Laura Bergin was club secretary in 1988 and ’89, the first and only lady holder of the position.
Laura had been assistant secretary to Bill Phelan in the previous two years.
Along with Kevin Farrell and Tom Bracken, she helped organise the club museum at Fr. Browne Avenue in 1987. She also organised numerous social activities raising badly-needed funds for the club.
If there was any one player who symbolised the never-say-die spirit that inspired Portlaoise to become one of the country’s top GAA Clubs in the 1960s and early ‘70s is has to be Pascal Delaney, know to friend and foe alike as “The Red Lad”.
I feel lucky to have witnessed “The Town” during the ‘60s, reborn in the ‘70s, through to an All-Ireland club title in football in 1983 right up to recent years and last year winning the ninth title in a row.
Player, selector, administrator and fund raiser. The Portlaoise great Jas O’Reilly.
