LAOIS duo Colm Parkinson and Darren Rooney played a telling role in Parnells 0-12 to 0-11 win over St Mark’s Tallaght in round three of the Dublin SFC in O’Toole Park last night.

KIERAN DONAGHY makes his first appearance for Kerry in this year’s championship as the Kingdom take on Longford in the All-Ireland qualifier at Pearse Park, on Saturday.

Mountmellick clubman Colm Coss has been named at full-forward in the Laois team to take on Down in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC second-round qualifier in Newry (throw-in 7.30pm).

RUMOURS of Laois’ demise would appear to be slightly premature it seems, despite the last 20 minutes in Donnycarney yesterday when Sean Dempsey’s side almost let an 11-point lead slip through their fingers.

Laois 1-15 Louth 1-11

CORK captain Graham Canty has been passed fit to play for Cork and resumes his centre-back position for Sunday’s NFL showdown with Fermanagh at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Down manager Ross Carr has kept faith with the team that started last weekend's win over Offaly, although he has made a number of positional switches for tomorrow's SFC All-Ireland qualifier trip to O'Moore Park in Laois (throw-in 7pm).

Laois manager Liam Kearns has been forced to make two changes to his side for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC third round qualifier against Derry (Breffni Park, throw-in 7pm), after key defender Darren Rooney and attacker Brian 'Beano' McDonald both failed to recover from injury in time for the game.

SOME WEEKS you just don’t have enough space for everything.

Laois defender Darren Rooney's season hangs in the balance after he sustained cruciate ligament damage during the Leinster SFC final defeat to Dublin.

COUNTY Chairman Gerry Harrington last night jumped to the defence of the Dublin players criticised for taunting their opponents and inciting the crowd during Sunday’s Leinster SFC triumph over Laois.

JJ McHugh and Philip Russell have both been included in the Laois side for Saturday's All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Galway (O'Moore Park, throw-in 7pm).

Half-forward Billy Sheehan could struggle to be fit in time for Laois' Leinster SFC semi-final against either Louth or Wexford on July 1.

Laois and Longford have selected their starting teams for their Leinster SFC quarter-final duel at Tullamore (throw-in 6.45pm) on Saturday.

Laois senior hurling manager Damien Fox has made just one change to his side to face Limerick in tomorrow's National Hurling League play-off in Nenagh.

Laois 1-13 Armagh 0-8, O'Moore Park

Brian 'Beano' McDonald has recovered from a wrist injury to be named in the Laois side to take on Derry in NFL Division 1B this Sunday at Celtic Park (throw-in 2.30pm).

Dublin have claimed their sixth O'Byrne Cup title, beating Laois 1-18 to 2-13 after a titanic 90-minute struggle in Tullamore.

Laois manager Liam Kearns has made eight changes to his side to face Dublin in tomorrow's O'Byrne Cup Final at Tullamore.

Laois chalked up their first win under new manager Liam Kearns this afternoon as they made use of a second half wind advantage to secure a 1-11 to 0-7 O'Byrne Cup first round victory over Kildare.

Ireland manager Sean Boylan has been forced to delay the announcement of his final squad for the upcoming Coca-Cola International Rules series against Australia.

Ireland manager Sean Boylan has announced an extended panel for a training weekend in the French city of Toulouse, ahead of the 2006 Coca-Cola International Rules series against Australia.

Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer has made no alterations to the side that ended Tyrone's All-Ireland SFC fight for Saturday's third round qualifier against Meath (Pairc Tailteann, throw-in 6pm).

LESS than 10,000 people braved the wintry wind and rain to make their way to O’Moore Park on Saturday but the number who will claim to have been there will probably double or triple in the years to come.

Dual star Darren Rooney will be missing from the Laois hurling team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SHC Group A qualifier clash with Waterford (O'Moore Park, throw-in 3.45pm).

ARMAGH have made two changes for Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Ulster SFC final clash with Donegal at Croke Park.

Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer has made four changes to his side for Saturday's All-Ireland second round qualifier against Tyrone in Portlaoise (throw-in 5.30pm).

With Laois already at the foot of SHC qualifier Group A, manager Dinny Cahill has rung the changes for Saturday's must-win clash with Westmeath at Cusack Park (throw-in 7pm).

DUBLIN 3-17 LAOIS 0-12

Billy Sheehan will deputise for crocked Laois captain Gary Kavanagh in Sunday's Leinster SFC semi-final against reigning champions Dublin (Croke Park, throw-in 2.00pm).

Laois 0-10 Kildare 0-10

LAOIS football chairman Joe O’Dwyer has supported the county’s U21 football manager in a disagreement over the release of his players for senior duty against Offaly last weekend.

Leinster manager Val Andrews has a panel of 24 players available to him for Saturday night's floodlit Interprovincial semi-final against Connacht.

Armagh 2-17 Laois 1-11

BY Wednesday morning Mick O’Dwyer’s Laois selection of the night before had more holes picked in it than the plot of a Jeffrey Archer novel.

Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer has kept Brian 'Beano' McDonald in reserve for Saturday's All-Ireland SFC fourth round qualifier against Derry at Croke Park.

THERE may only be seven games left in this year’s All-Ireland football championship but the counties involved are building up the usual stockpile of club fixtures as the season grows older.

Sidelined Laois duo Darren Rooney and Barry Brennan have set their sights on a return against Derry in Saturday's fourth round qualifier clash.

WE HAD the luxury of naming an unchanged Championship 15 for the first time since I came to Laois ahead of tomorrow’s Croke Park sell-out.

Antrim hurling manager Dinny Cahill walked out on his squad's training session last night after only fifteen players turned up.