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Team Ireland Golf Team Confirmed for Tokyo 2020

Team Ireland has officially selected the golfers who will compete in the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer. Ireland will be fielding a full contingent in Tokyo, having qualified two players in both the Men’s Individual Stroke Play, and the Women’s Individual Stroke Play, each event takes place over four days.

The golf venue is the Kasumigaseki Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo city, and the tournament runs from Thursday 29 July until Saturday 7 August 2021,

Players picked to represent Ireland

The men’s event is the first to start and will feature Stars Rory Mcllroy and Shane Lowry. In the women’s event, Leona Maguire and Stephaine Meadow will compete in their second official Olympic Games after their 2016 Rio journey. Both are coming off the Women’s PGA Championship with Maguire boasting her highest finish in a major championship, finishing fifteenth.

When discussing her role for Tokyo, Maguire added;

“Rio was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world, and to represent Ireland on the stage like that is an incredible honour. I’m really looking forward to Tokyo. Golf is massive in Asia and particularly Japan. It will be my first time in Japan, and hopefully, I can take the experiences that I had in Rio and build on them. In Rio, I played well, but I think I was caught up in the experience of it and was happy to be there. But I’m a little more dialled in for Tokyo, and I’m trying to finish as high up that leader board as I can.”

Team Interviews

David Kearney, Team Coach for the Women’s Team said;

“Whilst the Olympics is very different to a normal LPGA Tour week, our players have done a great job preparing and planning as if it’s the same and we’re delighted to finally have the team formally selected. With Covid-19 considerations, there are more potential performance disablers but we will be prepared to be agile and acceptant of not everything being as it normally is. This agility will help create the optimum performance space. 

 “All players have shown some great form this year and both Stephanie and Leona already have an Olympic Games under their belt at Rio. Personally, I’m very proud to have known them both since they were 9 and 11 years old respectively and am looking forward to supporting them in Tokyo, along with everyone else in Ireland.”

Lowry Speaks

In the men’s event, Offaly’s Shane Lowry will make his Olympic debut and admitted to looking forward to competing in the games for the first time;

“It is starting to be real. We played the US Open recently, so we’re really focused on that. And then all of a sudden, it is ‘wow, the Olympics is actually pretty close,’ so it’s very exciting. It is such an exciting experience to go through all the gear – everybody knows how patriotic I am, so to have your own gear with our team logo on it is pretty cool!

Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo, Tricia Herberle admitted to being excited about the team;

“We are very excited to have a full contingent of Golfers representing Team Ireland at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. All four players are world-class with Leona and Stephanie already having a multi-Games experience in Rio. It’s also very special to have globally recognised players like Rory and Shane competing for the first time at an Olympics.  There are medals for the taking and while no doubt this is a different type of tournament to what they normally play, it will be great to watch the competitions unfold..”   

TEAM IRELAND GOLF TEAM:

Men’s Team

Shane Lowry – Men’s Individual Stroke Play

Rory McIlroy – Men’s Individual Stroke Play

Women’s Team

Leona Maguire – Women’s Individual Stroke Play

Stephanie Meadow – Women’s Individual Stroke Play

Team Ireland Officially Selected Athletes to date: CLICK HERE

Schedule Athletes officially announced to date HERE

 

 

Olympics Opening Ceremony for VIP guests only

According to local reports the Japanese government will arrange for the opening of Tokyo 2020 to be viewed by reduced VIP spectators

The Asahi newspaper has also made claims on other restrictions that will be in place at Olympic events.

Events that are held after 21:00 and other large events would not have any spectators. Only VIP guests such as sponsors’ guests and diplomats will be allowed to attend the opening ceremony.

The local newspaper cited multiple unidentified government sources to verify this information.

The attendance at the opening ceremony is greatly reduced from the initial estimate of 10,000 fans in the stadium.

This Olympic game has already been delayed a full year due to the Covid19 pandemic. A recent television survey in Japan showed that only one-third of the Japanese would like the Games to continue with reduced crowds. A big 31 percent of the voters wanted the competition to be outright canceled.

It is highly unlikely that Tokyo 2020 will be canceled due to the money and resources that the Japanese government and Sports Council have put into the event.

Instead, they will be hoping to have 10,000 spectators, or 50 percent capacity at every event. Although overseas fans will not be allowed in the stadiums, they are hoping there will be a big turnout of Japanese sports fans.

