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Carlow GAA thread

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Replying To Onion Breath:  "Watched that match back in full this evening. I hadn't realised when there just how much more possession we had and how many turnovers we had, especially in the second half. No question the more efficient and ultimately the better team won on the day but I was interested to hear RTE's stats with Anthony daly pointing out we created 50 scoring opportunities, which resulted in 41 actual scoring attempts. That's some return in fairness and for me the winning and losing of it all boiled down to our poor shooting.

Hopefully the younger players will be better for the experience yesterday, where mistakes were punished especially for their goal which we gifted them, and we can get back to this final again next year. Another hope is that the three golden generation players, who were off form to varying extents yesterday but who all owe us nothing, will re-emerge next year and give it another go. It will be a tougher competition next year but with semi finals introduced for next year we should certainly be there at the business end again.

Roll on the club championships now. Looking forward to seeing how it goes with hurling and football starting and continuing at the same time."
You lost the game by 9 points. That's the only relevant stat.

CC2020 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 185 - 07/06/2026 22:32:32    2678596

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Replying To The_Pebble:  "Laois have 9 Senior Leinster Titles, 6 in football, 3 in hurling, fact. My grandfather was on the 1949 side, my mam's father. That's fact. Carlow have in 1944 football. Go figure."
Leix has almost double the population of Carlow for GAA purposes. 96,000 v 56,000 (because of Graiguecullen).

Only Leitrim and Longford have fewer people than Carlow, and they don't take hurling seriously.

Go figure.

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1115 - 08/06/2026 13:31:52    2678670

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Replying To CARPS:  "Leix has almost double the population of Carlow for GAA purposes. 96,000 v 56,000 (because of Graiguecullen).

Only Leitrim and Longford have fewer people than Carlow, and they don't take hurling seriously.

Go figure."
Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3755 - 08/06/2026 15:24:46    2678700

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before."
Ah..that old Leix story from the plantations. The Carlovians are rejoicing because they've just subjated thousands of the Leixs in Queens county. Proper history here.

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1428 - 08/06/2026 15:50:51    2678703

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Replying To moros:  "Ah..that old Leix story from the plantations. The Carlovians are rejoicing because they've just subjated thousands of the Leixs in Queens county. Proper history here."
Growing up in Carlow a stones throw from border with Leix
We always called that territory Leix, as did the inhabitants of Graiguecullen.
One of the main dairies in Carlow was called The Leix dairy painted over the shop front.
Never any love lost
We would be very careful when venturing over the bridge.
As they were coming from the Leix side

Blackbog (Carlow) - Posts: 818 - 08/06/2026 16:10:32    2678707

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before."
So you have been following us for the last week before the Mcdonagh final & that's all you came away with
Jesua wept

carlo (Carlow) - Posts: 347 - 08/06/2026 16:36:49    2678714

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before."
Laois and Leix, same word different spelling, although Leix is sometimes used as a reminder of when and where it was used, depending on where it is being referenced it can be picked up as being provocative, on the other hand, Abbeyleix and Portlaoise, why was there not a spell check done on Abbeyleix back in1922 when Leix was spellchecked and changed back to Laois spelling. No one to this day has an issue with the spelling or pronunciation of Abbeyleix, although perhaps we should.?

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 3396 - 08/06/2026 21:33:36    2678748

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before."
Many people from Leix call it Leix. It's the common colloquial name. Especially around Crettyard and Killeshin. Presumably because of the Leix Dairy, Leix Pharmacy etc.

I even remember some older people using Maryborough for Portlaoise up until not so long ago!

CARPS (Carlow) - Posts: 1115 - 08/06/2026 21:41:28    2678749

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Replying To CARPS:  "Many people from Leix call it Leix. It's the common colloquial name. Especially around Crettyard and Killeshin. Presumably because of the Leix Dairy, Leix Pharmacy etc.

I even remember some older people using Maryborough for Portlaoise up until not so long ago!"
Carlow might be kicking themselves somewhat after Saturday given all their wides and their main freetaker having an off day. However, as many Carlow followers have said, they have done their county proud over the past number of years.

As a Laois man I'm old enough to remember the older people using Leix as opposed to Laois - as in C'mon Leix. Indeed that was probably the cry when Leix won the first Leinster SFC three in a row back in the 1930s. I also remember Portlaoise commonly referred to as Marbara (Maryborough) in the late 1960s/early 1970s.

I believe that after Independence the official name changed from Queens County to Laoighis and that Leix was the English translation of that name. Seemingly Laois was derived from Laoighis (easier to spell) and the O'Moore County has the proud boast of being the only county in Ireland with an Irish name.

But we are very fond of our scallion-eating neighbors despite their claiming some of the great footballers from Graiguecullen who have worn the blue and white down the years. But we have helped Carlow too - the late great Bobby Millar, RIP, led Eire Og to great success. So while we snipe at each other I think we also wish each other the best.

saorkick (Dublin) - Posts: 33 - 08/06/2026 22:57:46    2678753

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Replying To carlo:  "So you have been following us for the last week before the Mcdonagh final & that's all you came away with
Jesua wept"
Well, I decided to be an interested observer rather than an active contributor. Pardon me.

Anyway, seems that the whole "Leix" thing is just a common local custom. Bit like how some people might still write "Connaught" rather than "Connacht".

Again, pardon me for asking.

Pikeman96 (Wexford) - Posts: 3755 - 09/06/2026 12:39:57    2678769

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Replying To Pikeman96:  "Have been following this thread for the past week or so to see what Carlow people were saying about the McDonagh Cup Final, as where I'm from is not too far from the Carlow border.

Have to ask at this stage - why oh why do some of you insist on referring to "Leix" ?

I've never seen anyone do it before."
Are you heading up to King's County Saturday Pikeman?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19964 - 09/06/2026 19:47:32    2678784

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Replying To saorkick:  "Carlow might be kicking themselves somewhat after Saturday given all their wides and their main freetaker having an off day. However, as many Carlow followers have said, they have done their county proud over the past number of years.

As a Laois man I'm old enough to remember the older people using Leix as opposed to Laois - as in C'mon Leix. Indeed that was probably the cry when Leix won the first Leinster SFC three in a row back in the 1930s. I also remember Portlaoise commonly referred to as Marbara (Maryborough) in the late 1960s/early 1970s.

I believe that after Independence the official name changed from Queens County to Laoighis and that Leix was the English translation of that name. Seemingly Laois was derived from Laoighis (easier to spell) and the O'Moore County has the proud boast of being the only county in Ireland with an Irish name.

But we are very fond of our scallion-eating neighbors despite their claiming some of the great footballers from Graiguecullen who have worn the blue and white down the years. But we have helped Carlow too - the late great Bobby Millar, RIP, led Eire Og to great success. So while we snipe at each other I think we also wish each other the best."
Arent many Irish county names simplifications of their Irish names? Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Down, Antrim, Armagh etc etc

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 19964 - 09/06/2026 19:52:15    2678785

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