Offaly Hurling 2020

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
Fairplayalways
All Star
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Fairplayalways »

frankthetank wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:53 pm It really is a desperately sad time for Offaly hurling and trying to piece through the rubble of 2020 will be difficult but as is the merits of internet forums I'd like to add my two cents in more than likely an unstructured meandering post.

First of all Offaly's gameplan today was and is hugely concerning. Good managers come to counties, assess the players and devise a game plan that best suits those players. Inept managers come to counties and have a game plan long formed in their head and are so dogmatic that even after assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of their players, they inflict that pre-designed style of hurling on the team even if it's patently unsuitable to the squad. Guess which side the current Offaly manager falls into?

For instance, what current Offaly Senior A or Senior B team hurls in the same style as Offaly hurl today? The answer is none so our current crop of players have had no experience of hurling like that at club underage, club adult or intercounty underage yet they are supposed to adapt to it as adults. Not going to happen. The closest any club has done to hurling like that was the Kilcormac team under John Leahy and the St Rynaghs team of the early 2010's. When both teams moved away from this one dimensional approach they became successful. It's quite clear the best teams bring a variety of a short, long and running game to their hurling (That's why Limerick won an All Ireland and Wexford didnt - Limerick vary it, Wexford stick to the system) and they don't stick rigidly to one way of hurling. Offaly couldn't adapt on the fly today and weren't given licence to do so. That's all on the manager.

Michael Fennelly's appointment was greeted by fanfare by many but I found it a very strange appointment. When appointing an intercounty manager I feel the first thing to do is look at his previous body of management work. However Fennelly's CV was to all extents and purposes blank. So how exactly was he the outstanding candidate? I'm not privy to who was interviewed or was there any interest but surely there were people out there with at the very least some sort of senior club management experience. Did we overlook them for the high profile candidate. A rookie was the last thing we needed in 2020.


I now think it is imperative that the county board move with conviction. We need to quietly thank MF for his year and move him on. Following this we need to move to appoint a manager who knows the club scene well in Offaly so we are not starting from fresh again in 2021. While overall I would have reservations about him I think the best candidate at the moment is Ken Hogan. Has won county finals with Coolderry and Banagher and won an All Ireland U21 with Tipperary. At least unlike the current incumbent he has a wealth of experience built up.

Make no mistake about it if we don't achieve promotion from Div 2 of the league and the Christy Ring Cup in 2021 our condition may move from critical to terminal.
Michael Fennelly was appointed on foot of Eddie Brennan having Laois hurling out of their skins in his first term as Laois Manager, so Offaly lowered their bucket into the Kilkenny well also, hoping to pull up a bucket full of change...to examine exaclty where we are, Offaly not having won in a Leinster in 25 years, yes, 25 years, worth saying again, and an All Ireland (1998)which was a lucky one to be brutally honest, we can roar and shout about Brian Whelehan scoring 1-03 from full forward while suffering with flu, that was all really Roy of the Rovers stuff, Kilkenny were beating us fairly easily in Leinster finals from 1998 onwards, and the back door and a row with Babs Keating, a lucky second chance against Clare, Tony Browne getting his ankle broke in the Munster final with Clare (the latter two counties were the best two teams in Ireland in 1998 - lets cut this lark, we won the all ireland so we must have been, we were lucky to get a Kilkenny team in the final whom were not unified over the whole the DJ Carey retirement/not retired, putting a penalty over the bar when they needed a a goal..and apparently Kevin Fennelly had his issues too..that wasnt a great Kilkenny team now to be honest, look forward to next year 2021?.add another year of "we are not at the bottom yet" is a ship that has long sailed..we are at the bottom of where we are, no provincial in 25, a microwaved All Ireland 22 years ago..yes 23 years ago, and we are still hanging onto that things might change next year...you can bring who you like into Offaly, we dont have the players, or enough of them...I have been like alot, HOPING Offaly can turn the tables, but, with the exception of 4/5 players named on the starting 15 today, some are big name players but deliver nothing on a regular basis....I like Fennelly, but like above, honestly dont think we have the hurlers no matter who we have managing...put Brian Cody over Offaly, and half or more of starting 15 today wouldnt get next or near the pitch due to their work rate...