Normal celebrations such as high-fiving, autograph-hunting, and towel-waving will all be off-limits to spectators in Tokyo.

What we will miss from the Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of an Olympics is meant to be a jaw-dropping event that leaves you excited for the rest of the tournament.

This year will not be the same with Japan having reduced crowds and reduced performers in the stadium. After watching the Euro 2020 opening ceremony last month, do not expect it to be much bigger. Let’s hope that the Japanese can get creative with what they have.

RTE will be broadcasting the opening ceremony for those of us stuck at home on Friday, 23rd July.

Teen Sensation Hollie Towl set to Challenge For Featherweight Championship

British teen sensation Hollie Towl is set to challenge for the featherweight championship on Saturday, September 4th at the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

Towl will face off against Nigerian Abosede Obisanya for the WIBA Youth World Championship for this Historic Professional Boxing Event in Brighton.

The former Five-Time, Three Division English Amateur National Champion and currently unbeaten professional Hollie Towl will face off against unbeaten 19-year-old Nigerian Abosede Obisanya for her first Pro Boxing Championship honour.

They will face off for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Featherweight Youth World Title.

After making her professional debut last year on the same day in 2020, Hollie had her pro debut on the ‘’Let Battle Commence Boxing Show’’ held in Aberdeen. Winning the bout by TKO in the fifth round against Jamie Bates.

Nigerian Obisanya currently holds a 3-0-1 record, winning all her fights by KO/TKO and drawing against fellow Nigerian Oyindamola Ayodele.

Towl, will be the youngest fighter to compete for a professional boxing title coming from the United Kingdom. If she were to come out with the victory on September the 4th, she could equal or top the current modern era’s youngest World Champion Devin Haney’s phenomenal championship achievements.

Haney won the World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth World Championship in March of 2017 at the age of 18 years old with a TKO victory over Mexico’s Maximino Toala. He then went on to win the full world title at the age of 20 years old.

Co-Headline Fight

Towl’s talented Xbox Gym team-mate 19-year-old Eleanor Coulson is also on the card titled ‘’Battles At The Beach’’. She wil challenge for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Middleweight Youth World Championship against an unnamed opponent.

Coulson was the reigning National Amateur Champion when she made the move to the professional ranks, making her debut in September 2020. She currently holds an unbeaten record as a professional and will be eligible to compete for the full World title before her twentieth birthday.

The Main Card

The undercard to this show features another championship fight, with International Super Flyweight Champion Nicola Hopewell going toe to toe with Spanish based Vanessa Tarboda for the Super Flyweight crown.

Rochester’s Jay Jackson will face off against Nicaragua’s Jose A Guilar in a four-round Super Featherweight bout, with this being Jackson’s toughest match-up to date. Nottingham’s Martin Reffell will also face off against South American opposition Frederick Castro.

Colchester’s Calvin Carruthers makes his fourth pro fight against Nottingham’s Garfield Mushore in a four-round Super Featherweight contest.

Ashford, Kent’s Jack Way makes his pro debut against fellow debutant Tyler Smith in a four-round Light Heavyweight contest, similarly, pro debutants Connor Brazil and Callan Harley will face each other in a four-round welterweight contest.

Towl versus Obisanya for the WIBA Featherweight Youth World Championship and teammate Coulson versus and soon-to-be-announced opponent for the WIBA Middleweight Youth World Championship will co-headline the ‘’Battle At The Beach’’ set to take place at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on Saturday 4th of September 2021.

The Sportanarium Events and Assassin Promotions & Management co-promoted this event, in association with Visit Brighton, Scope Eyecare, KC Sofas, Hilton Brighton Metropole, Sportanarium Radio, Race Nation and Go Sports & Entertainment.

Tickets available NOW at https://www.sportanarium.com/

7 Tips and Strategies You Need to Know About Rugby Betting

As much as there are different forms of betting online in sports, rugby is among the most popular game that is gambled online. It offers a lot of opportunities that can generate profit for the participants. The markets range from the handicap markets to the straight match bets by first placing a bet on the scorer and the game’s first scoring. It is one of the fastest-growing sport across the globe and has a large market due to its high relativity of having many scores, making it great for betting. 

