www.uibhfhaili.com

No hurler from Offaly anywhere near the UCG team that beat Westmeath in the Welsh Cup. That's quite a concern. The Galway University would be one of the more Offaly-frequented ones too.

http://www.the42.ie/tipperary-offaly-mi ... itter_self

Made my way to Templemore yesterday for this match. Big Crowd in for the game.
Tipperary were the better team but we played ok and good in parts.
Offaly forwards went out of the game at the start of the 2nd half and we went 10 or 15 mins with only getting a few scores but the problem was the Tipp backs cleared every ball way too easy in this section of the game.
Ronan Hughes when he went wing forward, Kinsella worked there socks off.
Sean Ryan look to pick up a hamstring injury so expect not to see him from 4 to 6 weeks.
James Mulrooney is in good form scoring and his goal was super.
Brian Leonard did well at full back when he came on.
Physically Tipperary were better at making there challenges hurt, when Offaly lad broke the line they were taking out.

Even though Offaly were kept at arms length there was encouraging aspects to this display. An unfortunate error for the Tipp goal and Offaly would have been a lot closer at the short whistle and may have had a bit more determination at the start of the 2nd half. Offaly never let Tipp get away from them even if Tipp were always holding us. It is encouraging to see Mulrooney stepping up to the mark with some scores. I would have been a big critic of his in the past but hopefully he can deliver for us in the future.

Also happy to see Brain Leonard coming in and doing OK aswell as other good displays from a few of our backs men who tried hard.

I was initially annoyed when Offaly were drawn in the group with only 3 teams in the Walsh cup. But I doubt we would have got as good a work out last weekend against any other opposition. It sets us up well for next week in SBP against Kilkenny. Interesting to see will Shane Dooley be back for this one.

Sad to hear the news of Nolan dropping off the panel, we don't have a huge pick so he is a big loss.
All roads lead to Birr sunday, I imagine there will be a decent crowd at the game, and I think its only fair to the new committee in Birr to show how hard work pays off.

Wing Back wrote:Even though Offaly were kept at arms length there was encouraging aspects to this display. An unfortunate error for the Tipp goal and Offaly would have been a lot closer at the short whistle and may have had a bit more determination at the start of the 2nd half. Offaly never let Tipp get away from them even if Tipp were always holding us. It is encouraging to see Mulrooney stepping up to the mark with some scores. I would have been a big critic of his in the past but hopefully he can deliver for us in the future.

Also happy to see Brain Leonard coming in and doing OK aswell as other good displays from a few of our backs men who tried hard.

I was initially annoyed when Offaly were drawn in the group with only 3 teams in the Walsh cup. But I doubt we would have got as good a work out last weekend against any other opposition. It sets us up well for next week in SBP against Kilkenny. Interesting to see will Shane Dooley be back for this one.

Given that the footballers don't have a game, you'd presume so.

In truth, I don't expect this dual experiment to last very long. Shane is obviously a very decent footballer - far better than he showed against Kildare last week - but I'm not sure that he has the same scope for improvement as younger players like Joe Maher, Ruáirí McNamee, Seán Doyle or Jamie Evans - or possibly even younger lads again like Dylan Hyland or Shane Tierney. There's little to choose between those guys and Shane Dooley on a normal basis, but they can all concentrate on football full time and so should find it a lot easier to improve over the next few months. That's before you allow for the current incumbents at 13-15, which is presumably Allen/Dunne/N McNamee, with Willie Mulhall and Peter Cunningham also in the shake up.

Logic would suggest that Shane will struggle to get much game time during the league, while he will naturally be one of the first names onto the hurling team sheet every time. It's Shane's decision of course, but it's hard to see him getting much payoff for sticking with both sports for much longer.

A big win for DIT over what was effectively the Kilkenny under-21s tonight (4-14 to 0-16) means that barring a twenty point defeat on Sunday, Offaly's place in the Walsh Cup semis is assured. Wexford will almost certainly be the opponents, and it looks like an away trip as well.

Lone Shark wrote:A big win for DIT over what was effectively the Kilkenny under-21s tonight (4-14 to 0-16) means that barring a twenty point defeat on Sunday, Offaly's place in the Walsh Cup semis is assured. Wexford will almost certainly be the opponents, and it looks like an away trip as well.

I don't want to take anything for granted but hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves on Sunday and at least stay within that. But if Offaly are serious they would want to be putting the KK U21s to the sword. But if it is Wexford then that means another pretty decent standard of match which can only be a good thing going into the league.

Really looking forward to Sunday now.

Looking forward to making the trip to Birr on Sunday , I hope Kilkenny put out a good strong outfit and we might get a chance to see if we are progressing a bit . I see Horan is delighted to have hurling back in Birr he reckons it's a great atmosphere compared to the wake that is Tullamore , so I'm expecting a full house on Sunday with an atmosphere that will have the hair standing on my neck , uibh fhaili Abu

kingscounty wrote:I hope Kilkenny put out a good strong outfit

They wont, in terms of Seniors: http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=249043 .

boomcha wrote:

kingscounty wrote:I hope Kilkenny put out a good strong outfit

They wont, in terms of Seniors: http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=249043 .

I really don't care what Kilkenny put out.
more interested to What Offaly Do.
Disappointed to hear Nolan wouldn't be on the panel this year. Its his 1st year out of u21 and to me this is the time lads should be coming into the panel not leaving it. Keily, Gardiner and loads other over the last 10 years coming out of minor straight into the senior panel, Its Madness.
Name the last Kilkenny player to come straight from the Minor without playing u21 into the senior team.
That why I'm happy that Doughlan coming into the panel now just coming out of u21 he has that bit of physically power and still a hunger for the game.

Looking forward to getting a Cup of Coffee in Emma in Birr on Sunday.
This is a big chance for Birr Gaa to lay a Claim to Hurling big games. Which is massively important for Birr Town.
Birr need make this stick. The best way to do that is to have a good efficient run game.
The other thing is that Birr need a good Crowd and a good gate return from sunday.
Lets hope they get it.
I see Padraig had his say this morning as well.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 66219.html

Toxicity234 wrote: I see Padraig had his say this morning as well.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic- ... 66219.html

Fortress!

Bnm you put up fortress!anything more to add??

You can still get in free. But you gotta get there early. From the Birr GAA notes -

Throw in is at 2.00pm so stewards need to be inside the ground by 1.00pm at the latest as county board officials will be on the gate and access will be denied thereafter.

Keiap wrote:Bnm you put up fortress!anything more to add??

Padraig's memory might be selective on that one.
In a lot of years, Offaly didn't take the league too seriously and plenty of teams left Birr with 2 points in their pocket - Antrim, Down and Leix in my lifetime.
If Offaly were up for it, then they could give anyone a game, but I seriously doubt Offaly's home record is any way remarkable compared to their peers of the 80s, 90s or 00s.

Btw, if Sunday's game gives hurling in the area a shot in the arm, then great.

Can we change the name of this website to north Offaly supporters club or OCP supporters club?it sounds like to me that you guys would only be delighted if 50 people turned up Sunday which is wrong we are all in this together.

I am just delighted for the Birr club who have went in and done alot of work in a small amount of time, people outside of Birr must realise we have a club now with very good people involved so the haters of the old club officals please reconise this.

Yes a few more things have to be done to the grounds but this match is a start. Best of luck of Birr gaa and the Offaly team on Sunday.