Leinster club hurling and football 2013

[Plain of the Herbs]

Mention of Jamie Power, something tells me (and i could be wrong) he played in goals in a Minor All-Ireland on one of the occasions Offaly were in the Senior Final (1998 or 2000).

Like SBM I too saw the Kilkenny Final deferred having followed the scores on Twitland during the match. I expected alot more from Carrickshock but they seemed to be caught up in 'unlikely favourite' syndrome and couldn't cope with an underrated opponent who just wouldn't lie down. Something akin to Kilcormac in the 2009 County Final. Carrickshock were crying our for leadership but Michael Rice had his hands full at midfield while Richie Power phoned it in.

I get the impression that Richie Power will be grand playing for the county as long as Henry Shefflin in on the pitch to light and guide, to rule and guard. Once Shefflin calls it a day Power is frigged.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Oulart-The Ballagh doing alot of ochóning over injuries in advance of their Leinster quarter-final against Clara (the Kilkenny one, not the Offaly one). That means Darren Stamp, Eoin Moore and the whole lot of them will be just fine by Sunday.

[TheGreatGame]

K/K with the -4 handicap looks a very good bet for the weekend. Camross won a lot of admirers in Laois throughout the year with some really gutsy displays, but they don't have enough quality players to push K/K like Rathdowney/Errill did last year. Unlike Camross teams of the past who were famed for their physicality, size and ferocity, this is quite a young and physically small team. They certainly play with the determination you expect from the black and amber but I would expect K/K to come out on top of the physical exchanges.

For Camross to have any hope they need a massive game from Zane Keenan. If Camross are breaking even around the half-forward/half-back lines then he could have a huge influence on the game. Keep an eye out for Dwayne Palmer as well, still only a minor but this guy is one of our brightest prospects.

By the way, how old are the Geraghty's?

[Toxicity234]

Looking forward to the game on Sunday. I have to admit that i know very little about Camross.
Kilcormac Killoughey as Champion will have a target on there back in Lenister this year. They have to get use to that.
They is a bit of me thinks, that this game is more about getting over it, than anything else.
Kilcormac Killoughey will have to be up for this game. They would be the 1st champion to be caught out on the 1st day out.
The longer Camross are in the game they more they will believe they have a chance.

No Team in Offaly was within 6 points of Kilcormac Killoughey. I think they will have about 6 to spare again but it wouldn't be easy.

[kingscounty]

Good wins for our Offaly teams today, K/K won handy enough by the sounds of it as did Ballinamere and Birr won by 2 goals in the football. I see the fixtures has K/K down for a home game next on the 17th of November.

[townman]

yes good workman like win for the double k's, it took them a while to get going but when they did
they were in a different league to camross and won pulling up besides the late mistake from ger Healion for their goal.

i couldn't see from where i sat in the stands but k/k had what some say two goals not giving
James Gormans shot in the first half i though came back off the back bar in the net and should
have been a goal, the second one i was two far away to see.

Camross came out all guns blazing and were on top for a while with k/k missing a few chances
Conor Mahon should have scored a goal when he was put through but hit it at Doran in the camross goal Gorman shot that i think came back off the back net bar, still they went in two up
at half time, and they were home and dry after scoring i think it was 1-6 before camross open
their scoring in the second half.

they had good displays from Con Mahon, Kevin Grogan my MOTM and Brian Leonard in the second half and peter heailion in the backs, it took Kilmartin and Killian Leonard a while to get going but they won the second half battle hands down and both got on the score sheet.

Connor Mahon again done a great job at centre forward won must duels but i found it strange that they move him into fullforward in the first half and brought Currams centre forward, Camross took over in the half back line for a while when Mahon went full, but he went back to centre forward and the k/k forward line click again, peter Geraghy and Thomas score some lovely points in the first half, James Gorman had a fine game scored a few nice points and should have had his goal giving, Dan Currams was quiet but it shows thats a good thing
and they will need him more the next day.

over all a good win in which i though could be a bannana skin for them, but Camross were very poor team after k/k got on top. it was good to see young Cillian Kiely get a run today
and k/k have a strong bench to call on with Kiely,Fletcher,McConville,Coyne,James Geraghty,
and young Dylan Murray and john Grogan to call on some strength to call on there.

Oulart next in tullamore another great clash to come, also well done to Ballinamere and Birr on their leinster wins good weekend for offaly clubs.

[KillougheyGoBragh]

Listened to MR3 commentary.
Camross were pushing K-K hard up to half-time and missed a couple of chances on goal according to the commentary team.
K-K then seemed to go on a scoring spree early in the second-half led by Ciaran Slevin but, to all intensive purposes, it sounded like it was a James Gorman 'fest' and as if Kevin Grogan was everywhere again today.
Massive games all over the country today as well as here in the UK where St Gabriels beat Brother Pearse to win the London County Senior Club Hurling Championship led by their captain Neil Rogers who hails from Birr. Eoin Kelly from Lusmagh also plays for St Gabriels.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I wasn't able to get to a match today but I just want to say I enjoyed the inputs of Brian Carroll and Joe Troy on Radio3.

