The prolonged process of appointing a new Laois senior hurling manager will trickle into next month.

NEW Wexford manager Liam Dunne has warned some of his older players to retire now with dignity or face the axe.

ALL SQUARE at Nowlan Park yesterday, with 6,974 spectators seeing favourites Ballyhale Shamrocks level the Kilkenny SHC final deep in injury-time, depriving underdogs James Stephens a famous victory.

THE Kilkenny senior hurling league final, which will be played two weeks after the All-Ireland final, will be contested by champions Ballyhale Shamrocks and old city foes James Stephens.

Laois County Board chairman Brian Allen says they will have to adopt "a more long-term approach" for the county's next senior hurling manager.

Brendan Fennelly has resigned as Laois senior hurling manager, accoring to a report on Midlands 103.

FORMER Laois hurler Tommy Fitzgerald has slammed manager Brendan Fennelly in the wake of Saturday’s 34-point qualifier defeat to Cork.

THE inquest was lengthy and immediate.

LAOIS hurlers got the short straw when they were paired with Cork in the opening game in the All-Ireland qualifier series on Saturday week, with team manager Brendan Fennelly admitting that “the only consolation” was a home game in Portlaoise.

BEATEN All-Ireland finalists O’Loughlin-Gaels are the only team with a 100% record in the two groups of the Kilkenny Senior League after three rounds.

FORMER Laois hurling boss Niall Rigney, will be involved with Kilkenny club James Stephens in 2011.

New Laois senior hurling manager Brendan Fennelly has committed to getting the very best from the O'Moore County players as they prepare for the 2011 campaign.

DAVY FITZGERALD’S spell as Waterford senior hurling manager has been extended into a fourth championship season following last night’s specially convened meeting of the County Board.

At tonight's meeting of the Laois GAA Board in Portlaoise, Brendan Fennelly was confirmed as the new Laois senior hurling manager.

Brendan Fennelly is expected to be named as the new Laois senior hurling manager following a meeting next Monday night.

Laois boss Sean Dempsey has become the latest casualty in senior inter-county football management, following his failure to be reappointed for a third year.

NIALL RIGNEY has stepped down as Laois hurling boss in the wake of last Saturday’s surprise All-Ireland championship exit at the hands of Carlow.

Niall Rigney has tendered his resignation as manager of the Laois senior hurling team, bringing to an end his three-year involvement with the O'Moore men.

CARLOW boss Kevin Ryan hailed the contribution of his U21 players as the Barrowsiders exacted sweet revenge for their Leinster Championship defeat by Laois on Saturday night.

Carlow 1-19 Laois 3-12, Dr Cullen Park

Munster SHC Semi-Final

Leinster SFC Quarter-Final

Laois manager Niall Rigney has revealed his team for Sunday's Leinster SHC quarter-final against Dublin at Nowlan Park (throw-in 3.30pm), making two changes in personnel to the side that saw off Carlow.

Laois senior hurling manager Niall Rigney has been boosted with the news that John Joe McHugh has made a full return to fitness, and will be available for selection for his sides Leinster SHC quarter-final against Dublin on Sunday at Nowlan Park (3.30pm).

AN absence of belief cost Carlow the opportunity of a shock victory over neighbours Laois at O’Moore Park on Saturday night. That was the assessment of losing manager Kevin Ryan who felt the game was over as a contest with 25 minutes remaining.

LEINSTER SHC (Preliminary round): Laois 1-13 Carlow 0-10

CLARE manager Micheal McDermott has named three championship debutants for Sunday afternoon’s Munster SFC quarter-final against Waterford in Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

Laois manager Niall Rigney has handed a Championship debut to Patrick Carroll after naming his side to face Carlow in this Saturday's GAA Leinster Senior Hurling Championship opener at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

GALWAY hurlers last night cancelled a training session as their mounting injury crisis left them with just 12 fit players a week and a half before the championship opener against Wexford.

LAR CORBETT has played down the significance of Tipperary’s 25-point defeat of Dublin in a challenge match earlier this week.

Carlow 1-10 Laois 1-16

Laois manager Niall Rigney and his Wexford counterpart Colm Bonnar have named their respective starting line-ups ahead of Sunday's important NHL Division 2 encounter in Portlaoise (throw-in 2.30pm).

Down 1-11 Laois 0-20

NHL DIVISION 2:

Laois 1-15 Kildare 0-8, O'Moore Park, Portlaoise

The future of Sean Dempsey as Laois senior football manager has been secured after a vote by Laois County Board delegates in Portlaoise on Tuesday night.

MARC O SÉ is free to line out against Dublin in Monday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final as the Kerry county board received no correspondence from the Central Competitions Control Committee yesterday regarding the An Ghaeltacht defender.

ALL-IRELAND winning boss Brian Cody has described the current turmoil surrounding the Liam MacCarthy Cup relegation battle as ‘unfortunate’ and has warned that demoting a top-flight hurling county will not benefit anyone.

LAOIS’S hopes of continuing their recent hurling renaissance have improved with confirmation that manager Niall Rigney wishes to continue on in the post.

MASSIVE credit for a truly wonderful display in Thurles on Saturday won’t compensate Laois for losing out on an All-Ireland hurling quarter-final place against Dublin next weekend.

Laois hurling manager Niall Rigney cut a happy figure despite his side's three-point loss to Limerick in last night's All-Ireland SHC Phase 3 qualifier at Semple Stadium.

Limerick 0-20 Laois 1-14

DESPITE receiving a broken cheekbone in a club game 11 days ago,Ronan McGarrity has been named on the Mayo team for Sunday’s Connacht SFC final against Galway in Pearse Stadium.