Pat Delaney's article in last Sunday's Programme

[Plain of the Herbs]

Did anyone else happen to read Pat Delaney’s ‘Offaly were always first’ article on pages 7-10 of last Sunday’s programme? Someone who’s more computer-literate than me might scan the full article onto word and post it up. Here are some of his observations/gripes with Offaly GAA. My own comments are in italics:-

It opens “Laois and Kildare followers agree on very little, except their utter contempt for their neighbours in the Faithful County. Read the curse of Allen elsewhere in this publication to see how Kildare regard their neighbours around the Edenderry border and a perusal through the previous meetings is evidence of the punishment handed out over the years by the wearers of the tri-colour jerseys.”
What’s wrong with Offaly winning matches? Anyway, a perusal of the records reveals that in 33 previous meetings, each won 15 with 3 draws. In fact, before last Sunday it was Kildare 16, Offaly 15 with 5 draws.

“We in Laois cannot boast of All-Irelands but we would say anything we won we earned it and they can hardly say the same.”
There is no such thing as a handy All-Ireland and anything we won was hard earned. They should try hard work in Laois some year. It might work. Of course it’s easier being bitter.

“From there (1959) until 1971 we (Laois) beat them (Offaly) every year.”
Just to set the record straight, Laois did NOT beat Offaly every year between 1959 and 1971.

Now this gem. “In 1971 the All-Stars were introduced and they got their first award ever Damien Martin of Banagher became the first hurling keeper to be honoured, strong Fianna Fail connections probably helped.”
Almost forty years on and he's using the word 'probably.' Time to harden up on the facts or drop it. Anyway, how on earth would political connections help garner an All Star award?

“They also got another first in the football awards, Eugene Mulligan of Rhode became win one automatically, because he was the only player nominated for the position, it is not fair and his brother resided here in Portlaoise for many years.”
What’s not fair about it? Obviously Mulligan was a unanimous choice among the nominating committee.

“In 1980 they finally won the senior hurling championship beating Kilkenny before ten thousand people although at least 20,000 Offaly supporters claim to have been there.”
I must say that I’ve never met someone who claimed to be at that match who wasn’t there, even drunks in pubs, yet he’s aware of ten thousand of them. Something doesn’t add up..

“Twelve months later they won the All-Ireland beating Galway although many people believe the winning goal scored by Johnny Flaherty of Kinnitty was thrown into the net.”
The only ones who believe that are those who, 28 years on, still haven’t seen the goal on video.

“Now that they have claimed Obama and the Taoiseach and the Irish Open surely there was some family of Ratzinger’s in Kinnitty or Cadamstown years ago and probably related to the man in the Vatican”
He really needs to get a grip here.

Just to sum up, we complain when we are handed an A4 sheet for a programme with just the lineouts listed on it. However, buying a publication with four pages of this is a bit much. I’ve always regarded Pat Delaney as being a decent media commentator but this isn’t the place to make known his contempt (his word) for Offaly. Hopefully writing this has enabled him to release some of that pent-up bitterness and provided him with some therapy. Otherwise an A4 sheet for a programme will suffice the next time we visit Portlaoise.

[athlumneyboy]

Well said Plain of herbs it kills Laois that Offaly have won so much and are able Minor sucess into Senior success unlike them.

If Leinster council are producing a rag like this then you would be better with just a teamsheet. I wonder whats in store for us next Saturday the Wexford crowd are just as bitter did anyone see Loachra Gael the other night Storey and Dunnes comments on John Troy being two stone over weight bitter or what? Dunne pulled the struck and got what he deserved,

[lovelyhurling]

I have glanced over this article at the match Sunday and it was obvious from it, the spite and bitterness i have come to associate with some Laois followers and in particular their journalists. Bitter people who we have to put up with at the border here claiming greatness because they have won A leinster title and A league title..... there a joke

[azoffaly]

Has Pat Delaney any standing in the GAA? If he has, then the article was a disgrace. I thought it was going to be something humourous when I started reading, but I gave up after the first page. It was so stupid, and reeked of kicking us when we are down.

By Jaysus I can't wait until we are up again, and can go over the border to them bitter fuckers and rub their noses in it.

