23/12/2025
2025 marked a milestone year for Portarlington Community Games, now proudly in their second season. The year was defined by growth, teamwork, and community spirit, as new coaches and team managers came on board—opening the door for Portarlington to compete in new areas such as GAA, hurling, and cross-country.
The season kicked off with some heated basketball clashes against Killenard and Portlaoise Community Games, setting a high standard early on. Both our boys’ and girls’ teams went on to represent Portarlington with pride at the Leinster Finals, thank you to Louise, Deirdre and Josie for supporting our teams.
Our cross-country team, guided by Siobhan, had their first official outing this year, marking another exciting step forward for our area. This was followed by a hugely successful athletics event in April, superbly organised by Trish and her dedicated team of volunteers. The fastest athletes from that event advanced to compete at Laois, Regional, and National levels throughout the summer.
Portarlington was also well represented in the art and handwriting competitions, with talented participants from Presentation Primary, Scoil Phadraig, and Scoil Naomh Eoin reaching both Laois and National Finals. These achievements were made possible thanks to the ongoing support of local teachers who continue to nurture creativity and participation.
In the pool, our swimmers, under the expert guidance of Andy, made a real splash at Nationals in the Watershed, Kilkenny, bringing home two relay medals (bronze and silver) along with several individual medals—a testament to their hard work and dedication.
For the first time, Portarlington proudly fielded GAA, Hurling, and Camogie teams, with players from both sides of town joining forces to take on well-established Offaly and Westmeath sides. The U12 girls’ team, coached by Karen and Helena, shone brightly by reaching the Leinster Final. Huge thanks go to all the coaches—Trish, Aisling, James, Anto, Rua, and Declan—for their commitment and passion throughout the season.
A heartfelt thank-you also goes out to all the local businesses whose generous support made this season possible. Their contributions helped fund new team singlets, swim hats, and medals, ensuring that every athlete could compete with pride.
We would be nothing without our team managers and coaches, and we are deeply grateful for everything they do. However, as our area continues to grow, we need a few more helping hands to keep things running smoothly. Our committee currently has just three members, and we’re appealing to anyone in the community who can spare an hour every couple of months and the odd Saturday during the year to get involved. If you’re willing to help and are open to completing the Garda vetting process, we’d love to hear from you — please get in touch at [email protected].