Oulart-The Ballagh will bring their own challenge. I watched the deferred showing of their quarter-final with Clara on TG4. Darren Stamp was absent and naturally OTB would be much better were he present. David Redmond enjoyed a storming second quarter at midfield when his side played their best hurling. Other hand, Ben O'Connor looked less than secure in goals and Keith Rossiter (normally reliable and one of my favourite hurlers currently) got hell of it under the dropping ball. A draw looked on the cards with time almost up. Worst possible result for K-K would have been a replay, followed by an Oulart win.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Offaly clubs have failed to advance beyond the first round just 6 times in the 44 years of the Leinster club hurling championship. Those 6 are -

Birr in 1972 (beaten by Camross)
Coolderry in 1978 (beaten by Crumlin)
Lusmagh in 1989 (beaten by Cuala)
Birr in 2000 (beaten by Castletown)
Birr in 2005 (beaten by UCD)
Coolderry in 2010 (beaten by Raharney)

And an asterix can be placed alongside Coolderry in 1978 and Birr in 2000 - the county championships were unfinished at the time and both were nominated to represent Offaly.

[townman]

what was the story in 1978, we know foot and mouth was the reason in 2000, as Birr won the title
anyway the week after that defeat, wasn't that game to be played in Birr or tullamore but with waterlog pitches it was switch to portlaoise instead.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Something like - 1978 dragged on because St Rynagh's and Kinnitty couldn't agree on a date for their Final. One couldn't or wouldn't play before a particular date, the other wouldn't play after a particular date and a stalemate ensued for a number of weeks. A date for the Final was finally agreed, the Leinster Club was the same day, there was hope of deferring that but Crumlin (the opposition) wouldn't agree to a deferral.

Foot and Mouth was the cause of the deferral of the 2000 Final from February to March but there were a number of reasons why the championship wasn't finished by the start of November - Offaly reaching the All-Ireland, Birr playing no matches prior to summer because they were kicked out and later (correctly) reinstated, then Birr having to play 5 group matches in the autumn, the weather broke and then there were play-offs to delay the thing even further.

what was the story in 1978, we know foot and mouth was the reason in 2000, as Birr won the title
anyway the week after that defeat, wasn't that game to be played in Birr or tullamore but with waterlog pitches it was switch to portlaoise instead.

[Bord na Mona man]

Good win for the Ks. They were 6-3 down after 15 minutes. In heavy conditions and a 60 minute game, this was mildly concerning. Even being 10-8 up at half time leaves a team vulnerable to a goal and the revival that might follow it.
However they pulled away handsomely after the break.

OTB up next. Mentally K-K will have a bit of an advantage on the Wexford lads. Since the 80s Wexford teams have developed a habit of beating Kilkenny sides and then losing the next day. This is OTB's chance to do a 3-in-a-row on this one.

[theman]

Something like - 1978 dragged on because St Rynagh's and Kinnitty couldn't agree on a date for their Final. One couldn't or wouldn't play before a particular date, the other wouldn't play after a particular date and a stalemate ensued for a number of weeks. A date for the Final was finally agreed, the Leinster Club was the same day, there was hope of deferring that but Crumlin (the opposition) wouldn't agree to a deferral.

Foot and Mouth was the cause of the deferral of the 2000 Final from February to March but there were a number of reasons why the championship wasn't finished by the start of November - Offaly reaching the All-Ireland, Birr playing no matches prior to summer because they were kicked out and later (correctly) reinstated, then Birr having to play 5 group matches in the autumn, the weather broke and then there were play-offs to delay the thing even further.

what was the story in 1978, we know foot and mouth was the reason in 2000, as Birr won the title
anyway the week after that defeat, wasn't that game to be played in Birr or tullamore but with waterlog pitches it was switch to portlaoise instead.

Just wondering POTH, why were Birr wrongly thrown out of the championship that year?

[Plain of the Herbs]

The first round was fixed for a date in April. Birr had a long-term arrangement for their medal presentation night on the night before the first round, had sought a postponement but were refused, and subsequently refused to play the match. For refusing to fulfil the fixture they were thrown out of the championship.

Expulsion may have been technically correct under the rule but everyone knew they would be reinstated and anyway no-one wanted the Championship to proceed without them. The reinstatement came some time during the summer. Everyone else had played two matches prior to the summer which meant Birr had a backlog of fixtures.

Something tells me the media articles relating to Birr's 2000 expulsion and reinstatement are on the Hogan Stand site if you can do a search.

Just wondering POTH, why were Birr wrongly thrown out of the championship that year?

[theman]

The first round was fixed for a date in April. Birr had a long-term arrangement for their medal presentation night on the night before the first round, had sought a postponement but were refused, and subsequently refused to play the match. For refusing to fulfil the fixture they were thrown out of the championship.

Expulsion may have been technically correct under the rule but everyone knew they would be reinstated and anyway no-one wanted the Championship to proceed without them. The reinstatement came some time during the summer. Everyone else had played two matches prior to the summer which meant Birr had a backlog of fixtures.

Something tells me the media articles relating to Birr's 2000 expulsion and reinstatement are on the Hogan Stand site if you can do a search.

Just wondering POTH, why were Birr wrongly thrown out of the championship that year?

Thanks for that POTH. Interesting to know. Heres a link to that article - http://hoganstand.com/Offaly/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=24344

Final wasnt played till March