The launch of the 2026 Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship at Killashee Hotel in Naas. Front, from left: Paddy Fox, Longford; Shane Tierney, Offaly; Dean Healy, Wicklow; Sam Mulroy, Louth; Cian McBride, Meath; Mikey Bambrick, Carlow. Back (l-r): Eoghan Nolan, Wexford; Kevin Feely, Kildare; Ronan Wallace, Westmeath; and Killian Roche, Laois. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.

Offaly name team for opening championship clash

Published: Fri 10 Apr 2026, 4:57 PM

Offaly joint managers Declan Kelly and Mickey Harte have named their team for the Leinster senior football championship clash against Laois in Glenisk O'Connor Park Tullamore on Saturday evening at 6pm.

Offaly will be hoping to reverse their winless league form to immediate effect at the Tullamore venue and claim a place in the quarter-final of the provincial competition at their neighbouring county's expense.

Offaly were decimated by injuries during their Allianz NFL Division 2 campaign failing to secure a victory in their seven fixtures.

Meanwhile, opponents Laois finished in a mid-table position at the end of their NFL Division 3 campaign, one of three league wins coming for the O'Moore men against Westmeath.

Should Offaly claim a derby win tomorrow evening, they will travel to St Clonleth's Park Newbridge for a quarter-final contest against Kildare on Sunday, April 19.

Offaly team (vs Laois)

Conor Melia; Shane O'Toole-Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Daire McDaid; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Marcas Dalton, Keith O'Neill, Rory Egan ; Dylan Hyland, Shane Tierney, Darragh Flynn. Subs – Sean O'Toole, Aidan Bracken, Conor Dunican, Nathan Poland, Kyle Higgins, Jack Bryant, Eoin Sawyer, Harry Plunkett, Sean Conway, Eoin Dunne, Cathal Ryan. Standby players: Robbie Gallagher, Geordi O'Meara, Ed Cullen, Harry Goulding.

Laois team (vs Offaly)

Killian Roche; Jack Lacey, Trevor Collins, Alex Mohan; Pa Kirwan , Aaron McEvoy, Simon Fingleton; Ciaran Burke, Conor Heffernan; Kevin Swayne, Ronan Coffey, Paddy O'Sullivan; Brian Byrne, Daragh Galvin, Evan O'Carroll. Subs - Matthew Byron, Darren Brennan, Killian Byrne, Niall Corbet, Jake Darcy, Ben Dempsey, Mikie Dempsey, Paul Kingston, Rioghan Murphy, Cian Nolan, Rob Tyrrell. Standby players: Josh Hogan, Cian Doyle, Cathal Lee, Seán O'Neill.