There are many tips, tricks, and rules people should follow if they want to increase their chances of success. Thanks to the betting experts on Betworthy, we put together a list of basic rules for betting on rugby. Without further ado, here these are.

Basic rules to bet on rugby

For a participant to win a match, the team that they have placed a bet on has to make more scores than the opponent within the allocated time frame of 80 minutes, composed of two halves each of 40 minutes. The points of the game are score using different methods such as conversions (2 points), drop goals that earn 3 points, tries earns 5 points, and penalty kicks which earn 3 points. Therefore, one places a bet depending on different scores per method.

Betting odds

Betting on any type of sport requires one to understand the betting odds given. This allows a participant only to place bets on an informed bet with the bookmaker. This allows bettors to know what they either stand to gain or lose from their stakes. Most of the odds are listed in different ways, such as the Moneyline odds, decimal odds, and fractional odds, which are the main methods of listing odds. Once a bettor understands these Moneyline odds, they are then able to calculate the amount of profit they are likely to reap in the event they win the bet. 

Rugby betting types

There are multiple bets in any sport, such as the Outright Results Betting, a popular type of bet. Most of the new bettors in rugby tend to stick to this type of bet since it is self-explanatory. With this type of bet, you are allowed to place a bet based on predicted results of a rugby match where a bettor chose the team that will win the match and places money on this team. However, if points spread betting comes in, this kind of bet might become problematic. Therefore, you can view the listed odds for both teams to establish the team favored to win and use the odd calculate the possible win.

Accumulators

Here, rugby betting becomes somehow complicated. An accumulator happens when the profit gained from the first bet is added to the consequent bet using the initial stakes. In the event that this bet wins, it is again added on the consequent bet, and the sequence continues that way. If one is expecting a five-bet accumulator, then this is referred to as fivefold. Excess of five bets is reoffered to as permutations which comprise any sort of bets which are available in these selections. This category allows for losses to occur; thus, if a single bet loses under permutation, there is still a chance of winning overall. It is an advanced category of a rugby bet. 

Half Time/ Full Time

A halftime bet is one of the best straightforward types of bet different from the outright type of bet in that a bettor will stake on the team that will be leading at halftime. However, half time/full time differs from half time bet in that in a half time/full-time bet, and a bettor stakes money on the team that they think will be leading both at half time and at full time as a combination. Therefore, one can bet on the same team to lead at the end of both halves or a combination of the two teams. However, it is essential to note that a team-leading at half time does not imply it will win full-time.

Try scorer

There are a number of try scorer bets that one can bet on depending on the type that one has an interest in. for example, a bet can be placed on a player that you think will score the highest trys in a single game. Other types of bets can also be placed, such as on the player you think will score first. This necessitates that intensive research is done on a player before making such a decision. 

Handicap

This type of bet makes rugby betting more fascinating. The bookmaker will offer one team a handicap in a game to make it more interesting. This type is usually applied when one time has a significantly higher stake of becoming a winner. A handicap can be placed to render the bet more even. In this manner, for the favored team to win the game, they have to win the game and overcome the handicap placed to become winners within a handicap bet type. This makes it an exciting type of bet to play, mainly where there exists disparity in skills on the two competing teams. 

Over/Under

Placing a bet on the total number of scores of both teams in a rugby game is known as over/under betting. Before the beginning of the game, a bookmaker will formulate a hypothetical combined total figure of scores by the two teams. Different odds are listed, including if the two teams will score a certain number of scores combined or if the total combines scores by the two teams will either be below or exceed a certain set threshold. A bettor will therefore bet depending on their predictive scores of combined teams.

Finding the best odds

Before taking on any type of rugby bet, it is crucial to carry out sufficient research. This means a bettor will have to analyze different bookmakers by comparing the odds given for the exact matches you are seeking to bet on. This is done by examining these odds to establish which bets are likely to give you the most profit. This will enable you to know the amount of money to place in a bet.

What Is Bookmaking?

What Is Bookmaking?

Betting with a bookmaker is an intellectual game based on real events. The winnings are paid out at the expense of the bookmakers. The probability of winning depends on the client (the size of the coefficient, the number of events, and other characteristics of the bet).

Sports Betting vs Online Casino

Many users often face the question of what is better to choose, sports betting in bookmakers or online casinos. There is no unambiguous answer, but you can sort everything out, and choose what is best suited for you. 