[Archangel]

It opens “Laois and Kildare followers agree on very little, except their utter contempt for their neighbours in the Faithful County. Read the curse of Allen elsewhere in this publication to see how Kildare regard their neighbours around the Edenderry border and a perusal through the previous meetings is evidence of the punishment handed out over the years by the wearers of the tri-colour jerseys.”

Had a look on the Kildare Forum http://kildaregaa.proboards.com/index.c ... thread=573
Seems out of 29 votes, only 2 were for the Faithful and 15 were Laois. Very little sign of 'utter contempt' there against Offaly.
Laois Queens are the biggest know-all, bitter, thick, airhead GAA supporters in Ireland. And the author of that piece is a prime example.

[Treasurer]

In fairness, I started off annoyed by it, but I think it was pretty much tongue in cheek.

[Georgio1]

Ah lads, I think it was tongue in cheek, I laughed at it, and in fairness some of the inaccuracies are before my time so I was none the wiser.
Sure if they are that bitter with us then its their blood pressure rising, not mine!

[Treasurer]

The full article.... I found the typos and poor writing more irritating than the actual content....

OFFALY WERE ALWAYS FIRST
by Pat Delaney
Laois and Kildare followers agree on very little, except their utter contempt for their neighbours in the Faithful County. Read the curse of Allen elsewhere in this publication to see how Kildare regard their neighbours around the Edenderry border and a perusal through the previous meetings is evidence of the punishment handed out over the years by the wearers of the tri-colour jerseys.

We here in Laois have a sneaking regard for them but along the Garryhinch border well they are a law unto themselves. We in Laois cannot boast of All-irelands but we would say anything we won we earned it and they can hardly say the same. It goes back along way but really the present generation only look back forty years ago because before that there was little to separate.
Go back fifty years ago and in hurling we put six goals past them in the Leinster championship but the next day out in Birr Kilkenny beat us with eight goals.

The same year we won our first championship game in football in eight years beating Wicklow and reached the qtr. final where Offaly were waiting here in Portlaoise, twelve months earlier in Newbridge they put seven goals past the unfortunate Sean Ryan the Laois keeper and he living in Portarlington that must have been a bitter pill to swallow, they would not have rub it in the Gaelic bar.

We managed a draw on this occasion and they invited us to Tullamore for the replay, they were cocky but three great goals and our first victory over them since 1947 when, we were the reigning champions of the eastern Province, and we were on the way to the semi-final, facing Longford in their own O'Connor Park and to rub salt into the wounds we beat Longford and reached the final for the first time since 1951 and where better to face Dublin only in O'Connor Park. For the third championship game in succession we were in Tullamore and led at half time but the story had an unhappy ending with John Timmons giving a wonder display of point scoring from all angles and the referee was none other than the late John Dowling of Tullamore who in 1987 became President of the association.

From there until 1971 we beat them every year. In 1969 here in Portlaoise the Laois hurlers faced the Faithful in the second round. In round one we hammered Westmeath by 5-12 to 0-1 in Tullamore and they were taking stock but we did not care we were on a high, On June 15th. In the middle of an election campaign the posters proclaimed vote Cowen (Ber) and Connolly (Ger) for a better future, yeah but for whom. Offaly hammered the Blue and White, in the opening half Paddy Molloy scored 5-1 and in the second half added another goal and a point. The Drumcullen man would become the first Offaly hurler to win a Railway cup medal in 1965 and played at this level for 9 more years and in 1966 received an Ireland jersey akin to an All Star now; Seventy years ago Tom the "Chonk"McEvoy from Gracefield became the first Faithful footballer to win a Railway cup medal, but they do not mention that Laois supplied the goalkeeper and all but one of the backs in that victory over an Ulster team that featured the gallant John Joe Reilly at full forward. Final score in the hurling of 69 was Offaly 8-10 Laois 2-5. Then they beat Wexford 5-10 to 3-11, 13-21 in two games and now they were laughing and in the final they played fierce well but Kilkenny had been warned and beat them by 3-9 to 0-16.

