Ó Flatharta managed Westmeath from 2005 to 2009, winning two Division 2 league titles during that spell, while he was previously involved as a selector under Páidí Ó Sé as Westmeath claimed their first and only Leinster SFC title in 2004.

Irish International Rules player Colm Begley is looking forward to a fresh start under Ó Flatharta.

"I'm looking forward to it," Begley said at Croke Park today.

"It's something I think which is a fresh start for us now and we have a good group of players there at the moment; a committed group of players who have trained very hard. We have probably been a bit inconsistent with some of our performances, but the talent is there and hopefully he will be the man to bring it out of us and push on for this year."

Begley also welcomes the continuity of 2003 All-Star Fergal Byron as a Laois selector.

"Having Fergal Byron there is good as well, as he was there last year and he will have those things we brought into play and the foundations we laid."

Laois bowed out of the All-Ireland qualifiers to Donegal at Carrick On Shannon last Summer, but Begley says that the O'Moore's can push on from the work done under former manager Justin McNulty.

"I think with those years gone by we still think that there is more in us. The Dublin game in 2012 they beat us by two points but I think their experience at the time, we didn't go full for it and maybe were

a bit attentive going into that game.

"It's good signs for us, but we still have to be a bit more consistent and rather than going through the Qualifiers, I know it has worked out well for us, but I would like to see us going through Leinster side of it. I would love to be playing against someone here in a Leinster final and push on from there.

"Hopefully now with a freshness coming into it and we have those foundations laid that. We are all looking to strive towards what Dublin are doing, they are the pinnacle at the moment really in Leinster. It's going to be very, very competitive for us in Division 2 which is good for us.

"Division 2 is never easy, so that means we will get good solid games in before Championship and it gives us a chance maybe to try out a new style of play and see what Tomás brings into the system.

"We have a lot of players now who are pushing strong and leading the way, so I think there's plenty of talent in Laois. We have the commitment from the players and hopefully Tomás Ó Flatharta will be

the man to bring us forward and give us that extra step into the Leinster final and push on from there."