Offaly Hurling Championships 2014

[Plain of the Herbs]

Yes, that's the scenario I am basing it on.

POH. The way it looks to me is that for Clareen to finish second they would hoping for kk to beat both coolderry and f/b.

At this stage, my projected quarter-final pairings are - K-K v Kinnitty, Clareen v Birr, with Shinrone or Rynagh's to play Coolderry or Belmont (I'm not going to hazard a guess at which of Shinrone or Rynagh's will have the better scoring difference!).

[Toxicity234]

Drumcullen 1-14 Brosna Gaels 1-10 ft

[kaiserchief]

allstar2010
My understanding was that the bottom two teams in each group where up for relegation. 5th in one group would play 6th in the other.

Looks like this will be Drumcullen and Brosna Gaels form one group. The only upset would be Drumcullen to beat Belmount and both finish on 4 points. Then Drumcullen would go through on head to head basis.

In the other group Tullamore look to be a cert for the relegation play offs. The loser of Ballinamere and Kinnity will join them.

POH - I think your predictions will be fairly spot on. Both Shinrone and Rynaghs would expet to win their last two games!

[blue biffo]

Yes two go down in each group to help make this new Senior B and i think 4 coming up from intermediate then there will be 8 teams in Senior B and leave8 in Senior A.Same in football, would not swear to all that but think that is the story

[Buttons]

There will be no senior b in hurling.

Great win for Ballinamere tonight. should be enough for safety, excellent first year in senior.

[Toxicity234]

Senior Hurling Championship Group 1
Team.......................Pld....W...D...L....F....Agt...Diff...Points
St Rynagh's (Hurling)..... 3..... 2...1...0....52....44..... 8...... 5
Shinrone....................3......2...1...0....62....55..... 7...... 5
Ballinamere............... 3......2... 0...1.. 50.... 58.... -8...... 4
Birr......................... 3..... 1....0...2....43... 42.... .1...... 2
Kinnitty.................... 3......1....0...2...56.. 58...... -2...... 2
Tullamore................. 3...... 0... 0...3...42.. 48...... -6..... 0

Senior Hurling Championship Group 2
Team.......................Pld...W...D...L....F....Agt...Diff...Points
Kilcormac-Killoughey .....3 .... 3...0...0....89...49....40........6
Coolderry................... 3.... 2.... 0. 1... 68... .48.... 20.....4
Seir Kieran..................3.....1.... 1..1... 64 ....65.... -1......3
Belmont GAA...............3..... 1... 1..1.....67.....78 ...-11.....3
Drumcullen................. 3.... 1 ...0.. 2....46.....72.....-26....2
Brosna Gales................3.....0... 0...3....46.... 68 ....-22....0

Only made two games this weekend. Coolderry/Kieran and Belmont/Kilcormac/Killoughey. Coolderry and Kieran was covered excellent by italia90 (Welcome to the site and excellent 1st posted).
Kilcormac/Killoughey were in 2nd gear from most of the game and still in a different league to Belmont. Currams was outstanding.
A total of 89 points in 3 games and that with two new young forward coming into Kilcormac Killoughey forward line.
But Belmont didn't help themselves. Colin Egan at centre back was a fish out of water. I though that putting Colin Egan in corner forward on the Kilcormac Killoughey corner backs could have created a miss match and give Belmont a way into the game in the forward line.
Kilcormac Killoughey look to have improved again this year.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I was at Sunday evening’s O’Connor Park double header.

Kilcormac did what they had to do and while Belmont didn’t do a whole lot wrong they were outclassed by the champions.

In the first match, Kinnitty were terrible. Use whatever description you want – dire, atrocious, abysmal, whatever.

Ballinamere led 0-5 to 0-3 when I got in but Kinnitty more-or-less dominated the remainder of the first half, after James Rigney moved from full-forward to centre half-forward and combined well with Colm Coughlan for some nice scores and Kinnitty led 0-10 to 0-6 at half-time. Kieran McLoughlin had some difficulty getting length into his puckouts facing the fresh wind and though Ballinamere generally fielded well and scrimmaged well, it was apparent that too many of their forwards are comfortable on just the one side.

Rigney moved further back on the restart, to midfield but playing as an auxiliary centre half-back and did well for a time. Ballinamere countered by moving Paddy Murphy into a more central position and Murphy began to exert an influence, winning or breaking McLoughlin’s puckouts, and Rigney was posted to full-forward by the mid point of the half. By then, Ballinamere had turned the four point half-time deficit into a four point advantage, aided by a brilliantly worked goal that was finished by Michael Murphy, Ballinamere’s first Senior goal in 52 years.

Utterly dominant into the final quarter, Ballinamere should have put the issue to bed but six successive wides from as many shots at goal kept Kinnitty in it. Then defender Nicholas Minnock came up from defence to show the forwards how it was done with a beautiful point. Than should have inspired Ballinamere but straightaway Kinnitty were awarded a penalty and wing-back James Dempsey drove to the net.