The Reality Of Bookmaker Companies

Considering sports betting, it should be said that bookmakers accept bets on a variety of sports games, such as football, tennis, hockey, and much more. The advantage here is that you can choose the direction in which you will place bets, that is, if you understand tennis and follow the games and championships, then you understand which of the players is stronger and, accordingly, you can assume the result of the match. But at the same time, if the result of the game is obvious and units will bet on a weak player, then, accordingly, the winning coefficient will also not be big. This means that you will still have to take risks, place bets on teams that are equally strong or on players who are not inferior to each other. In such a situation, you can make good money, even if the stakes are not great. 

The betting market is developing all over the world and exists in parallel with the stock market and insurance. The betting business can be compared with the organization of options trading, forex, index trading, or draw parallels with insurance, in terms of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an insured event.

Modern trends

In recent years, foreign investment banks have opened divisions for trading (betting) on the sports events market. For the first time in the world, Wall Street banks have started using algorithms for trading on the sports events market, similar to trading on the securities market. Several investment funds have already been launched in the West (Centaur Corporate, Galileo fund, Priomha, Stratagem), which attract investors’ funds for betting on sports. 

What Is The Difference In Comparison With Casinos?

 Speaking about online casinos, the situation here is simpler on the one hand, and much more complicated on the other. Unlike bookmakers, which do not give you the right to make mistakes, in an online casino you can choose a free casino and test your capabilities, try different methods of playing, and decide which style of play suits you best. For example, you can do it at online-slots.ie.

But, comparing bookmakers and online casinos, it should be noted that among casinos, there are more often non-conscientious sites that may not pay out winnings for a long time, or even use software that is designed to make a casino win and not the player. Therefore, when choosing a gaming platform, you should choose the best casinos that have proven reliability for a long time and do not deceive their players. You can choose one for yourself at luckyirishcasinos.com.

Conclusion

Everything is much easier with bookmakers, there is a match or a tournament, the result of which no bookmaker can adjust, the results of the games are published in the press and broadcast on television, which does not allow bookmakers to publish false results of sports events. So here you just need to choose a good bookmaker that will pay your winnings on time and take a minimum commission for the withdrawal of your funds. For fans of gambling, it’s better to go to casinos but be careful to choose the right one. Good luck!

Deirdre Duke Excited For Olympics Challenge

Deirdre Duke is off to the Olympics as part of Team Ireland with the Irish women’s hockey team after being selected by coach Sean Dancer and his backroom.

The 29-year-old described her feelings when she was selected, using words such as elation, excitement, and relief to paint the picture.

She said that it was an unusual moment, an achievement she had chased for her whole career was finally her achievement.

“It was all a bit surreal – it was one of those moments that you’ve waited for your whole career…there was a lot of emotion in my house,” said Duke.

However, she sees it as a bittersweet situation when she thinks of those who missed out.

The Dusseldorf forward initially missed out on selection for the 2021 EuroHockey Championships last month but was called up after injuries affected the squad.

Duke noted that she can understand what those who missed out on Olympic selection are feeling because of this, stating that if it were not for the injuries within the squad, she may not be going to the Olympics.

“It’s been the toughest thing over the last number of weeks – it’s definitely a bittersweet situation…I’ve experienced both sides of the coin in recent weeks…sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Ireland fell short of the semi-finals at the Euros with a draw against Spain being the killer blow in the pool stages.

A 5-1 loss to England where “the wheels fell off” after taking the lead denied the ladies a fifth-placed finish and a spot at next year’s FIH Hockey World Cup.

Nevertheless, Duke believes there are positives to take from the ultimately disappointing campaign.

“I think we can take a lot of confidence from the hockey we played at the Euros going forward.”

Lessons can be learned from the defeat also as England’s purple patch in the second quarter was what took the game out of Ireland’s hands.

Every team will have purple patches and Duke feels that Ireland needs to keep their focus and weather the storms.

Additionally, the former UCD captain believes anything is possible in tournament hockey, as proven by Ireland 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup campaign which saw them finish runners-up as the second-lowest-ranked side at the competition.

“We’ve taken a huge amount of confidence from that tournament…..anything can happen in a one-off game.”

Yet, Duke noted that their run to the final included numerous close games and that their two knockout wins were via penalties, adding that the squad are “under no illusion.”

