Worth repeating....
Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 10:24 am
(From Breheny's column in the Indo....)
"Bearing in mind that three counties have never won All Star awards and that ten others have won less than ten awards in 33 years, Offaly's strike rate has, given their playing pool, been quite phenomenal.
They are in fifth place on the hurling table with 42 awards and their 30 football awards put them in sixth place on the big ball list. They are also in sixth place (72) on the combined awards list behind Cork (134), Kilkenny (116), Galway (102), Kerry (89) and Dublin (74). Offaly may have had their managerial strife over the years but, unquestionably, they are the most successful county in the country per head of population, as supported by the All Star figures and, incidentally, are the only county to have had an All Star representative in every position in both codes.
Who would have thought, for instance, back in 1971 when Damien Martin became the first hurling All Star goalkeeper that 33 years on, Offaly would have 42 awards, putting them clear of Limerick, Clare, Wexford, Waterford and Dublin?
Meanwhile, their footballers are ahead (by a big margin in many cases) of Tyrone, Armagh, Derry, Mayo, Down, Roscommon, Kildare, Laois, Monaghan, Cavan and Westmeath, all of whom major in football.
That's quite an achievement to take into a landmark year for the All Stars, who will pass the 1,000th mark at today's selection meeting. "
"Bearing in mind that three counties have never won All Star awards and that ten others have won less than ten awards in 33 years, Offaly's strike rate has, given their playing pool, been quite phenomenal.
They are in fifth place on the hurling table with 42 awards and their 30 football awards put them in sixth place on the big ball list. They are also in sixth place (72) on the combined awards list behind Cork (134), Kilkenny (116), Galway (102), Kerry (89) and Dublin (74). Offaly may have had their managerial strife over the years but, unquestionably, they are the most successful county in the country per head of population, as supported by the All Star figures and, incidentally, are the only county to have had an All Star representative in every position in both codes.
Who would have thought, for instance, back in 1971 when Damien Martin became the first hurling All Star goalkeeper that 33 years on, Offaly would have 42 awards, putting them clear of Limerick, Clare, Wexford, Waterford and Dublin?
Meanwhile, their footballers are ahead (by a big margin in many cases) of Tyrone, Armagh, Derry, Mayo, Down, Roscommon, Kildare, Laois, Monaghan, Cavan and Westmeath, all of whom major in football.
That's quite an achievement to take into a landmark year for the All Stars, who will pass the 1,000th mark at today's selection meeting. "