The 2023 Celtic Challenge hurling competition gets underway today with 38 teams from 30 counties taking part.
Laois begin their campaign at home to Kildare in the Centre of Excellence at 12pm.
They side are managed by Enda Walsh and will play Offaly on April 15 and then away to Cork City on April 22 in Group 4.
An U-17 developmental competition, the group format provides teams with the opportunity to play three games over the space of three weekends.
Quarter-Final pairings are performance based with counties playing up to six games in the competition.
As well as other U-17 players and U-16s, Laois are also allowed to field players from the minor panel who have not yet played a competitive game.
This competition was a great benefit to Laois last year as players like Eoghan Murphy and Mark Downey shone in it.
Their performances in the Celtic Challenge saw them promoted to the minor team where they starred in Laois’s run through the All-Ireland series.
Laois reached the Corn William Robinson Final last year where they were beaten by Wicklow Blue after a replay.
Ahead of this afternoon’s match, Laois have confirmed that Castletown’s Tommy Goode will captain the team.
Dion O’Connor Cuddy will act as vice-captain and will hope his experience from last year will be important.
Laois have also named their starting team and panel for the game:
LAOIS: Conor Maher (Portarlington); Shane Walsh (Portlaoise), Dion O’Connor Cuddy (Mountrath/Trumera), Cormac Dunne (The Harps); Aaron Mahon (The Harps), Hugh Whelan (The Harps), Evan McSpadden (Borris-Kilcotton); Tommy Goode (Castletown), Monty Balfe (St Paul’s); Ryan O’Connor (Castletown), Killian Breen (Castletown), Darragh Ryan (Rathdowney-Errill); Ashton Keenan (Camross), Oisin Moore (Rathdowney-Errill), David Brown (Portlaoise)
SUBS: Shane O’Sullivan (Portlaoise), Sean Duff (Ballyfin), Colm Brennan (Clough-Ballacolla), Sam Somers (Rosenallis), Ross Deegan (The Harps), Eoghain Coss (Borris-Kilcotton), Lachlan Curran (The Harps), Rio Lacumbre (Portlaoise), Callum Peters (Castletown)
Management Team
Manager – Enda Walsh
Goalkeeping Coach – Ger Cuddy
Performance Analyst – Enda Whelan, Peter Gray and Wayne Fox
Statistical Analyst – Keith Cullen
SEE ALSO – Hat-trick hero Duggan leads Laois minor hurlers to vital win over Antrim