A new coach, new backroom staff and new players have come into the national setup since then, but the core of the World Cup squad remains.

11 of the 16 players going to the Olympics have silver medals from the 2018 World Cup run and the squad are a tight-knit group as a result.

The players kept themselves entertained throughout the World Cup in 2018 with all kinds of antics and there is great morale and a great spirit in the Olympic squad, according to Duke.

“We’re all buzzing to get there and get going.”

An extra year with Dancer and his staff before the Olympics has helped the team get to grips with what they ask of them and the side head to the games with a better understanding of what Dancer and co. want then they would have last year.

The preparation for the tournament has ramped up in recent weeks after a rest period following the team’s exit from the Euros.

To prepare for the conditions in Japan, Duke and the team have been doing a lot of work in heat chambers.

They were in a 45C sauna on Monday morning for 40 minutes and are doing what they can to acclimatise themselves to the Japanese humidity from their camp in Jordanstown, Belfast.

However, Duke thinks the conditions will still force the squad into a period of adjustment.

“There’s no comparison to playing at 12 o’clock in the day with 90% humidity.”

The team will head to Iwate on the northeast coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu where they will set up camp 10 days before the tournament kicks off on July 24th.

Regardless of previous experiences, Duke admitted that the side does not know what to expect from the Olympics games.

“We’re the first women’s team to go so we really don’t know what to expect…we have no real expectations of what it should be like or what it is going to be like. We’re going to try and take it all in…at the end of the day, it’s just another hockey tournament so hopefully we won’t let the emotion, or the occasion get to us.”

Betsson launch new social media tracker for the Euros

To get involved in the excitement for this summer’s biggest football event, Betsson have launched an exciting new feature on their website for football fans who want to stay close to the online conversation.

For fans who were looking to keep up with the latest rumours during the tournament, Betsson have developed the Social Tracker, a new website that ranks the top players, teams and managers by the amount they’re being talked about on Twitter.

After analysing every tweet that contains the names and handles of a list of all the players, teams and managers in the Euros, the numbers are crunched in close to real-time to create a ranking order purely collated by who is generating the highest amount of buzz online.

Ahead of Tuesday’s big game with England playing against Germany, the social sentiment tracker concluded that England was the team dominating social conversation, with fans even making ‘Please England’ trend on Twitter during the day. The Three Lions went on to win the game 2-0.

Portugal is the most talked about team of the week, with a total of 7899 mentions on the social platform. Cristiano Ronaldo, also the most talked about player according to the social tracker, has been dominating Twitter talk after losing his chance to break the international goals record during Sunday’s game against Belgium, continuing to share this title with Ali Daei.

The social tracker tool is available for fans to enjoy here.

Will Dan Bilzerian Play in the WSOP 2021?

After announcing that the WSOP 2021 will be hosted at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas later this year, everyone started speculating about the pro players.

The question that all poker fans are eager to have answered is who will participate in the tournament. It is, after all, the biggest tournament for the year with enormous stakes.

In this article, we are looking at one of these iconic professional players, Dan Bilzerian. He is well known for his bankroll, would a player like Dan give up the chance to play in a $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship?

Image Source: Business Wire

 

Brand Ambassador For GGPoker 

In late 2020 GGPoker announced that Dan Bilzerian joined their team as a brand ambassador. Dan is known for his vast social media presence, with 32 million followers on Instagram, and it is safe to say that he is a true influencer. 

GGPoker recruited Dan not just because of his influence in the poker world but also because of his apparent love for the game. Dan, or Blitz as he is known in the poker community, is no stranger to high stakes games. It is no remarkable feat for Dan to hop on his private jet and travel to Las Vegas for a quick round of poker. 

Luckily for the rest of us, the world of poker is changing. You don’t have to fly off to Las Vegas to join the high stake video games; you can now play against pro players such as Dan from the comfort of your home by making use of online platforms.

One such platform is GGPoker who launched a new poker tournament format called Dan Bilzerian’s Battle Royal. GGPoker and Dan have seemingly been busy during his new role as a brand ambassador, and we are excited to see what this relationship will bring forth. 

GGPoker Broadcasting WSOP Online International Series  

 In 2020 the WSOP was canceled and then later moved to an online format with the help of GGPoker. This year GGPoker has already hosted various online tournaments with the WSOP Online international series next in line.