Fairplayalways
All Star
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Fairplayalways »

joe bloggs wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:05 pm First off well done to Down. I belive two teams get promoted this year so they are going up. I felt the ref gifted us a free to level it at the end of etxta time. They pick from a tiny base so its a great achievement.

We cant stay playing hurling from the past, but today in the conditions we did need to be more direct. I can recall one great point where we worked it through the lines and Kiely struck it over, bit i can recall many times the ball being turned over in our own half after we had chances to cleat them. You sometimes have to look at the conditions and say right, lets get back to basics.

Thanks to the lads for their efforts, i know they train as hard as any other county.


2020 cant end soon enough.
Down have 8 clubs (or had the last time we were looking at them) Offaly had 8 also for a long time, then it was decided that we would have 12, and with absolute respect to the additional senior clubs, they were all yo yo clubs, Senior this year, Intermediate next year, all the added in 4 clubs were in the main, always hanging around relegation...Offaly have barely 8 Senior clubs even now, A county final WILL be won by either St. Rynaghs, Kilcormac Killoughey, Birr, Coolderry, and Belmont/Shinrone and Clareen for now as outside chance, and realistically will any of the latter 3 really win a county final this year or next year???...so alot of our club group games are tame affairs with the same teams comming to the top the whole time...Down would have only about 2/3 teams capable of representing their county(they play in Antrim championship in senior I think dont they)...ah look we are going down a road here that is not going to change Offaly hurling...I dont know, we do not have the hurlers now, or enough of them from what I see, too many passengers...if your not cutting your teeth after 2 or 3 seasons involved, your never going to do it...

Sur lookit
Senior
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2020 4:20 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Sur lookit »

As a mainly football man with a huge interest in the hurling I am genuinely shocked at the performance yesterday.

I wanted to see what the lie of the land was here before I comment.

Hugely significant point about the manager adapting to the players at his disposal, and building a gameplan around that. I wouldn't be overly harsh on Fennelly in that regard, he asked the lads to play heads up hurling I would guess and they did that without pressure and at intensity and got away with it against Derry. Yesterday conditions were worse and Dwn had benefit of a good look at us. Likewise the conditions, players have to be given the tools/licence to adapt. You can''t fuck around with the ball coming out of defence like we did yesterday. I said last week that we had a plan and (yes, I would have been concerned at the intensity we played at last week, but it was our first game in months), I was hoping that we would push on to another level yesterday.
We didn't. Poor conditions for both teams. We were awful. We were awful in the main because we had no respect for the opposition, and the conditions...it was going to be a dogfight when conditions, and having to drive that distance for a match and prepare accordingly 2 weeks in a row.

Ball winning ability in the forwards was limited, and the ridiculous fouls we gave away in the first half, even the commentators were amazed at our lack of discipline. Our shot options were poor, and at a time when we had a full forward line inside we hit very little ball into them. Defensively the 2 goals were very poor, and the fact that we only scored one goal in 3 games against northern opposition speaks volumes.
For a number of years some players have been spoken about as quality forwards, but unfortunately quality needs work rate and we didn't have it yesterday.
Paddy Delaney, Ben C and Cillian Kiely and young Cahill, (because of the ability to nail frees) were at the pitch of it yesterday, others to a lesser and some not at all.

To be honest I'm shocked at the result and the fact that we are at this level, let's face it, we had Antrim beaten in the league in Tullamore after hurling very well in the second half, and got badly caught when timber was needed at the end. But we could have been hurling in 1B next year and still in the C Ring!

What's the solution? Not close enough to the camp and hurling fraternity (clubs) to know what the verdict is on Management but I do know that we have had a couple of decent U20 teams in last few years that would suggest that we will not remain at this level, (and an excellent win in the minor a couple of weeks ago). Not sure of the timings of competitions for next year at this stage, but a) does Micheal Fennelly want a second year or what was the agreement? I'm sure he has a fair bit if soul searching to do, and b) What does CB think on the situation. My personal view is that given the year with Covid and all, I'd be inclined to keep management in place, if they can give a view of what might change in 2021 or what they need to help them progress. Be tough looking to find a new manager and backroom team with league potentially 9 weeks away. We will presumably retain minor and U20 mgts, and maybe it would be the fairest thing.

