Clough-Ballacolla have gone internal and will have two club legends on the line with their senior team for 2024.
Willie Hyland has been appointed as boss for the coming season and he will be assisted by fellow stalwart Mick McEvoy.
The management team also contains Durrow’s Aidan ‘Rox’ Keenan. A former League of Ireland player with Wexford Youths, he will also be a coach.
They succeed Thurles Sarsfields club man Garry Mernagh who spent one year in charge.
Hyland has six Bob O’Keeffe Cups under his belt. He was an integral part of the teams in 2009, 2011, 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
He played with Laois from 2006 to 2016 – and made his debut for his county while still a minor.
Mick McEvoy won five of those Laois championships as he didn’t play senior in 2022 and has operated on the second team for the last two years.
Clough-Ballacolla won three titles in a row from 2020 to 2022 under Declan Laffan and went mighty close to making it four this year.
They lost to Rathdowney-Errill in Round 1 but qualified from the group in second place following wins over The Harps and Rosenallis.
They were involved in an epic quarter final with Castletown that went to extra time.
Robbie Phelan was their hero as his goal in the 82nd minute saw them win by 2-25 to 2-24.
Clough-Ballacolla returned to O’Moore Park two weeks later for the semi final against Camross where there was even more drama.
Extra time wasn’t enough this time as the match went all the way to penalties where Camross won 2-1.
Camross went on to win the title but Hyland and co will be hoping to take it back in 2024.