WSOP.com will host the US WSOP Online series, the two series needed to be split because of American online poker laws. The partnership between WSOP and GGPoker is blossoming, and both firms are focused on breaking world records. 

This event should be massive with 88 Gold Bracelet Events that include signature tournaments and new exciting offerings. One of the main reasons why this event is so popular is the fact that almost anyone can join in, it all depends on your ability to buy-in.

For the die-hard fans that just want to watch the action, rest assured, the teams at GGPoker and WSOP are planning a massive online streaming service that will show you all the live-action from the comfort of your home.  

Does This Mean That We Will See The Blitz In The WSOP 2021?

 

Dan Bilzerian is known to compete in the highest-stakes cash games in the world. In the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, he walked away with $36,626. Would Blitz then disappoint his 32 million Instagram followers and stay away from the WSOP 2021 series?

 

It is perhaps too early to know if Dan Bilzerian will join the WSOP 2021. There are, however, numerous poker events that are currently underway and coming up shortly. So while we wait for clarifications on if our most beloved pro players will join the WSOP, we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the next couple of months filled with poker.

Dressage Ireland teams needs last-minute appeal for Olympic dream

The Olympic Council and the Minister for Sport have been asked to intervene so the Ireland dressage team can go to Tokyo 2020

To explain the situation, the dressage team qualified for the Olympics in 2019. Now two of those riders can no longer participate due to personal reasons and issues with their horses.

With two replacement riders, Ireland could still qualify but Horse Sport Ireland (HIS) has decided not to. They have since been sent at least two appeals to change their decision.

Belgium has been given Ireland’s place at the Olympics now. There still is some hope that there may be an intervention to let Ireland compete.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) set the international qualification or MER for the Olympics at 66 percent.

Dane Rawlins and James Connor both made the standard and were set to be part of Ireland’s first-ever dressage Olympic team, but that dream could be shattered.

Dressage Ireland released a statement saying:

“This decision came as a shock both to the equestrian industry and to both Rawlins and Connor. Horse Sport Ireland could have chosen to have a dressage team – they chose not to.

“They also failed to announce their decision until it was too late for anyone to appeal their decision which seriously questions the governance of the process.”

 

As it stands Heike Holstein is the only rider heading to Tokyo 2020 at the end of the month.

At this late stand and already having two appeals denied, it is unlikely that the HSI will change its mind.

The riders can only hope for a last-minute intervention by the Minister of Sport or the Olympic council to help their Olympic dreams.

Supporters have defended the riding team on social media spreading messages with the hashtag #letthemride.

“Whether Ireland gets to make history by sending the first-ever Irish dressage team to the Olympics remains to be seen,” added Dressage Ireland.

Quirke Resigns As Laois Senior Football Manager

Mike Quirke has stepped down from his role as Laois senior football manager after their heavy defeat to Westmeath in the Leinster Senior Football Championship quarter-finals.

The Kerry native becomes the second inter-county manager to leave his post after Padraic Davis left the Longford job on Sunday.

The four-time All-Ireland winner’s Laois side rounded off a disappointing 2021 with a terrible second-half display against the Lake County.

His side managed only two points in the final 35 minutes of their season and blew a one-point lead they had on Westmeath at half-time.

Laois went from being up 1-08 (11) to 0-10 (10) to losing 3-20 (29) to 1-10 (13).

As there is no backdoor this year, Laois now have to look towards the 2022 season.

Their National Football League left a lot to be desired, with relegation to Division Three capping off a very poor campaign.

The loss to Westmeath only added to the pressure Quirke had come under.

“I have informed the secretary of the Laois GAA of my decision to step down from the role of manager of the senior football team with immediate effect and I want to publicly thank the county board for affording me the opportunity to lead their senior set-up,” Quirke said in a statement on Monday.

“I’d like to express my sincere appreciation to all the players, management and backroom team for their unwavering effort over the past two Covid-ravaged intercounty seasons.

“The players have shown fantastic commitment towards representing their county in the best possible way through very challenging circumstances and despite not getting the performances or results we craved this season, they can be proud of the effort and application they’ve shown throughout.

“I’ve made my decision at this stage to allow the county board ample time to find new management in advance of county championship action resuming in the county in the coming weeks and months.”

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