County senior hurling championship

[leinsterman]

well thats us gone for another year and after tonight maybe for a long time, same as last year were all over tullamore in the first half but with all
birrs hurling we were only a point ahead at half time. fair play to tullamore they came out in the second half and were the better side and well worth
their win.

i though with a new change of trainer this year things would be better but i was wrong how paul murphy and Daithi Regan looked at Barry Whelehan
walking around the pitch doing nothing for the whole game beats me. Rory hanniffy done alright for the first 20 minutes but when shane dooley went
out on him he won every ball and scored some great points, i know rory had a broken hand a few weeks ago and only flew in today for the match
but the man Birr should have put on Dooley was Watkins he was the only Birr back that had the speed for him.

anyway best of luck to tullamore for the rest of the championship they proved again today why they are champions they never gave up and they were
fitter than Birr for a finish. the first game was a good tight hard game in which kk won their backs like tullmores were very good and worth their win.

just the last thing i was in for the two games today not taking from KK or tullamores win but the standard of offaly hurling is gone to the dogs
that includes Birr in that as well, just walking out with supporters from the four clubs and most agreed that the standard was poor today
Joe Dooley was sitting down ahead of me in the stands and if he does take the county team again next year he didn't see anything he knew
already with what he has to pick from. as for some of the county players today won't name them people who were there know i though there
touch and striking of the ball was brutal if joe takes it again theres a lot of work ahead of him.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Two depressingly poor quality games in Tullamore today, t'would make you fret about Offaly in 2011. Hard to know which game was worse, at stages both games, particularly the second, felt like bad practice matches. The nonsensical decision the host the two games in the empty concrete expanses of O'Connor Park only contributed to the training ground atmosphere and quality of the games. A terrible decision by the County Board.

Most neutral attention, my own included, will focus on the second contest and its surprising but not shocking result.

Birr will wonder how they lost this one but fifteen wides answers the question neatly enough.
Ten points in total, three in the second half, fifteen wides. Put simply the Birr attack floundered hopelessly and for this I imagine the Birr management will have questions to answer; on two points in particular.

One: Dylan Hayden has been the form forward in the championship thus far from full forward, yet yesterday he spent a grand total of 15 minutes in that position instead spending most of his time being moved all over the place.

Two: If Hayden was the form forward in the championship thus far, then Rory Hanniffy prior to his injury was a close second. By all accounts he was becoming a one man show for Birr at centre forward at the start of this years championship, the fulcrum of the Birr the attack accounting for K/K and Kinnitty almost by himself. Yet the Birr management 'did a Joe Dooley' on it today and, for some reason known only to themselves, played him at centre back for the first time in this years championship (first time in many years actually). Result: A very predictable complete and utter dysfunction of the Birr attack for the first time in this years championship. Conclusion: What were the Birr management thinking?

It's a sweet one for Tullamore, maybe even more so than last year. Write them off at your peril, in Shane Dooley The Whites have a player that could win a championship by himself.

That said, it's Coolderry's Championship to loose now. In fact, I expect they'll win it pulling up.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I think it's Tullamore's to lose now. I thought after they weathered the early Birr dominance (mainly by the 2 Hanniffys) that the match would go the distance - I thought after about 40 minutes they would win it. I wouldn't necessarily say Dooley would win it on his own either - I thought Dagg was mighty, so was Egan. Heffernan is a useful addition too. Birr are gone now - they've a big rebuilding process ahead of them. It's all very well having grand hurlers - it's leaders they need now.
We'll see Coolderry tomorrow - I remain to be convinced; I think Francie Kerrigan would frighten the schyte outta them! Just an opinion.

It's a sweet one for Tullamore, maybe even more so than last year. Write them off at your peril, in Shane Dooley The Whites have a player that could win a championship by himself.

