Pat Critchley has heard Laois’ landmark win over Dublin described as the county’s most significant in the Championship since 1985 and can’t disagree.

A shock to go in the annals of hurling alongside Antrim beating Offaly in '89 and Kerry defeating Waterford in '93, the victory sparked a joyous pitch invasion at O'Moore Park.

Hurling’s best kept secret, the Joe McDonagh Cup, comes out of the shadows on Sunday with live TV coverage of the final at Croke Park between Laois and Westmeath.

Laois are through to the final of the Joe McDonagh Cup after comfortably overcoming Kerry this afternoon.

Former Kerry hurler John ‘Tweek’ Griffin has likened the county’s crunch Joe McDonagh clash with Laois to an All-Ireland quarter-final.

Laois took a huge step towards reaching the Joe McDonagh cup final yesterday when they outlasted Offaly in Tullamore, racking up 34 points despite shooting 17 wides over the course of the game.

It wasn't always pretty from Dublin at rain-drenched Parnell Park but Mattie Kenny's men dug deep to secure the win and top spot in Division 1B of the Allianz NHL.

A first-half blitz from Laois saw them claim a crucial Allianz Hurling League Division 1B win over Offaly on Saturday night.

A late flurry of scores from Laois masked the dominant nature of Offaly’s performance at

Laois secured their third straight win in this Leinster SHC Round Robin qualifier and advance with confidence to face Wexford in the Leinster SHC quarter-final. 

Laois 3-25 Meath 2-13: Laois manager Eamonn Kelly admitted he couldn’t recall a better midfield display than Paddy Purcell’s in Navan.

New Offaly manager Eamonn Kelly got off to a perfect start this afternoon when his Faithful County charges easily accounted for DIT.

Laois 0-29 Offaly 0-20: A little over a week ago, Laois hurling was at a crossroads, with the significant progress made in the past three years on the brink of being washed away in one fell swoop.

Laois put a difficult fortnight behind them in the most definitive fashion possible, blitzing old rivals Offaly in the final 45 minutes to record their first championship victory over them in 43 years.

Cork 1-25 Laois 0-24: Cork senior hurling manager Jimmy Barry Murphy expects Mark Ellis and Alan Cadogan to return for the Rebels Allianz League semi-final against Dublin on Sunday week.

Wexford 5-22 Laois 0-25

Wexford and Galway successfully negotiated their first competitive games of 2015 in Hurling’s Bord na Móna Walsh Cup this afternoon.

Laois 2-19 Clare 2-23

Employees of Shannon-based engineering equipment maker Mincon are set to be awarded around €1,000 per year of service as part of a €1.2m employee recognition payment plan.

THE Shannon engineering company that made the drill head used to rescue the 33 Chilean miners last week has been winning new business due to the publicity its equipment received internationally.

The Institution of Engineers in Ireland (IEI) has called for the introduction of domestic water charges as a means of encouraging the conservation of water.

THE €1.2 billion earmarked for investment in Irish roads is not enough, according to the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI).

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern was urged yesterday to appoint a single minister to take overall responsibility for the implementation of the heavily under-funded and grossly delayed National Development Plan (NDP).

TOUGH new garda powers to combat drink driving will have little impact on the overall level of convictions, a legal expert said yesterday.

MINISTER for Transport Seamus Brennan has been urged to introduce random breath tests, increase speed checks on minor roads and ensure that the country’s 325,000 provisional licensed drivers are made take the test before the summer of 2004.

SHANNON Development is pulling out all the stops in a bid to find a replacement industry before the end of the year for more than 400 workers who are to lose their jobs at Tellabs.

THE closure of a communications equipment-making plant in Shannon will cost the local economy in excess of €20 million annually.