A draw seemed quite likely (and the one result that would have given Tullamore a chance of finishing fourth, but Ballinamere finished stronger. Deserving winners, and deserving quarter-finalists.

Kinnitty looked for leadership but none was forthcoming, I’m not altogether sure if Pat Delaney is a man for promoting modern hurling techniques, and when Ballinamere were first to the ball during the second half Kinnitty were unable to win the frees that Coughlan usually converts. They face a long road back.


I wasn’t there Saturday evening but evidently Shinrone showed some steel to grab a win in a match that seemed to be slipping away from them. Two years ago they were grinding out wins over Belmont and Tullamore, now they are going to the wire to gain a win over Birr. Only their third time ever to beat Birr in the SHC – 1981 (1-10 to 1-5) and 1961 (3-5 to 0-7) were the others. Tangible progress, and they are now to be considered title contenders.

[townman]

yes good win for Shirone POTH, But i wouldn't put it down to progress so much for Shirone but how far
Birr have slipped down the ladder, it looks like K/K will win the sean Robbins cup with out getting into second gear, but i have a feeling they are going to take some beating this year and thats outside of offaly .

[shannonbanks14]

Agree with ya about birr slippin down ladder, but Shinrone not up ta much. Birr still a dangerous team to have to play in knockout hurling. Dont agree about KK though, they are beatable and if they lose focus could be caught by Rynaghs, Clareen, Birr and possibly Coolderry(who are also slipping) in a once off knockout game.

[kaiserchief]

It will be an interesting last 2 rounds now...

Ballinamere will be shaking with the taught's of getting to a quarter final with Kinnitty, Tullamore, Brosna Gaels, Drumcullen & even Belmount and Birr now worried prospect of playin relegation..

In my opinion Senior hurling in offaly is not competitive enough. We have to think of a better system , Senior A & B would be the obvious one.

[townman]

in saying that most outside of offaly say our club championship is good, our record in the club is as good as any club side.

[Lone Shark]

Of all the complaints that could be leveled at Offaly hurling, a lack of competitiveness in the SHC is not a fair one. There are six teams in the county that are all in with a very realistic chance this year, priced at 11/1 or shorter, and when you consider that two of those six teams have played and lost All Ireland club finals in the last couple of seasons, that's decent going. Even outside of that group, clubs like Belmont, Kinnitty and now Ballinamere seem to be well able to put up decent performances against better sides as well.

[kaiserchief]

Even outside of that group, clubs like Belmont, Kinnitty and now Ballinamere seem to be well able to put up decent performances against better sides as well.

Will ya come out of the tall grass. Where u @ Belmont versus KK over the weekend. KK where only in 2nd gear and won at their ease.

I do think Belmont are the stronger of what I would call the weaker teams. If Drumcullen beat them in the group game, which could happen, relegation will stair them in the face.
How many years have teams like Drumcullen, Lusmagh, Shamrocks, Brosna Gaels played in relegation final after relegation final.
Take for example Brosna Gaels play KK next weekend knowing they will be playing relegation after loosing first 3 matches. That is no way to have a championship fixture.

I would propose a reduction of senior hurlin to 8 teams. (That would be the same for division 1 league also)
2 groups of 4 and you play 3 games. 1 at home, 1 away and 1 @ neutral venue.
each team qualifies from 1-4 with first team in group 1 playing 4th team in group 2.

Not trying to knock, players or teams individually but the standard is poor and our county board has to look at this. I would be looking at this for an improvement towards offaly hurling in general and not individual clubs competing nationally. Fair play to teams like KK, Birr, Coolderry who have achieved so much in last few years. The standard and even the attendance at championship matches are poor. The atmosphere is dull at most games where you know exactly who will win.

When has there been a shock in offaly hurling where the underdog won. (David vs Goliath) A team thats 11/1 or even 8/1 to win. Tullamore versus Birr in the quarter final in 2009 maybe? When Tullamore didnt win a group game and went on to win a championship. They won in knockout and thats what championship hurling is for me.

[Lone Shark]

In fairness, teams that are 8/1 or bigger pulling off upsets is extremely rare across the country. I can't remember the last time it happened at senior intercounty, and I'd struggle to come up with too many examples on the club scene either.

Yes Belmont were off the pace at the weekend, but they drew with Seir Kieran the weekend before, and gave KK plenty of it in the quarter final last year. They're not one of the six teams that can win, but on a good day, they can beat one of those six.

And yes, the same teams tend to be involved in the relegation playoffs, but that's the way in most counties. Gridiron-style parity simply doesn't exist in gaelic games. We do have uncompetitive games, but no more than in other counties either. Thurles Sars vs Ballingarry, De la Salle vs Ardmore, Ballyhale vs Tullaroan, Portumna vs Padraig Pearses, any one of these games would have the favourite at 1/20 or shorter. You won't find a load of shocks like that in Offaly, but you won't find them outside of the county either.

[kaiserchief]

I never understand why we have to copy other counties!! I agree its a bit Grid iron but to win now you have to do things different. If you copy any other county you are already behind!!