But i want to finish on this, I thank the players and management for their efforts in this terrible year. I'm sure all the lads are desperately disappointed and defeats like this are a disaster. But can/must be learned from also. So go back to work, college, families etc and have a couple of weeks off, and clear the heads. Lads like me can only type a few words. Ye, and maybe lads who didn't commit, are the ones who can get the show on the road again for 21. Likewise clubs need to reflect and see what they can do to progress the situation. Tis a game of hurling, yes, tis important, but life goes on, thankfully.

I also want to call out the guy who danced all over Davy Fitz, Wexford have had a poor restart after Covid but by Jaysus I'd love to have had the few years that they have had as supporters! Man may not be everyones cup of tea but he has some presence and the buy in he got down there and Waterford is something special. They have the talent etc, and they won't be 4 years recovering, likewise they might not win another Leinster for a bit #Galway/Kilkenny but they'll be there/thereabouts.


On a side note a man who presided over a dire time in Offaly hurling and football as chairman has risen through the ranks in the GAA to handing over the Leinster cup to Kilkenny yesterday. So not all bad news!! (Tongue in cheek most definitely!!)

Happy/Peaceful/Healthy and socially distant Christmas! and please God maybe our young players can finish there championships in the New year!

Liam2020
Senior
Posts: 66
Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2019 10:38 pm
Club: Kinnity

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Liam2020 »

I don't think the offaly management are blameless, they pick the team it's winer hurling, but it's third tier hurling, so u need men. Look at tipp Breen Bonner and MC Cormac made some difference because they brought size and power.
We need a few lads around 30 battle harden . C gath ó Kelly and l Langton all are nice hurlers but they would the all can handle thought hurling.
It's not long ago since we gave kilkenny a good game in the league in Tullamore but we had men like c Mahon c Egan S gardiner D shortt p camon jbergin and S dooley then.
It has been a terrible few years since and apart from kk, all south offaly clubs are in free fall at underage.
This is our level

User avatar
Bord na Mona man
All Star
Posts: 4022
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:34 am
Club: Clara

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Bord na Mona man »

First things first, Offaly were somewhat unlucky in having a valid goal from a penalty not allowed. Would Offaly have won if it was counted? It's hard to know, unfortunately I doubt Offaly would have pulled away.

For years now in games where Offaly play a 'lesser' team the game seems to follow a distinct pattern. Offaly get a lead of 3 or 4 points and then go into a holding pattern where they don't push ahead. Invariably they let the other back into the game. This is why underdogs love playing Offaly. The door will be left open for them.

Down of course played very well yesterday. They stuck with it right through and were worth their win. It's a mild surprise that Offaly lost, in no way is it a shock. The decision making and shot selection was poor throughout. For about 2 minutes of extra time Offaly played with clear headed precision and purpose, before reverting again.

I believe the management should be a given a proper chance. It looks obvious that Fennelly overestimated the qualities of the squad, mentally and hurling wise. Playing Tipperary in a challenge match recently showed over-optimism. He played for Ballyhale and Kilkenny who dominated their arenas, so he doesn't have a background in operating in struggling teams.
He will have learned a lot, even from a curtailed season. He should be allowed apply this and come back with a modified blueprint.

Watching the other games yesterday with Cork, Tipp, Galway and Kilkenny. It's a long way ahead of where Offaly are now.
The manner in which these teams move off the ball and bullet 30 and 40 metre stick passes to each other that go straight to hand.
Are usual this defeat will bring out the Pol Pots of Offaly hurling where the 'year zero' is 1980 and any advancement from then should be treated with distain and dismissed.

Those demanding that Offaly look to the past in order to move forward would do well to bear in mind that the top teams of this era would demolish any team from the past or any team playing old school hurling.

private joker
All Star
Posts: 1080
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by private joker »

What club in offaly, since 2015 onwards could be described as a progressive club? Is there any club that could be called that? Only one or two would come to mind for me. I'm not talking about success on the field and trophies been won. But a structured approach to developing gaelic games, developing all players and all things GAA.

SearingDrive
All Star
Posts: 1196
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:00 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by SearingDrive »

Sur lookit wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:37 am As a mainly football man with a huge interest in the hurling I am genuinely shocked at the performance yesterday.

