Paddy Critchley figured on Irish Worsted Mills teams and won championship medals with Kilminchy at minor level in the 1940s and Park seniors in the early 1950s. Prominently involved with Portlaoise juvenile teams and structures in the 1970s and was a mentor with successful Portlaoise hurling teams of the 1980s. His sons Pat, Michael, John and Declan all played with distinction with the club winning many honours. Pat won an All-Ireland club football medal, captained Laois in the Centenary Hurling final in 1984 against Cork and is Laois’ only hurling All-Star. Declan is very involved in coaching under age teams.
In the Summer of 1998 Portlaoise Senior Hurlers were in the midst of their preparations for a senior Hurling Championship game. Seamus “Cheddar” Plunkett was our manager then and, as the Players togged out in the dressing room, he was pacing the side of the main pitch waiting for a juvenile football match to finish so he could set out his cones and drills.
Johnny Lynch, of O’Moore Place, who rode to Mountmellick on a donkey to follow the Portlaoise hurlers in an epic game against great rivals, Clonad, played in Mountmellick.
By common consent John Taylor was one of the finest hurlers in the history of Portlaoise or Laois GAA. No question. He made the number 7 jersey his own and wore it with great distinction for the town for two decades, winning eight senior championships in the process