That said, it's Coolderry's Championship to loose now. In fact, I expect they'll win it pulling up.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I wasn't there, but from talking to people who were, I didn't heard a version which contradicted that below. And the answer to the final point below is an emphatic NO!
Thing is that Lusmagh stayed Senior 3 years ago owing to an error by the same referee. Until today, they haven't had a moment's luck. Sometimes these things come back to bite you, and I wonder if we're into breaking mirrors territory. Turned out beating Kinnitty was the worst possible result for Belmont - they should still prevail in the 'Battle of the Brosna'.

A free for Lusmagh landed around the square and was gathered by David Moran. Moran's progress was blocked and Cooke blows long and hard on his whistle which indicated he was going to give a penalty. As he stops blowing, Moran kicks the ball to the net.
Cooke then runs in to the 21 and tells his umpire to wave the flag (like Sludden in Croke Park).
If the penalty had stood would Eoin Kelly have gone for goal or tapped it over? That is anyones guess, but what is undeniable is that the referee did not apply the rules correctly.
The game is restarted and finishes about a minute later with numerous protests being made to Cooke (I must add that they were non violent)


P.S.
I wonder will Lusmagh selector Ronnie Byrne give an interview this Monday to the tribune on the state of refereeing in the County

[ditchhurler]

Semi Final draw:
Tullamore v K/K
Coolderry v Kinnitty

[a faithful man]

coolderry v shinrone 19 sep 10

Coolderry went up 2-4 to no score in 5 mins but shinrone were unlucky to lose out after putting up a great fight in the second half. joe brady hurled his usual quality game at centre half back. and his opposite number derek morkan hurled a fine game in the no 6 jersey for shinrone. very sorry for shinrone to lose out on a county semi-final. my man of the match would go to michael cordial for shinrone or kevin brady for coolderry. shinrone could well have beaten birr as well. it just shows theyre a team to be cautios of. coming up thru the ranks.

[backofthenet]

Seen 3 of the 4 quarter finals over the weekend.

On Clareen KK, I would agree with some of the previous posters, it was really dead for the whole game, no atmosphere at all and there didnt seem to be a big crowd from either parish. On the game itself i know the conditions were bad, but the simple rising and striking of a ball was non existant, the amount of times you could see lads going with one hand and failing to rise on the first, second and third time was shocking.

On Birr Tullamore, This was a much better game than the one that preceeded it, it was much faster although there were still many mistakes from both sides (I counted 4 tullamore backs getting blocked down in a row before a birr score in the second half) it was better to watch, Francis Kerrigans point at the end was a great score. Tullamore will be full of confidence going into the semi final but I still cant see them going the whole way again this year.

On Coolderry Shinrone, The Best game that I seen, good hurling from both sides. Coolderry blitzed them in the first ten minutes and were out of sight, Shinrone in fairness threw the kitchen sink at Coolderry in the second half but really needed to get a goal to get back into the game, a goal they never got as Coolderry weathered the storm and picked up a few vital points to win by 8. Probably favourites for the championship although any of the four left in it will fancy their chances now.

[Kemo Sabe]

Tullamore havent a hope against Birr this year. They will have football next weekend and all focus will be on that so no hurling this week whatsoever for a number of players while Birr will be getting in some great sessions. It just is not possible to compete with a schedule like that. I would like to see Tullamore rise to the challenge again as last year was a breath of fresh air but its not going to happen. Birr to win comfortably.

great to to see the anti tullamore brigate hasnt gone from this site .anyway thought ye would have learned some lessions from lastyear .what a town and what a club .come on the town .

[Bord na Mona man]

Fair play to Tellamore.
The power base of Offaly hurling is shifting northwards!

Tullamore have again proved to be the most cunning and devious of them all.
While the Southern clubs exert themselves in the group stages fighting out local rivalries, the blues are content to play dope-a-rope until the knockouts.

