’ – A Pictorial Collection of “The Town” 1887 – 2013,Teddy Fennelly and Brian Delaney’s Portlaoise G.A.A. 1887-2016 C’Mon The Town, and Pat Critchley’s 2008 book “Hungry Hill” and our own monthly newsletter “Town Tattler

Over time the club will be adding more of these important historical items to the site.

Mathew Keegan

Mathew came through the ranks as a duel player winning underage football and hurling titles for the “Town”.

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Pat Critchley

Pat or Zoom as he is affectionately known is an icon in Portlaoise and Laois Hurling. He holds 14 Senior

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Colm Browne

Colm Browne has achieved almost everything a Gaelic player could wish for. At Club level Colm has won ten Laois

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Tom Bergin

On the 13th August 1999 the club lost another valued member with the death of Tom Bergin.
Tom who

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Aisling Saunders

Aisling Saunders has come up through the underage ranks of Portlaoise Ladies Gaelic Football to become the co captain of

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Alfie Lewis

Alfie Lewis was a larger than life figure within Portlaoise GAA. He came to prominence as a minor of exceptional

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Mick Mulhall

Mick Mulhall was one of the greatest goalkeepers ever produced by Laois, with whom he played for over a decade.

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Brian Stack

Brian Stack was an active member and great supporter of Portlaoise GAA club all his life. He played football and

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Tommy Conroy

Tommy Conroy has been a stalwart of Portlaoise GAA throughout his life. He played senior football for the town for

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Cyril Duggan

Cyril Duggan is without doubt one of the finest dual players the club has ever produced. Speak to anyone who

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Jimmy Doyle

Jimmy Doyle was one of the giants of hurling. Born and reared within the shadow of hurling’s great amphitheatre, Semple

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Jim Gaynor

Jim Gaynor has been a great worker for the club over many years. He was a mentor with numerous successful

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Paddy Bracken

Paddy Bracken was one of those Portlaoise footballers who
blazed the trail for the club in the 1950s when

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Peter Fennell

I feel lucky to have witnessed “The Town” during the ‘60s, reborn in the ‘70s, through to an All-Ireland club

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Cahir Healy

Cahir Healy is one of the finest dual players the club and county has ever produced. Known for his skill,

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Paddy Critchley

Paddy Critchley figured on Irish Worsted Mills teams and won championship
medals with Kilminchy at minor level in the

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Jimmy Harding

Jimmy Harding was one of the clubs leading dual players.

He won football championships in 1976, 79, 81 and 82

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Jimmy Bergin

Jimmy Bergin was a star of the 1970s and ‘80s and won numerous senior football titles with the “Town”.

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Paudge Dowling

Paudge Dowling made a unique contribution to the club during his long tenure in the 1970s and ‘80s as chairman

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Fr Matt Walsh

Portlaoise GAA is fortunate to have in its ranks many inspirational figures over its long history. None more so that

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Pascal Delaney

If there was any one player who symbolised the never-say-die spirit that inspired Portlaoise to become one of the country’s

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Rocky Scully

Rocky Scully was a prominent player and official over the years.

He was a fine hurler who won underage county

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Joe Phelan

Joe Phelan was one of the finest hurling players of his generation. He was a fine dual player for the

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John Taylor

By common consent John Taylor was one of the finest hurlers in the history of Portlaoise or Laois GAA. No

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Niall Rigney

Hailing from an immensely talented sporting family Niall has represented Ireland, Leinster, Laois and Portlaoise.

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Paddy Campion

Paddy Campion became the club’s first Honorary President in 1943, the year Portlaoise won its second senior hurling title.

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Johnny Lynch

Johnny Lynch, of O’Moore Place, who rode to Mountmellick on a donkey to follow the Portlaoise hurlers in an epic

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R.P. Fennell

Portlaoise has been blessed with having some really good administrators over the years.
In the early years there was

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