All agreed it would not be long until they were fighting on two fronts, that year their footballers beat Westmeath and Wexford scoring three goals on both occasions and only Kildare stood in their way, the boys from the short grass had beaten both Meath and Dublin and were favourites when they arrived in Croke Park. Three years previous in Portlaoise, Kildare beat them in a replay but in Croke Park the Lilies perished and Paddy Monaghan from Tullamore who had won u-21 in 1968 and a minor All-Ireland five years earlier captained Offaly to their first title since 1961. Again, they scored three goals and the margin was five points. Offaly then beat Cavan in a replay to reach their first All-Ireland final. Kerry beat Mayo by a point and in the final had three to spare captained by Johnny Culloty of Killarney and a full forward line of Mick Gleeson, Liam Higgins and Mick O'Dwyer, who later that year was honoured with the Caltex award for football.

Offaly supporters had spent a lot of time in Croke Park and it was only beginning. Twelve months later they had an easy passage to the final beating Westmeath but Longford nearly caught them in Croke Park, the game ended all square but Offaly won the replay by five points.
The final was amazing they scored 5-12 but Meath went better they amassed 2-22, a one point defeat. The first 80 minute final was introduced that year. They later claimed another first that year; Tony McTeague became top scorer in the first ever 80 minute mach with 0-10.

Kildare reached finals. in the next two years and Offaly beat them in both and the semi¬final the following year, add in they won a first All-Ireland beating Galway captained Willie Bryan, we believe a Portlaoise born man, and a year later became the only an still the only County to beat Kerry in replayed All-Ireland final.

In 1971 the All-Stars were introduced and they got the first award ever Damien Martin of Banagher became the first hurling keeper to be honoured, strong Fianna Fail connections probably helped. They also got another first in the football awards, Eugene Mulligan of Rhode became the first player to win one automatically, because he was the only player nominated for the position, it is not fair and his brother resided here in Portlaoise for many years.

Speaking of All-Stars they, now boast of being the only County to have filled all thirty positions, fifteen hurlers and fifteen footballers. Speaking of firsts Kevin Kilmurray is the only player in the history of the association to win championship medals in different Counties on the same day. He helped his native Daingean win the Offaly u¬21 championship in the afternoon and later that evening helped UCD win the Dublin championship. When the Club championships commenced in 1971 Gracefield became the first champions, defeating Newtown Blues of Louth and in hurling St.Rynaghs won the hurling beating Rathnure of Wexford, speaking of the club championship Birr took over in the nineties adding seven Provincial titles and four AII¬Irelands and when the team of the Millennium was announced Brian Whelehan was the only modern day player to be licked, now he has joined the week in Politics.

When the Grounds tournament commenced in 1961 they were the first winners beating Kerry in the semi-final then beat Down by three points captained by Willie Nolan. In 1954 they O'Byrne cup was introduced and Noel McGee the barber in Tullamore became the first winning captain beating Meath. When Ladies football was introduced in 1974 they were first into the final but lost to Tipperary.
Eighteen players in the history of the association are dual All-Ireland medallists, Liam Currams of Kilcormac won the hurling in 19-81 and a year later added a football equivalent.

1982 was a special year, in May Mick Flanagan whose Father Bill hailed from Killeigh and wore the Black and Amber became the first Offaly man to play at Wembley in the FA Cup final with QPR against Spurs. Glenn Hoddle gave the Londoners from White Hart Lane the lead in extra time but five minutes later before a hundred thousand spectators QPR drew level but in the replay Hoddle again scored but this time there was no reply and Flanagan got a runners up medal I, suppose the he became the first Biffo to shake hands with the Queen.
In September after beating Laois in the Leinster semi-final thanks to a goal and three points from Brendan Lowry they, retained the Leinster Crown having denied Laois twelve months earlier with Lowry scoring 1-4 in the final.

In the All-Ireland semi-final they beat their neighbours beyond Shannon bridge by a point, and well the final is well documented, the winning goal is still talked of but they got the cup and "Micko" missed out on being canonised but he is still going strong twenty seven years later, as is the winning Manager Eugene McGee. They have only added a Leinster and National League title since.

In 1980 they finally won the senior hurling championship beating Kilkenny before ten thousand people although at least 20,000 Offaly supporters claim to have been there. Twelve months later they won the All-Ireland beating Galway although many people believe the winning goal scored by Johnny Flaherty of Kinnitty was thrown into the net. The following year a controversial goal by Matt Ruth relieved them of their titles. That same year they beat Laois by a point in the NHL Semi-final in Kilkenny and reached the All-Ireland final having beaten Wexford in the Provincial final. Cork beat them in Thurles.