You'd have to wonder about Birr though. Last year there was a little suspicion that Tullamore caught them on the hop. This time, there can't be any doubt. Birr had 12 months to get themselves psyched for this day and still came up short. They have fallen away when you consider they contested the 2008 All Ireland club final.

[1964]

you can sing that kemo sabe. i put up a topic about tullamore been on the road again and in that i said how lone shark got it wrong AGAIN underestimating tullamore and guess what it was deleted . anyway i have had enough of the anti tullamore stuff just going to ignore it now hopefully our footballers can pull it out of the bag. all the duel players were up for training early sunday morning for football training after beating birr the previous evening and were flying it they are a credit to themselves very dedicated bunch with great hunger. ya never know the double could be on very difficult tho.

[Bord na Mona man]

you can sing that kemo sabe. i put up a topic about tullamore been on the road again and in that i said how lone shark got it wrong AGAIN underestimating tullamore and guess what it was deleted .

It was merged into this topic.
There was no need to start a new topic when the match discussion was already taking place here.

[1964]

apoligies didnt cop that my bad

[Lone Shark]

..... I would like to see Tullamore rise to the challenge again as last year was a breath of fresh air..

great to to see the anti tullamore brigate hasnt gone from this site

Am I missing something here?

[Georgio1]

64 and Kemo Sabe, Ye are conspicuous by yer absence since last year, (glad to see ye are back with chips on shoulders intact!) Enough of this anti town nonsense, on all form since the Leinster final last year, ye had shown nothing so Birr were again rightly seen as favourites.
First of all well done to Tullamore, an excellent and well deseved win against a Birr team who looked a pale shadow of the outfit from 2/3 years ago.
Tullamore out fought and outplayed Birr especially in the last 20 minutes. Tullamore backs were great, midfield for the last 15 mins, and up front Dooley got some great scores, Francie hit 2 good points but elsewhere tey struggled for scores.
However looking at the other quarter final (KKv Clareen),it appears one or 2 scoring forwards is now the norm in Offaly hurling.
Where to now? A battle against KK who despite being limited themselves, have every motivation after last years defeat to the Blues. But I think Tullamore wil be too strong for them, especially with Daniel Currms coming off injured at half time after offering nothing in the first half. Healion tried hard and won some great ball, but couldnt hit a barn door. In defence and midfield KK were very impressive. Clareen will be very disappointed, they struggled in the forwards, and Joe Bergin played in fits and starts, (his 2 attempts at goals from frees were brutal).
All in all the standard to me was poor, (albeit, the weather was difficult) and for Joe Dooley looking on, the few highlights was his son's performance,Stephen Egan (and young Carroll from Clareen, and Conor Mahon) ,Slevin was also good from the frees. Nothing in Birr at all.

However I have a limited knowledge of hurling so feel free to tear my ltd analysis assunder!!

[leinsterman]

Fair play to Tellamore.
The power base of Offaly hurling is shifting northwards!

Tullamore have again proved to be the most cunning and devious of them all.
While the Southern clubs exert themselves in the group stages fighting out local rivalries, the blues are content to play dope-a-rope until the knockouts.

You'd have to wonder about Birr though. Last year there was a little suspicion that Tullamore caught them on the hop. This time, there can't be any doubt. Birr had 12 months to get themselves psyched for this day and still came up short. They have fallen away when you consider they contested the 2008 All Ireland club final.

Birr have been on the way down this last few year's and have lost the spine of the great team of old .
they might have fallen away as you say Bord na mona man but you will never see as good as club team come out
of offaly again as the Birr teams from 1990 to 2008.

Birr have been a credit to offaly hurling and done offaly proud when ever they went into the club championship 7 leinsters and 4 all irelands tell's the story
it might be a while before they come back again but i know they will be talked about in years to come as one of the best club sides ever.

i know they gave me some of the best days ever watching them from Birr, to croker or thurles or Ennis or nowlan park to o'moore park to clones
to DR Cullen park carlow we went all over the country and beat the best that can never be taking away from us.