Jas is one of the most colourful characters in the club having a very distinguished career as a player, official and mentor. He won juvenile and minor titles in both codes and went on to star on senior teams from 1959 until ’64. He played corner forward in the county hurling final of 1960 in which Portlaoise lost by one point to Borris-in-Ossory and scored the only goal in the famous win of the senior football team of 1964, the club’s first title in the grade for 57 years.
He was has twice been chair of the club. First in the 80s when the club won numerous titles and was the top club in Leinster and again in the late 2010s. He had been vice-chairman since 1997, during the tenures of Peadar Molloy, Niall Kavanagh, Vinnie Dowling and John Hanniffy.
He has been a fundraiser supreme for the club over the decades and has been in charge of the successful annual golf classic fund-raiser with Phil O’Keeffe for many years.
Portlaoise GAA is fortunate to have in its ranks many inspirational figures over its long history. None more so that Fr. Matt Walsh, Life President of the club for thirty years until his unexpected death at his home at Lower Beladd on 30 October 1995.
Larry was a dedicated follower of Portlaoise teams all his long life as, indeed, were all his family. His father trained the town hurlers to win their first senior championship in 1928.
I sometimes get asked “when did you first get
involved in the GAA?” and I often respond that
“my grandfather captained Galway to win the
Football All-Ireland in 1938, so I think I got
involved in the GAA about thirty years before I
was born!”
Ⓒ 1887 - 2025 - Portlaoise GAA - C'MON THE TOWN