Then there was the famous Paddy Kirwan points in 1982 with Laois having scored six goals level the Ballyskenach hit man pointed from his own 21 yard line or just beyond. Nineteen eighty five and more controversy when Padraig Horan was awarded a goal that entered the side netting against Laois in the semi-final, they won the final and reached another All-Ireland against the neighbours around Portumna and more controversy when P J Molloy had a perfect goal disallowed. When Galway arrived in Eyre Square on Monday night Cyril Farrell told the crowd they won the mistake he made was not telling them to sit down on the pitch on the Sunday evening.

Offaly appeared in eleven successive Leinster hurling finals winning Seven and in the late eighties won their first and second All-Ireland minor titles beating Cork and Clare and Tipperary denied them the double in 1989 beating them in the U-21 here in Portlaoise, they won two more. In1994 they, regained the Leinster title at senior level beating Wexford and trained by Eamon Cregan they faced Limerick in the All-Ireland final and with Limerick five points in front with five minutes remaining Gary Kirby was rehearsing his Irish for the presentation, then bang Offaly hit 2-5 and instead Martin Hanamy cobbled together the culpa focal as Gaeilge and brought the Liam McCarthy back to Banagher.
A year later they reached another All-Ireland final but Biddy Early appeared and Liam was headed for Clarecastle with Anthony Daly. Wexford hammered them in 1996 but they were back again in 1998 this time Kilkenny had enough and beat them by five points in the Leinster final.
Gone, but not forgotten, they found their way back through the back door although "Babs" said they were like sheep, remember the one he told about Cork being Donkeys in the Derby, Cork won the Munster final. James Bond cousin Michael was summoned from across the Shannon and he sheared off their wool and made them run like greyhounds.

Clare who robbed them in 95 were their opponents in the semi-final. Jimmy Cooney also from the West was the man in the middle but the time piece was not the best and he called a halt with four minutes remaining and Clare just in front by three points.

Jimmy received an armed escort from the pitch but the boys were going nowhere fast. Ger Loughnanne called his lads home but half an hour later the population of the Faithful were still grazing. The county of the firsts had another one the first to stage a sit in Croke Park.
Eventually they departed on condition that they get a re-fixture and in Thurles under a new man in the middle. And a new watch.
Six days later Semple stadium was the venue, Joe Dooley was man of the match and Clare were gone after seventy two minutes.
Kilkenny were awaiting the re-match in September and Mr. Bond cracked the whip, Brian Whelehan moved into attack and Offaly hit 2-16 to 1-13 and Hubert Rigney became the third man from the St. Rynaghs club to receive the Liam McCarthy cup.
Leinster titles at U-21 level in 1991 and 92 but lost both AII-Irelands to Galway and Waterford. The year 19-91 saw another first they beat Wexford to win their only NHL Div. 1 title.

A few more firsts in 1981 they became the first County to win an All-Ireland with an outside Manager, Dermot Healy travelled from Conahy through the heart of Laois to mastermind the first Liam McCarthy success and twelve months later they became the first County to win Sam with an outside Manager and of course they are the first to win in both codes with outsiders.

Epilogue.

Clara in Offaly became the first club in the Country to be affiliated to the GAA. On December 15th. 1884 they signed up; Mick Sheridan's Grand father probably had an input along with Ber Cowen's grandfather. Last weekend was great for sport. The special one won the Italian league and has not lost a home game in seven years. Across the water Sir Alex won his 11th Title even though the special one at Anfield has yet to concede, he was probably caught up in the Sky coverage of the Golf in Baltray. He must feel like Robert Rock, had one hand on the trophy several times but then had it snatched from his grasp.

Sunday was a great day for amatures, Fermanagh beat Down and Louth beat Luke and Carlow. Louth followers left behind the greatest sporting event in years. This week every kid in Offaly wants a golf club, in 1981 they all wanted hurling sticks and a year later it was the big ball. Shane Lowry proved that the nice guys do win, in Manchester and the San Siro it is all about money.