I wanted to see what the lie of the land was here before I comment.

Hugely significant point about the manager adapting to the players at his disposal, and building a gameplan around that. I wouldn't be overly harsh on Fennelly in that regard, he asked the lads to play heads up hurling I would guess and they did that without pressure and at intensity and got away with it against Derry. Yesterday conditions were worse and Dwn had benefit of a good look at us. Likewise the conditions, players have to be given the tools/licence to adapt. You can''t fuck around with the ball coming out of defence like we did yesterday. I said last week that we had a plan and (yes, I would have been concerned at the intensity we played at last week, but it was our first game in months), I was hoping that we would push on to another level yesterday.
We didn't. Poor conditions for both teams. We were awful. We were awful in the main because we had no respect for the opposition, and the conditions...it was going to be a dogfight when conditions, and having to drive that distance for a match and prepare accordingly 2 weeks in a row.

Ball winning ability in the forwards was limited, and the ridiculous fouls we gave away in the first half, even the commentators were amazed at our lack of discipline. Our shot options were poor, and at a time when we had a full forward line inside we hit very little ball into them. Defensively the 2 goals were very poor, and the fact that we only scored one goal in 3 games against northern opposition speaks volumes.
For a number of years some players have been spoken about as quality forwards, but unfortunately quality needs work rate and we didn't have it yesterday.
Paddy Delaney, Ben C and Cillian Kiely and young Cahill, (because of the ability to nail frees) were at the pitch of it yesterday, others to a lesser and some not at all.

To be honest I'm shocked at the result and the fact that we are at this level, let's face it, we had Antrim beaten in the league in Tullamore after hurling very well in the second half, and got badly caught when timber was needed at the end. But we could have been hurling in 1B next year and still in the C Ring!

What's the solution? Not close enough to the camp and hurling fraternity (clubs) to know what the verdict is on Management but I do know that we have had a couple of decent U20 teams in last few years that would suggest that we will not remain at this level, (and an excellent win in the minor a couple of weeks ago). Not sure of the timings of competitions for next year at this stage, but a) does Micheal Fennelly want a second year or what was the agreement? I'm sure he has a fair bit if soul searching to do, and b) What does CB think on the situation. My personal view is that given the year with Covid and all, I'd be inclined to keep management in place, if they can give a view of what might change in 2021 or what they need to help them progress. Be tough looking to find a new manager and backroom team with league potentially 9 weeks away. We will presumably retain minor and U20 mgts, and maybe it would be the fairest thing.

But i want to finish on this, I thank the players and management for their efforts in this terrible year. I'm sure all the lads are desperately disappointed and defeats like this are a disaster. But can/must be learned from also. So go back to work, college, families etc and have a couple of weeks off, and clear the heads. Lads like me can only type a few words. Ye, and maybe lads who didn't commit, are the ones who can get the show on the road again for 21. Likewise clubs need to reflect and see what they can do to progress the situation. Tis a game of hurling, yes, tis important, but life goes on, thankfully.

I also want to call out the guy who danced all over Davy Fitz, Wexford have had a poor restart after Covid but by Jaysus I'd love to have had the few years that they have had as supporters! Man may not be everyones cup of tea but he has some presence and the buy in he got down there and Waterford is something special. They have the talent etc, and they won't be 4 years recovering, likewise they might not win another Leinster for a bit #Galway/Kilkenny but they'll be there/thereabouts.


On a side note a man who presided over a dire time in Offaly hurling and football as chairman has risen through the ranks in the GAA to handing over the Leinster cup to Kilkenny yesterday. So not all bad news!! (Tongue in cheek most definitely!!)

Happy/Peaceful/Healthy and socially distant Christmas! and please God maybe our young players can finish there championships in the New year!
Thanks for those well chosen words Sur. Let's look to the future for better days.

