Former Kilkenny selector leads Laois club to county glory!

Fifty years on since they were established, St Joseph’s climbed the steps of Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Sunday to lift their 10th Jack Delaney Cup and their first since 2000.

They done so under the management of Michael Dempsey, the man who was Brian Cody’s right-hand man in Kilkenny for many years.

The former Laois footballer, now in his fourth year as Joseph’s boss, was overjoyed with emotions when speaking after Sunday’s game.

“It was a cagey affair, probably very tactical, I felt we could have added on a few more scores and it didn’t happen. Portlaoise are a super team but you say 23 years and it nearly feels like it’s the club’s first one because all of the players in there have never won a senior title before.”

“It’s just incredible and I am so happy for the supporters and the players because, at times we weren't doing the business. It would have been easy not to persevere so the character and the ownership the players have taken over of the team and the support our club has given us and our supporters and to all of the people that coached the lads up all along I am just so happy for all of them, it is absolutely a huge day.”

Sunday’s game was St Joseph’s second time to beat Portlaoise in this year’s championship having not beaten them in the championship since 2003. Dempsey says that the player’s fitness and footballing ability was what saw them over line.

“We knew once we were always close that we were confident about our fitness and our football. We gave away the ball six times in the first ten minutes of the game, a little bit of nerves but we kept the game close and edged ahead. We knew against Portlaoise and particularly the way they play, they keep the ball very well and we knew it was always going to be a tight affair.”

“We are just happy and it is the narrowest of margins, fair play to Portlaoise, I respect their management, I know some of their players and I respect the club and to beat them twice in the one year is always very difficult. We were coming into this with players that had never played in a county final before, so the character the players have shown is just immense. Everybody that supports the club can be so proud.”

St Joseph’s had to deal with injuries leading up to the final with both Matty Campion and Josh O’Brien having to make do with appearances off the bench as they look to get back to full fitness. The manager knows that it was his full contingent of players which won them the championship as it’s all about the collective spirit.

“Matty and Josh, we didn't think they would feature at all today with the injuries they had but the effort the two lads put in to get back was just. They only came good in the last few days and they were not happy not starting either, they were hoping they would start but it is a 20 man game now and I am delighted that Matty and Josh got onto the pitch.”

“Look apart from those two lads, we have had other players who played during the year and we wouldn’t be here today without the panel of 30-odd players because earlier on in the year, those fellas kept us going and we have had an incredible spirit among that group all year so it is very much the panel and I don’t like singling out any players, it is the collective and I don’t think we would be here today only for that collect spirit we had among all of the panel members.”

The 2023 county champions have lost many people involved with the club since their last championship win and none more so than Liam Kealy, who passed away in 2018. Dempsey felt it was important to give credit to him and David Crosy in his post-match thoughts.

“All that was on my mind today driving from Kilkenny down to Portlaoise was that sport is about the challenge and being the best you can be, but it is also about culture and culture is about people. People inspire you, and their memories inspire you and it is about those connections. We lost ‘Squeaks’ Kealy and we also lost David Crosby whom a lot of those players would have played with and we lost a number of older players during the year. It is that connection with people and that memory of people that actually inspires players, we all have our own personal motivations but I have no doubt that Liam ‘Squeaks’ Kealy and the likes of David Crosby are smiling down upon us here today.”