Fennelly lands Laois job

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

Fennelly, who has been given a one-year term, succeeds Niall Rigney in the role.

The Portlaoise man resigned in the wake of Laois' All-Ireland SHC qualifier defeat to Carlow, bringing his two-and-a-half year reign to a close.

Kilkenny native Fennelly is not new to inter-county management, having previously managed Carlow.

More recently he assisted Waterford club De La Salle when they won their first ever Munster Club SHC title and qualified for last year's All-Ireland final.

This year the Piltown man has been managed club side Carrickshock, who yesterday qualified for a Kilkenny SHC semi-final on the back of a five-point win over James Stephen's.

In addition, Fennelly has experience of managing underage teams in Dunnamaggin to county glory.

Laois officials had also expressed a serious interest in bringing Tipperary's 2001 All-Ireland winning captain Tommy Dunne on board.

Dunne was involved as a selector this year as Tipp claimed their first All-Ireland Under-21 title since 1995, beating Galway in the recent final.

Meanwhile, former Offaly and Wexford senior football boss Pat Roe has been reappointed as Laois Under-21 football manager for another season.

Roe, who assumed the role last year, took time out to reconsider whether he would commit to another year at the helm after being overlooked for the Laois senior football job which went to Justin McNulty.