www.uibhfhaili.com

can anyone provide an update of what Offaly players played in either competitions this year?

Conor Clancy and Conor Doughan have played both games for IT Carlow. Eoin Ryan was introduced as a second-half sub for Waterford IT in their second round match last week.

And that is that as regards Offaly's Fitzgibbon contribution.

It's a similarly dismal story in the Sigerson, where the contribution from Offaly players is minimal to say the least of it. Conor McNamee and Eoin Carroll lined out for UL, Mark Langtry and Anton Sullivan featured for Athlone IT (Langtry started in goals, Sullivan came off the bench) and GMIT started Niall Darby and brought Cian Donoghue off the bench in their win over DIT at Tuam.

Trinity College did feature either two or three players from Offaly (James and Paul McPadden and definitely the Rhode duo, while I think the Johnny Kavanagh that played up front was the Johnny Kavanagh of Tullamore that would be in his last year of U21 this year) but they'd be a little bit out of their depth at Sigerson level. They'd be one of a couple of colleges (along with IT Blanchardstown) who would have been massive outsiders in any game as long as they didn't draw each other and really would be more at home at Trench Cup level.

The main concern would be that there were no starters on the four teams that everyone would consider to be the strongest in the competition (UCC/DCU/UUJ/UCD) while of those that did play any role, two (Sullivan and Darby) would be players who are established seniors at this stage rather than up and coming youngsters.

Somebody who follows the scene a bit more closely might be able to say if there is any sign of upcoming improvement from the Freshers competitions?

Bit of a suprise for Sullivan not to be starting for Athlone in either of their games. coffey was over them as well.

From what I hear Darby had a fine game at wing forward against DIT.

It is disappointing to see so little of hurlers making their college team. Its been like this for a few years now.

Yerra, that's because the Killoughey lads are constantly being discriminated against by the managers of every university in Ireland.

timber wrote:It is disappointing to see so little of hurlers making their college team. Its been like this for a few years now.

Seriously, though, it's been like that for time immemorial. Only a handful of Offaly hurlers have been Fitzgibbon Cup winners.

There is a Joey Burke from K/K among the subs for GMIT today in the Fitzgibbon cup

Plain of the Herbs wrote:Only a handful of Offaly hurlers have been Fitzgibbon Cup winners.

Plain, I am sure you have done it before, but could you list all Fitzgibbon cup winners from Offaly (and Sigerson if you don't mind) or direct us to a link??

Only a sub! More proof that Kilcormac hurlers are being discriminated against all over the country. Justice for Kilcormac. An International tribunal is called for, I think.

Killeighman wrote:There is a Joey Burke from K/K among the subs for GMIT today in the Fitzgibbon cup

Boom, here's a link to the last time I compiled a list (it's towards the bottom of the page) -
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4248&p=26417&hilit= ... nus#p26417

Since then, Offaly winners have been - Brendan Murphy (UCD, 2001), Mick O'Hara (UL, 2002), Joe Brady & Damien Murray (WIT, 2003), Daniel Hoctor, Kevin Brady & Cathal Parlon (WIT, 2006), James Gorman (UCG, 2010) and Brian Carroll (UL, 2011). And thanks to durra1 who pointed me towards one of the most significant Offaly me of all in Éamnn Bulfin who captained UCD around 1915 (he is well worth a Google).

There have been no additions to the list of Offaly's Sigerson Cup winners, sadly.

And I'm thinking that exclusive Offaly Fitzgibbon/Sigerson club is worthy of an article in a home NHL programme.

boomcha wrote:Plain, I am sure you have done it before, but could you list all Fitzgibbon cup winners from Offaly (and Sigerson if you don't mind) or direct us to a link??

That UL panel is 2011 also included Shane Dooley(who was suspended for final) and Ciaran McManus of Belmont. James Dempsey may have been on the panel too but im not sure.

Thanks for that, LH. Thing is that extended panels aren't generally published (at least in the places I look anyway) so I've no way of identifying any non-playing panellists from Offaly.

lovelyhurling wrote:That UL panel is 2011 also included Shane Dooley(who was suspended for final) and Ciaran McManus of Belmont. James Dempsey may have been on the panel too but im not sure.

I could be wrong, but did Tim Gilmore from St Rynaghs win it with Nui Galway in 2010 on the the extended panel.

John Ryan won one with UCC .

The Outsider wrote:I could be wrong, but did Tim Gilmore from St Rynaghs win it with Nui Galway in 2010 on the the extended panel.

Tim Gilmore was not included in the listing of Fitzgibbon Winners in today's match programme (Offaly V Wexford). I too think that he was on the NUIG winning panel in 2010.

OK, that list that appeared in today’s programme was compiled by me. The list includes Fitzgibbon Cup medals won on the field only because records available to me include (in the main) the starting team and the subs who appeared on the field during the Final.

I am aware of some who hold Fitzgibbon cup medals won as non-playing panellists, including Timmy Gilmore (and I thank 'The Outsider' for pointing that out). Something tells me Eoin Kelly won one with LIT too, but I haven’t confirmed that. The options open to me were – 1- list the ‘playing’ winners, 2- list the subs who were available to me (which I decided against as to do so would be inconsistent, or 3- not do it at all, but I really wanted to do something to recognise previous Offaly winners, and to recognise the contribution a remarkable Offaly man, Éamonn Bulfin, made to Ireland’s cause almost 100 years ago.

I did make one exception, for Shane Dooley, who was a key member of that 2011 UL team but was suspended for the Final.

Note the words "who won the Fitzgibbon Cup on the field of play" in the final paragraph of the article.

If anyone out there has a full list of Fitzgibbon (or indeed Sigerson) Cup winners I’ll be happy to hear from them.

Sharp Eye wrote:

The Outsider wrote:I could be wrong, but did Tim Gilmore from St Rynaghs win it with Nui Galway in 2010 on the the extended panel.

Tim Gilmore was not included in the listing of Fitzgibbon Winners in today's match programme (Offaly V Wexford). I too think that he was on the NUIG winning panel in 2010.