KeshaWantsTimber
Intermediate
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:43 am

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by KeshaWantsTimber »

private joker wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:46 pm What club in offaly, since 2015 onwards could be described as a progressive club? Is there any club that could be called that? Only one or two would come to mind for me. I'm not talking about success on the field and trophies been won. But a structured approach to developing gaelic games, developing all players and all things GAA.
Im not familiar with all clubs in Offaly but to try answer your question I think KK and Ballinamere.

private joker
All Star
Posts: 1080
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by private joker »

Ballinamere most definitely. Huge emphasis on coach education.
Kk produce players and lots of them. Do they have a plan in place to produce those numbers ? I would have Edenderry as a progressive club with the GPO initiative and the recent development of their facilities.

frankthetank
All Star
Posts: 931
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 9:22 am

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by frankthetank »

private joker wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:46 pm What club in offaly, since 2015 onwards could be described as a progressive club? Is there any club that could be called that? Only one or two would come to mind for me. I'm not talking about success on the field and trophies been won. But a structured approach to developing gaelic games, developing all players and all things GAA.
I’d suggest Edenderry. They have hurling going again, 2 new pitches (3 in total), an astroturf development with ball wall, a full time Games Promotion Officer and dual training session for their kids (Cúl Redz).

oneshot
County player
Posts: 109
Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:22 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by oneshot »

first of all well done Down on their win. but what another shocking day for offaly hurling.but we have been on a roll down the hill for the last 4 years or more. most of this squad have played in leinster mcdonagh cup and now christy ring and have failed big time in them all. this cant come as a big shock. we went to tralee in the summer of 20019 in the mcdonagh cup fighing for our lives to not to drop into the christy ring cup and what did our backroom team do drop the best forward we had in joe bergin lost.

this years league again went to tralee and had a strom behind us in first half but yet played short bulls..t hand passing short puck outs lost again , roll on Antrim in tullamore 6 points up but yet still bottle it. and again yesterday bottle another must win game. look thats the level we are at no point blaming players who are giving their own time to hurl for the county.

but i wrote a while ago about the standard of club hurling in offaly which has dropped a good bit over the last few years. St.Rynaghs getting a lesson in hurling from rathdowney last leinster championship comes to mind.

you cant blame mick fennelly the rot goes back to Eammon kelly,kevin ryan were over the team it has got worse year by year. we have had had a few good wins in the under 20 the last two year again dublin and westmeath. i think for next year we need a clear out go with an under 20 group of players theres players there the last few years that aint working out.

we have nothing to lose now maybe it will see us drop into nicky rackard cup i dont know by bye god we have gone off the hurling map altogether . no point in moaning about it we are where we are we have done nothing of note in senior hurling for the last 8 years or more our win over wexford in tullamore under ollie baker in 2012 i think but since then nothing.

we had all this shite about where hurling should be played birr or tullamore over the last few years while our underage and senior teams were falling down the ladder . right now it wouldnt make a flying f..k where hurling is played in offaly it has gone that low. the question is how do we get back to some level of good hurling.

biffinbanner
All Star
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:15 pm
Club: ferbane

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by biffinbanner »

were in div 3 .and not able to get out of it. antrim westmeath and kerry are in div 2. they are too strong for us. thats the plain facts of it. we have to accept it.

Fairplayalways
All Star
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Fairplayalways »

private joker wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 1:46 pm What club in offaly, since 2015 onwards could be described as a progressive club? Is there any club that could be called that? Only one or two would come to mind for me. I'm not talking about success on the field and trophies been won. But a structured approach to developing gaelic games, developing all players and all things GAA.
Good point above, and at that our county champions, with the exception of Coolderry and Kilcormac seem to just roll over in Leinster against the champions of so called weaker counties, and I include Rynaghs in that...the county final appears to be all that matters, hats off to Birr when they did win a county final, it was a targetted approach on the Leinster Club there after, and then win that and see what happens..

Fairplayalways
All Star
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Fairplayalways »

SearingDrive wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:10 pm
Sur lookit wrote: Sun Nov 15, 2020 2:37 am As a mainly football man with a huge interest in the hurling I am genuinely shocked at the performance yesterday.

I wanted to see what the lie of the land was here before I comment.

