www.uibhfhaili.com

The draw is later this evening.
We could be in the utterly farcical situation of going to Wexford Park for the 3rd time this year!

We drew Antrim anyways as the draw pre-determined that we couldnt draw Wexford. (And ironically enough we drew them) Its a neutral venue presumably next saturday so what is the venue going to be and will it be held with one of the other games over the weekend. Personally I feel this could be the order of play for the weekends games

Limerick v Laois, Cork v Galway double header in Thurles

Offaly v Antrim in Parnell Park

Clare v Wexford in Kilkenny.

If thats the state of play and the games clash, which they inevitably will I'd be tempted to go Thurles to be honest. Im at the end of my patience with the Offaly senior hurling team.

I missed the draw.
Well thank God for small mercies.
Parnell Park, we could live with!

Parnell would be as good as it could get as regards a neutral venue. Anywhere else (Cavan, Monaghan or some rural place up the Sperrin mountains God help us etc.) would be on a bumpy pitch with 3 to 4 inches of grass and no 65m lines painted on because they don't need them for the football.

How did Offaly agree to going up as far as Armagh to face them in 1985? I'll never know. The team photograph that day (published in the Offaly) had the scenic backdrop of a steel security fence! I kid you not. They used the Leinster final photo in the All-Ireland programme - shure they couldn't use the Armagh one.

I think there's a big one in them. It's down to them now anyway. Seventy minutes to save Offaly hurling.

Bord na Mona man wrote:I missed the draw.
Well thank God for small mercies.
Parnell Park, we could live with!

PS. Jaysus Kman, I know ye're neighbours of Laois, but going to Thurles to see them when your own are hurling is pushing it a bit. T'will be an achievement if them lads finish the game with 15.

Plain of the Herbs wrote: How did Offaly agree to going up as far as Armagh to face them in 1985? I'll never know. The team photograph that day (published in the Offaly) had the scenic backdrop of a steel security fence! I kid you not. They used the Leinster final photo in the All-Ireland programme - shure they couldn't use the Armagh one.

Did Antrim play Kilkenny in Drogheda or Dundalk in 1987?
Also what was the venue for the 1986 match between Antrim and Cork? The 7-11 to 1-24 match.
The only mention of a venue I see on internet say Croke Park, but I'm not sure about that.

Could be Croke park alright, we could be the curtain raiser for U2.

Be more to see if the Joe show can notch up another 2-12 rather than seeing if Laois can manage to leave more than 12 players on the field!!!!

Well I got the venue right. But its on Saturday Week!!!! Thats a fcukin disaster as the round of senior hurling fixtures fixed for next week will now have to be scrapped. Another raw deal for the club hurler. I wouldnt hold out much hope of the GPA lookinig into this one. It would fall well BELOW their list of priorities.

Some joke not playing the match this weekend, whats the reason behind that. Really does feck up the chamionship! if Offaly lose, they prob have to hurl aug bank holiday. Think there is a 2 week break at start of august with no club chamionship games, more than likely no senior games til middle of aug & still 3 group games to play!!! County final will be hurled around December time!

Bord na Mona man wrote:

Plain of the Herbs wrote: How did Offaly agree to going up as far as Armagh to face them in 1985? I'll never know. The team photograph that day (published in the Offaly) had the scenic backdrop of a steel security fence! I kid you not. They used the Leinster final photo in the All-Ireland programme - shure they couldn't use the Armagh one.

Did Antrim play Kilkenny in Drogheda or Dundalk in 1987?
Also what was the venue for the 1986 match between Antrim and Cork? The 7-11 to 1-24 match.
The only mention of a venue I see on internet say Croke Park, but I'm not sure about that.

I think it was Dundalk but it might have been Drogheda. Will be later in the week before I can check. Offaly minors hurled Antrim in the curtain raiser.

Under 21 semi final in 1991 was in Drogheda.

Antrim and Cork met in the semi finals of 1984 and 1986, both of which were definitely in Croke Park in front of 20 men and a dog. 1984 was the first year Antrim got a free ride to the semi final after they got fed up winning the 'B' All-Ireland every year and being thumped by Galway in a subsequent quarter final.

Leinster GAA News
http://www.gaa.ie/leinster
PRESS RELEASE
13.07.09

At its meeting on Monday 13ú Iúil 2009 the CCCC decided to defer the Round 1 Relegation fixtures in the GAA All Ireland Hurling Senior Championship until Saturday 25ú Iúil 2009 pending clarification of Promotion/Relegation issues by An Coiste Bainistí.

Visit the Leinster GAA web site at http://www.gaa.ie/leinster
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antrim have been guaranteed that they wont be relegated for 3 years as part of the deal involving their move to leinster,so is there any point of fulfilling the offaly fixture unless they have been guaranteed a win aswell more embarassment for the suits in headquarters

I wouldn't be surprised if there's no relegation play offs at all.

Well if Antrim can't go down, then there can't be. You can't bring Laois back into it now, yet any other county could legitimately argue that they only survived due to beating Antrim, an opportunity that wasn't open to them.

Colm Bonnar suggestion to scrap Relegation playoff and have 4 quarter finals in Leinster next year is they right one.