Des Connolly was a famous football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

 player from County Laois

County Laois

County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...

 in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

.

Des was a native of Ballyfoyle in the Ballylinan

Ballylinan

Ballylinan or Ballylynan is a village on the County Laois/County Kildare border in the Ireland. The name means "Lynan's town", though exactly who Lynan was is now forgotten....

 parish but played all his club football with the Carlow

Carlow

Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...

 border club, Graiguecullen

Graiguecullen

Graiguecullen GFC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club that plays in County Laois, Ireland.The club were winners of thirteen Carlow Senior Football Championship Titles and twelve Laois Senior Football Championship titles, the last of which was in 1965.The Club won the Laois Intermediate Football...

.

Considered to be one of Laois's greatest ever players, he was however only a substitute when the county won the Leinster Senior Football Championship

Leinster Senior Football Championship

The GAA Leinster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council and are played during the summer months. The competition involves the counties of...

 final against Kildare in 1946.

Laois didn’t win the Leinster Senior Football Championship

Leinster Senior Football Championship

The GAA Leinster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council and are played during the summer months. The competition involves the counties of...

 again until 2003 when Mick O'Dwyer

Mick O'Dwyer

Mick O'Dwyer , is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior team from 1956 until 1974...

led them to victory.