Hugely significant point about the manager adapting to the players at his disposal, and building a gameplan around that. I wouldn't be overly harsh on Fennelly in that regard, he asked the lads to play heads up hurling I would guess and they did that without pressure and at intensity and got away with it against Derry. Yesterday conditions were worse and Dwn had benefit of a good look at us. Likewise the conditions, players have to be given the tools/licence to adapt. You can''t fuck around with the ball coming out of defence like we did yesterday. I said last week that we had a plan and (yes, I would have been concerned at the intensity we played at last week, but it was our first game in months), I was hoping that we would push on to another level yesterday.
We didn't. Poor conditions for both teams. We were awful. We were awful in the main because we had no respect for the opposition, and the conditions...it was going to be a dogfight when conditions, and having to drive that distance for a match and prepare accordingly 2 weeks in a row.

Ball winning ability in the forwards was limited, and the ridiculous fouls we gave away in the first half, even the commentators were amazed at our lack of discipline. Our shot options were poor, and at a time when we had a full forward line inside we hit very little ball into them. Defensively the 2 goals were very poor, and the fact that we only scored one goal in 3 games against northern opposition speaks volumes.
For a number of years some players have been spoken about as quality forwards, but unfortunately quality needs work rate and we didn't have it yesterday.
Paddy Delaney, Ben C and Cillian Kiely and young Cahill, (because of the ability to nail frees) were at the pitch of it yesterday, others to a lesser and some not at all.

To be honest I'm shocked at the result and the fact that we are at this level, let's face it, we had Antrim beaten in the league in Tullamore after hurling very well in the second half, and got badly caught when timber was needed at the end. But we could have been hurling in 1B next year and still in the C Ring!

What's the solution? Not close enough to the camp and hurling fraternity (clubs) to know what the verdict is on Management but I do know that we have had a couple of decent U20 teams in last few years that would suggest that we will not remain at this level, (and an excellent win in the minor a couple of weeks ago). Not sure of the timings of competitions for next year at this stage, but a) does Micheal Fennelly want a second year or what was the agreement? I'm sure he has a fair bit if soul searching to do, and b) What does CB think on the situation. My personal view is that given the year with Covid and all, I'd be inclined to keep management in place, if they can give a view of what might change in 2021 or what they need to help them progress. Be tough looking to find a new manager and backroom team with league potentially 9 weeks away. We will presumably retain minor and U20 mgts, and maybe it would be the fairest thing.

But i want to finish on this, I thank the players and management for their efforts in this terrible year. I'm sure all the lads are desperately disappointed and defeats like this are a disaster. But can/must be learned from also. So go back to work, college, families etc and have a couple of weeks off, and clear the heads. Lads like me can only type a few words. Ye, and maybe lads who didn't commit, are the ones who can get the show on the road again for 21. Likewise clubs need to reflect and see what they can do to progress the situation. Tis a game of hurling, yes, tis important, but life goes on, thankfully.

I also want to call out the guy who danced all over Davy Fitz, Wexford have had a poor restart after Covid but by Jaysus I'd love to have had the few years that they have had as supporters! Man may not be everyones cup of tea but he has some presence and the buy in he got down there and Waterford is something special. They have the talent etc, and they won't be 4 years recovering, likewise they might not win another Leinster for a bit #Galway/Kilkenny but they'll be there/thereabouts.


On a side note a man who presided over a dire time in Offaly hurling and football as chairman has risen through the ranks in the GAA to handing over the Leinster cup to Kilkenny yesterday. So not all bad news!! (Tongue in cheek most definitely!!)

Happy/Peaceful/Healthy and socially distant Christmas! and please God maybe our young players can finish there championships in the New year!
Thanks for those well chosen words Sur. Let's look to the future for better days.
the man you refer to rising through the ranks to present the Bob O'Keefe cup, put tea and sandwiches in the boot of his car and drove to Offaly senior hurling matches a few years back, the player dindnt know it at the time,but this was the soloution to the players wanting propper meals etc. after games....this man was on the county board and this was the solution until the players tigged on to it as being the solution..too busy watching the purse strings for O'Connor Park development at the time...the county board was always defended first from any player uprising with that man, typical Ireland, for his "comittment" you get to climb the ladder..a lovely man, and great GAA man though, but too obsessed back then with keeping every bob we generated fro OCP>..

Fairplayalways
All Star
Posts: 882
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:12 pm

Re: Offaly Hurling 2020

Post by Fairplayalways »

has the poster that predicited Offaly would win over Down by 15 points surfaced....

Post Reply