Offaly Hurling Championships 2014

[onthefence]

I see the Junior B final between KK and Ballinamere is on at 1 45 on Saturday in OCP followed by the replay of KK and Shamrocks in the intermediate. This is a very strange time to play a county final especially for lads that work on Saturdays. It was originally fixed for 4 o clock why was it changed, another example of the county board using there head!!!!

[Plain of the Herbs]

Maybe it's because of the Electric Picnic? Or the county board are pouring a bucket of water over that head you mention? Or it's the Yankee Ball in Croke Park?

Seriously though, I'd say it's because there's football on television at 5pm that day, a match that wasn't expected prior to 5pm last Sunday.

I see the Junior B final between KK and Ballinamere is on at 1 45 on Saturday in OCP followed by the replay of KK and Shamrocks in the intermediate. This is a very strange time to play a county final especially for lads that work on Saturdays. It was originally fixed for 4 o clock why was it changed, another example of the county board using there head!!!!

[Plain of the Herbs]

I understand the reason for the early start on Saturday is that there is a wedding in Kilcormac and that the teams involved have agreed to the revised throw-in times.

[onthefence]

No theres no wedding in KK match time changed because we just cant miss Mayo and Kerry!!

[Conrad]

Is there a round of fixtures this weekend? According to the Offaly Gaa website there is a full round. Paddy Power has no odds available for Senior grade but has for Intermediate.. As I don't reside in the midlands I follow these methods.

[Toxicity234]

Kilcormac Killoughey Facebook page:
SHC Vs Coolderry this evening 6.30 in Rath

[Buttons]

So the quarter final line up is complete with

Kil/Kil vs Ballinamere
St Rynaghs vs Belmont
Shinrone vs Coolderry
Seir Kieran vs Birr

The relegation games will be Tullamore vs Brosna Gaels and Drumcullen vs Kinnity

[townman]

you would have to pick K/K, Rynagh's,Coolderry, Clareen, for the Semils the way form is this year.

[Toxicity234]

Made the Coolderry Vs Kilcormac Killoughey Game on Friday.
A good game. Kilcormac Killoughey 1st half was outstanding against a strong wind they did great to be within a 6 points.
Coolderry were trying to work the ball out of defence instead of letting the ball do the work with the wind.

In the second half Coolderry up their game and pushed Kilcormac Killoughey all the way. the send off of the coolderry full back for a 2nd yellow change the game. Kilcormac Killoughey just had the know how to get themselves over the line.
Dan Curmins scored 2 cracking goals and Kiely had a good game and his pass for the second goal was outstanding.

I went to Clareen Vs Brosna Gaels. Clareen were the better team but Gaels are sticky. Kelleher was man marking Bergin for most of the game. he did a good job but it mean that he was playing corner back, Wing back and midfield and lost his influence on the team. when Gaels were 2-16 to 1-08 down they put him centre back and that and Clareen losing Murphy and Donal Coughlan injured it meant that gaels came back into the game. Ryan corner forward for Clareen was excellent with two good goals and lots of hard work. (If he put two hands on the hurl when he was picking a ball he be even better).

I watched Birr vs Tullamore today was an interesting game. Tullamore showed great heart to win. Well done to them. Birr new Full back is a fine defender. I have watch him a few time and been impressed. He done his job well. he still has a lot to learn but he could be very good.
Cahill at corner forward is going to be a great hurler.

The Quarter Finals
Kilcormac Killoughey vs Ballinmere. Ballinmere have had a good year. it would be a massive shock for them to take Kilcormac Killoughey.

St Rynaghs vs Belmont. Form would say Rynaghs But Belmont have nothing to lose. This one could be very close.

Shinrone vs Coolderry. Shirone have the hurlers to be a force and Coolderry have falling at this stage for the last two years but I think it still too early for this Shirone team (but its only a matter of Time and hard work ) and Coolderry have the corner forwards to do a lot of damage.

Seir Kieran vs Birr. Match of the round. Should be a great game. I wouldn't read into the game this weekend. If Seir Kieran want to win anything they have to make sure that all there forward chip in not just over rely on Bergin.
The funny thing is that Birr don't have a forward of that quality at the moment. If they had. If Birr have a full fit Rory Hanniffy for midfield and Cleary to go up against Murphy. its too hard to call and Birr beating Kieran in the league final last weekend as well. Can't wait to see this game.

`

[sam88885a]

we into the real hurling from now on .
i think we should have good quarter finals
shinrone v cooldery should be a good contest but i think cooldery will come through by a few points .
st rynagh v belmout will be a local derby , st rynagh should come through after a battle .
birr v clareen is hardest to call but i think birr may be holding back up till now and with rory back ,they will come through a tight game .
kk v ballinamere . kk should will with a bit to spare
that would give us kk cooldery birr and st rynagh in the semi finals
i think there will be very little between at of those 4 teams .
there a lot of hurling to be done yet bu i still fancy kk because of d currams .
i still have to see an offaly club full back that can contain him .whoever does may dethrone kk
i think drumcullen will get regelated .rigney will keep kinnity up ,dooley will keep tullamore up and kelliher and mc donald will keep brosna gaels up

[timber]

In the intermediate Rynaghs have followed up their win over Lusamagh with an impressive win over Birr to claim a place in the final. They seem to be hitting form and on the evidence of the last two games are looking good to claim the title.

