Laois Ladies Aim to Turn Their Season Around

It’s the time of the year county players dream of playing all year – the championship. Laois Ladies haven’t had the easiest of runs to this first round championship game, losing each game in the Division One League, conceding a fixture last minute to Kerry and getting relegated to Division Two on April 12^th. They face a Westmeath team next Sunday at 1.30 in Cusack Park Mullingar who contested, and marginally lost, the Division Two semi-final against Donegal at the end of April.

The demise of ladies football in Laois, the onetime strong hold of ladies football, hasn’t been an easy pill to swallow for players, management and the county board.  However, since their relegation to Division Two, Laois Ladies have made some positive efforts to identify the problems within the county. Three separate forums were held and chaired by a neutral facilitator with players, club managers and chairpersons, and the county board.

These forums have resulted in former players Denise Langton and Mags Phelan stepping in to the management structure; supporting both players and management. New additions have joined the panel with familiar faces returning to the panel also. So how do this reformed Laois Ladies side feel ahead of their opening Leinster Championship fixture against an up and coming Westmeath side?

Speaking to the Leinster Express on Sunday afternoon, Laois Ladies manager Christy Dunphy admits the panel “are really looking forward to turning our season around with a good performance against Westmeath”. “We’ve had a number of new and old additions to the panel since our league campaign and these women have huge potential for, not just the game at hand but, the future of Laois football”. Speaking of the veteran players, manager Christy Dunphy adds “It’s their experience that have steadied the ship for Laois and will carry us on the day. The inclusion of Ellen Healy, Mo Nurney, Clodagh Dunne, Nicole Byrne, Maureen Young and Ciara Burke will also enhance our position”.

Laois Ladies captain Laura-Marie Maher is happy with the preparation. “We are aware Westmeath are a quality side and coming off the back of a strong league campaign but we’ve a new level of enthusiasm within the panel and we’re relishing the opportunity to play them in Cusack Park”.

Christy praises the recent forums “They have been crucial in showing the girls that we are serious about them and the future of ladies football in the county. The forums highlighted the changes that needed to be made and we are making those changes now. The club games in recent weeks and our inter-county practice games have been cracking encounters and very beneficial in our preparation for Westmeath”.

Chairperson Mary Wheatley is also looking forward to the Westmeath game. In reference to their league campaign Wheatley said “Everyone loses and it’s how you come back from those losses that define you. We’ve done a lot of preparation in the last two months and are confident going into this game. Our game is the curtain raiser for the mens game and I hope to see a strong Laois Ladies following in Cusack Park; it’s great to get a stadium for a game of this calibre”.