Clara is the oldest club in the GAA World and now they have the Taoiseach and a super star. Brendan his Father won his first Leinster medal in 19-80 and in 87 scored six points when Kildare beat them in the championship. He won 3 Leinster titles and an All-Ireland medal he won a Railway cup medal in 1987, he helped Ferbane win the famous five in a row from 1986-90 and was team captain in 1986/87.When Ferbane beat Portlaoise in the club final he was their chief scorer. Brendan was chosen on the Offaly team of the Millennium wearing number fifteen. Shane's uncles Michael and Sean were part of that 1982 success, and incidentally Sean went on to win a Connacht senior football medal in 1985 when Mayo beat Roscommon and became the first Offaly man to score a goal in a Connacht decider. Now that they have claimed Obama and the Taoiseach and the Irish open surely, there was some family of Ratzinger's in Kinnitty or Cadamstown years ago and probably related to the man in the Vatican.

[red exile]

what a load of rubbish and obviously they were very stuck for something to fill a few pages to justify the 3 euro price tag

[Plain of the Herbs]

Pat Delaney is a brother of Leinster secretary Mick Delaney. I'm not sure if he's a county board officer but he may well have been previously. He is the encyclopedia of Laois GAA and also contributes to Radio3. He gets a mention in Pat Critchley's book for diffusing a serious row between the county hurlers and the county board.

That's what disappointed me really, that I thought he was above that level of schyte. If t'was for the Laois equivalent of 'Hot Press' or the like then I'd just let it go.

Has Pat Delaney any standing in the GAA? If he has, then the article was a disgrace. I thought it was going to be something humourous when I started reading, but I gave up after the first page. It was so stupid, and reeked of kicking us when we are down.

By Jaysus I can't wait until we are up again, and can go over the border to them bitter fuckers and rub their noses in it.

[Kemo Sabe]

nothing surprises me about that shower of fuckers from laois.they are jealous and bitter that we have won all irelands in both codes while they have won feck all

[bracknaghboy]

Awful muck. Bracknaghboy gave up buying programs a while back. 3Euro is a joke. They have got worse as time has gone on. Nothing more depressing than being in Tullamore in the middle of February flicking through the 4 page black and white excuse for a program before the game.....no effort made by whoever puts these rags together. There should be a plain A4 page with the teams on it for league games.....it should be free and handed to you when you pay. It was 12 Euro into the Laois league hurling match this year and then 2 Euro for the programme

[Heshs Umpire]

Ah Jaysus lads, lighten up will ye?

That was so obviously meant to be a light hearted colour piece. It's just when Pat D gets the laptop cranked up, it' s real stream of consciousness stuff and he sometimes gets a bit carried away.
Sure, didn't he say loads of nice things about ye too?
I agree, he started off badly though, "contempt" was by far the wrong word to use (I reserve it for West Dublin myself), the phrase "sneaking regard" further down probably sums it up.
In fairness to him, there's loads of good interesting stuff in there, it just doesn't always scan too well when Pat gets going!!

Just to clear up one other thing, Pat is not a County Board officer in Laois.

[Phoenix Arms]

I have to say I agree with Hesh's. I have the same amount of contempt for Laois that Pat has for Offaly. I'll say it to their faces too. If it hurt Pat so much then he'd remember that Horan's "goal" and Kirwan's point were in the same game (in 1981 too). I remember it even though I was only 10 at the time. The attitude should always be not to give a shite what any other county thinks of us. Claim the high moral ground from them. Point out inaccuracies, criticise his punctuation and syntax, but don't go down the road of tarring all Laois heads with the one brush.

How are Courtwood fixed for the Intermediate championship this year, Hesh's? Any sign of those under 12s making the step up in to senior level yet?

[backofthenet]

Jesus ive just pissed myself laughing at that shit!!

Its the most pathetic, badly written incomprehensible shit ive ever read in my life.

Ive never know there was such a bitterness from laois people, i think perhaps it is mainly football based??

The points he makes are sneaky digs, they have no basis in fact and are just made to get offaly peoples backs up.

Did you notice whenever he mentions that offaly got to a final it was "easy" and if offaly ever win it was as a result of cheating someway.


I think I will write to the GAA to protest about that article...anyone with me...we could form an angry mob??