Laois SHC champions Rathdowney-Errill have been handed a tough group after the championship draws were made in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel on Tuesday night.
They have been grouped with neighbours Kilcotton and The Harps in what looks the toughest of the four groups drawn.

The Harps were a big disappointment last year but they reached the semi-finals in the previous two campaigns and were also in last year’s league final. Kilcotton have been beaten in the last two quarter-finals and made life very difficult for Rathdowney for long stages in last year’s quarter-final.

Intermediate champions Colt have also been drawn in a tough group on their return to senior ranks. They’re in the only four team group and will meet Portlaoise, Tinnahinch and Castletown. Ballyfin Gaels (Ballyfin and Slieve Bloom) have also been handed a tough task as they’ll come up against Clough-Ballacolla and Ballinakill.

Camross, Mountrath and Abbeyleix make up the final group. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals and there’s a change in policy this year as the group winners will be drawn against the runners-up instead of the open draw that was used last year.

In the IHC, the relegated Clonad will meet Trumera in the group stages with Ballyfin, the other relegated side from last year, meeting The Harps and Rosenallis. Last year’s beaten finalists Borris-in-Ossory have been grouped with neighbours Camross and Mountmellick.

Further down the grades, Camross-Kyle and Clough-Ballacolla are on course to meet in the quarter-final of the U-21 HC in what would be a repeat of the corresponding minor final from three years ago that Ballacolla won.

In the MHC, there is the chance of a repeat of last year’s final because if champions Rathdowney-Errill get the better of Ballyfin-Castletown-Slieve Bloom in the opening round, then they’ll meet Camross-Kyle in the quarter-final.

The draws in full are:
Laois SHC
Group A – Portlaoise, Tinnahinch, Colt, Castletown
Group B – Clough-Ballacolla, Ballinakill, Ballyfin Gaels
Group C – Camross, Mountrath, Abbeyleix
Group D – Rathdowney-Errill, Kilcotton, The Harps

Round 1 on July 24; Round 2 on August 16; Round 3 on August 28; Quarter-finals on September 12; Semi-finals on September 26; Final on October 11
Open draw for quarter-finals – Group winners drawn against runners up – teams from same group cannot meet

Laois IHC
Group A – Clonad, Trumera, Clough-Ballacolla
Group B – Borris-in-Ossory, Camross, Mountmellick
Group C – Shanahoe, Clonaslee-St Manman’s, Rathdowney-Errill
Group D – Ballyfin, The Harps, Rosenallis

Round 1 on July 24; Round 2 on August 16; Round 3 on August 28; Quarter-finals on September 12; Semi-finals on September 26; Final on October 11

Open draw for quarter-finals – Group winners drawn against runners up – teams from same group cannot meet

Laois JHC ‘A’
Group A – Kilcotton, Rathdowney-Errill, Mountrath, Kyle
Group B – Timahoe, The Harps, Slieve Bloom
Group C – Borris-in-Ossory, Park-Ratheniska, Ballypickas
Group D – Castletown, Portlaoise, Camross

Round 1 on July 17; Round 2 on July 29/30; Round 3 on August 12/13
Open draw for quarter-finals – Group winners drawn against runners up – teams from same group cannot meet

Laois JHC ‘B’
Quarter-finals (July 1)
(1) Portlaoise V Ballylinan; (2) Clough-Ballacolla V Colt; (3) Camross V Abbeyleix;

Semi-finals (July
1 V Clonad; 2 V 3

Final on July 22

Laois JHC ‘C’
Round 1 (June 25)
(1) Park-Ratheniska V Kyle; (2) Mountrath V Ballypickas; (3) Ballylinan V Ballinakill; (4) Graiguecullen V Clonaslee-St Manman’s; (5) Camross V The Harps; (6) Shanahoe V Timahoe; (7) Rathdowney-Errill V Slieve Bloom;
Quarter-finals (July 2)
1 V Abbeyleix; 2 V 3; 4 V 5; 6 V 7; Semi-finals on July on July 9; Final – TBC

Laois U-21 HC
Round 1 (July 28)
(1) Clonad-Timahoe V Rathdowney-Errill; (2) Ballypickas-Abbeyleix V Clough-Ballacolla; (3) Borris-in-Ossory V Portlaoise

Quarter-finals (August 6)
1 V Mountrath; 2 V Camross-Kyle; 3 V Clough-Ballacolla; St Fintan’s Raheen V The Harps Gaels

Semi-final on September 5; Final - TBC

Laois MHC ‘A’
Round 1 (July 21)
(1) St Fintan’s Raheen V Tinnahinch; (2) Ballyfin-Castletown-Slieve Bloom V Rathdowney-Errill

Quarter-finals (July 29)
1 V Portlaoise; Abbeyleix-Ballypickas V Borris-in-Ossory/Kilcotton; 2 V Camross-Kyle; Clough-Ballacolla V The Harps Gaels

Semi-finals on August 7; Final – TBC

Laois MHC ‘B’
One group – Clonad Gaels, Mountmellick, Timahoe, Mountrath

Round 1 on July 21; Round 2 on July 29; Round 3 on August 7

Top two teams play in final
- Leinster Express

Please feel free to comment on the draws in our Fourm

Filed under: Laois Hurling, Laois Clubs, Laois SHC