THE ONLY DUAL senior club in Laois for 2020 have been boosted by the news that midfielder John O’Loughlin is set to complete a transfer from Dublin club St Brigid’s.
The former Laois captain, who’s gearing up for his 13th season as a member of the county’s senior football panel, has played his club football in the capital since 2011.
However, he revealed to Laois Today that next season he’ll be lining out for the hurlers and footballers of Rosenallis, where started out as a juvenile. A successful 2019 saw Rosenallis win Laois intermediate football and senior ‘A’ hurling titles.
O’Loughlin, who works as a teacher in Castleknock, explained his decision to opt for Rosenallis instead of Mountmellick, the club he played most of his underage and adult GAA with prior to his transfer to St Brigid’s.
“It hasn’t been the easiest decision to make because Mountmellick are a great club with some great people involved and a number of them had a very positive influence on my career,” the 30-year-old said.
“I’ve a lot of friends there and I don’t like disappointing them. But I’m just following my gut instinct at this time and I think it’s the best thing to do.
“I made up my mind early in the year after a couple of years of reflection that I was coming back to play with Rosenallis regardless of status. It’s where I’m from, it’s where my home is, it’s where my family live and I want to give something back.
“I genuinely feel I’m doing the right thing and if I didn’t go back to Rosenallis, I’d regret it. I went to school in Rosenallis up until third class and then switched to Mountmellick school, as my sisters had done before me. I started playing with Mountmellick then too.”
O’Loughlin, who represented Ireland in the International Rules series in 2015, won a Dublin senior football title with St Brigid’s in his first season with the club.
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