Skenach/Villa will meet Shamrocks in the other semi after Shamrocks beat KK in the replay at the weekend by seven points. Shamrocks won comfortably enough despite not hurling overly impressive. There was a strong wind which Shamrocks played with in first half and led by 10. KK improved in the second half with the wind but the Shamrocks goal killed the game and any fightback from KK.

The Skenach/Villa and Rynaghs contingent looking on wont have been overly worried and will be confident. With Derek Molloy likely to be available for selection for the semi it would create a major threat on the edge of the square. Skenach have been favourites all year to win the title so will be a test for them but they will be fancied get through. Rynaghs happy to sit back and look on knowing their place is booked.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I got to three matches over the course of the weekend,

Drumcullen looked lively against Belmont, or ‘Ferbane’ as indicated by the Lusmagh scoreboard to the chagrin of those from the Belmont side of the parish. They were apparently a very young team. Niall O’Leary looked capable at centre half-back. The first half was well on before they conceded a free. And when Conor Gath finished a fine move to the net early in the second half they seemed set to kick on. It was Belmont who kicked, firing over nine unanswered points in response to the goal.

Yet the match is remembered for a sickening, late, frontal charge by Harry Ryan on Mark Egan as the Belmont man placed Leon Fox for Belmont’s opening goal. You can guard your square but there is nothing manly about that challenge. Egan was forced to retire but his replacement, Joe Maher, had a big influence on the game. Maher scored 1-4 but it was his technique in the tackle that caught the eye, ‘standing’ his man up and not allowing his opponent to clear the ball quickly. He should be in line for a start in the quarter-final.

Shinrone were complacent and weren’t tuned in. And it didn’t look good when they led just 0-4 to 0-2 after a quarter of an hour when playing with a rather strong wind. Their forwards lost shape, the passes didn’t go to hand and it became a bit of a mess. The goals came at the right time for them but even leading 2-8 to 0-6 at half-time you couldn’t say they were secure.

They did keep Ballinamere point-for-point throughout the second half, and Seán cleary led by example with 1-5 from play. I get the impression they know their optimum 15 but still aren’t sure of their best placings. And maybe that leaves scope for changing things during a match if needs be. Which or whether, anyone looking on from Coolderry won’t be losing sleep in advance of the quarter-final.

St Rynagh’s Intermediates were very impressive when beating Birr soundly in Moystown. The day everything clicked for them and apart from a five minute spell midway through the first half when Birr went ahead thanks to a Seán T O’Connor goal they were always in control. Declan Tanner was the target for some rough treatment, having his helmet forcibly removed in the course of one Birr challenge (without the issue of any card by referee Noel Flynn) and receiving a hefty frontal ‘drive’ moments later. The Rynagh’s handling was superb, with Colm Keane and James Corrigan taking charge in the centre of the defence, the Whites dominating midfield while Tanner, Stephen Flannery, Dónal Moran and Rían Kelly caught the eye in attack.

I thought Kilcormac would win the Intermediate title but they were dumped out by Shamrocks on Saturday. I’ll resist making any more forecasts of that nature now!

[tmorelad]

Good result for Shamrocks in the IHC semi final Rynaghs won't be simple in the final

[Toxicity234]

A major effort to restore Offaly hurling to its place among the top hurling counties will kick off with an Offaly Hurling Open Forum on this Wednesday (September 10).

A Leinster Council initiative, headed by former Offaly Manager, Diarmuid Healy has been established to put a process in place to re-establish Offaly as a top hurling county.

An Offaly Hurling Committee has been put to assist in the process. The committee is chaired by Kieran Keenaghan(St Rynagh’s) and includes Pat Cleary(Ballinamere); Joe Errity(Birr), Cillian Farrell(Edenderry), Martin Hanamy(St Rynagh’s); Liam Hogan(Ballyboden St Enda’s and formerly Coolderry); Finian McDermott(Tullamore); Damien Martin(St Rynagh’s), Pat O’Connor(Coolderry) and Diarmuid Healy.

The role of the committee is to identify issues, identify solutions to those issues, draft plans to deal with the issues and identify people to implement those plans.

The committee has already indentified coaching and team preparation at club and county level as two major issues. Plans are already being drafted to organise courses in coaching and team preparation by top coaches from outside the county.

High powered intensive courses are also being planned for all county mentors to commence in October.

An Offaly Hurling Open Forum will be held in the County Arms Hotel, Birr on Wednesday September 10 at 8pm. This Forum will consist of presentations by Diarmuid Healy and former Kilkenny selector, Martin Fogarty on Stage 1 of Offaly Recovery –Coaching/Team Preparation which will focus on defining hurling, coaching and team preparation. This will be followed by questions and answers and a sharing of ideas of how to restore Offaly to its rightful place among the top hurling counties.

The Forum is open to all. Club officials, team mentors, players and club members are particularly encouraged to attend.

Individuals willing to submit ideas can also contact any member of the above committee or email Diarmuid Healy at diarmuidhealy@eircom.net

[Commentayto-r]

Predictions for the weekends SHC Q/finals?
Interesting matches in store.