Home / Portlaoise People / R.P. Fennell
R. P. Fennell – a staunch Portlaoise GAA official and supporter in the early decades of the club.

R. P. Fennell – a staunch Portlaoise GAA official and supporter in the early decades of the club.

R.P. Fennell

Portlaoise has been blessed with having some really good administrators over the years. In the early years there was R.P. Fennell, a man whose family and connections were deeply rooted in the town and in the nationalist tradition.

He was at the heart of the GAA and Portlaoise GAA in particular from the very start, holding various key positions within the club and being an able spokesman for the club at higher board levels. He was a solicitor’s clerk before becoming Postmaster in Portlaoise, the first Catholic or Nationalist to hold the position.

All through his life his influence was ever present in the background if not always in the forefront in all things that concerned the town and the GAA. When the Laois footballers returned to a big celebratory homecoming after (losing) the All-Ireland Football Final of 1936, he was there to congratulate the team’s achievement at reaching the final and consolatory in their defeat by Mayo. He was present with the few remaining members of the last Laois side who had contested an All-Ireland Football Final – the Maryborough team of 1889. He had helped steer that famous team to the final even if injury had kept him out of the side.

He was an able administrator, a far-seeing individual, a fine all-round athlete, a formidable protagonist in the board room and a man universally respected for his wisdom and loyalty. His kin remained closely associated with the club and even today there are strong family connections with the club.

Other Profiles

Mathew Keegan

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

Read more

Pat Critchley

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

Read more

Colm Browne

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

Read more

Tom Bergin

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

Read more

Aisling Saunders

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

Read more

Alfie Lewis

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

Read more

Mick Mulhall

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

Read more

Brian Stack

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

Read more

Tommy Conroy

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

Read more

Cyril Duggan

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

Read more

Jimmy Doyle

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

Read more

Jim Gaynor

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

Read more

Paddy Bracken

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

Read more

Peter Fennell

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

Read more

Cahir Healy

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

Read more

Paddy Critchley

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

Read more

Jimmy Harding

Jimmy Harding was one of the clubs leading dual players.

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

Read more

Jimmy Bergin

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

Read more

Paudge Dowling

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

Read more

Fr Matt Walsh

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

Read more

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

Read more

Rocky Scully

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

He was a fine hurler who won underage county

Read more

Joe Phelan

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

Read more

John Taylor

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

Read more

Niall Rigney

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

Read more

Paddy Campion

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

Read more

Johnny Lynch

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

Read more

R.P. Fennell

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

Read more