LOETB Laois Centre of Excellence

The LOETB Laois Centre of Excellence, opened in 2019, is the headquarters of Laois GAA’s coaching, games development and high performance activity. Located on Fr Browne Avenue in Portlaoise, the facility provides dedicated infrastructure to support player development at both county and club level across hurling and gaelic football. Since its opening, the Centre of Excellence has become a central hub for coaching education, squad preparation and long term performance planning within Laois GAA.

Developed as part of a strategic vision to strengthen player pathways and coaching standards, the complex plays a key role in the ongoing work being carried out by Laois GAA’s Coaching and Games structures. The facility supports activity across multiple age grades and codes, helping to provide a practical and professional environment for development programmes throughout the county.

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Facilities and Infrastructure

The Centre of Excellence comprises a modern two storey sports complex incorporating four dressing rooms with shower facilities, gym and hall areas, medical and physio rooms, offices, meeting and conference rooms, kitchen and catering facilities, storage areas, toilets and associated site works. The building has been designed to support both day to day coaching activity and high performance preparation, while also being fully accessible and disability friendly.

Car parking, access roads and site fencing form part of the overall development, ensuring the complex can cater comfortably for squads, coaches, support staff and visiting teams.

Pitches and outdoor development

The Centre of Excellence includes three playing pitches, all of which are now fully floodlit following the recent installation of modern LED lighting. Solar panels have also been installed on the roof of the dressing room complex as part of ongoing sustainability measures at the facility.

In addition, groundworks have been completed for the construction of a stand on Pitch 1. When completed, this will provide seating for almost 300 spectators along with a covered standing area, further enhancing the Centre of Excellence as a venue for training, games and development activity.

Coaching and player development

The LOETB Laois Centre of Excellence serves as the base for Laois GAA’s Coaching and Games staff and is central to the delivery of coaching education, underage development squads and county level preparation. The facility provides a practical base to support the work being carried out with players, coaches and clubs across the county, helping to underpin the long term vision for football and hurling development in Laois.

In April 2019, Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, LOETB, was announced as the main sponsor of the Centre of Excellence, supporting the facility as a cornerstone of Laois GAA’s development strategy.