Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship 2023

[TownieInOz]

Clodiagh Gaels may feel aggrieved due to an advantage being called back for a free in when a certain goal was on. I do think Lusmagh were deserving of their win though, the main men for the Gaels had off days yet they still could have won, just missed too much on the night. Eimhin Kelly the standout hurler on the night, Graham lynch came on shortly in to the second and his directness caused the Gaels backline all sorts of trouble.

[faithfulfanatic]

Got to Clara and Birr yesterday evening in Banagher.

Birr won by a point, having taken the lead late on for what felt like the first time in the game.

Clara had enough chances to win the match, their wayward free-hitting from Cormac Delaney and Josh Fleming amounted to 7 or 8 wides.
Clara’s ill-discipline was evident from the start, both on the field and on the sideline.
Brendan Buckley saw red after about 10 minutes for a wild and dangerous swing to the head of Darragh McNamara under a dropping ball - although the ball did drop a good 5 yards away from them!
Colm Doyle was lucky not to be carded for angrily confronting linesman and former All-Ireland referee Pat Horan over a sideline ball call early on, he was booked for a separate incident in the second half with the linesman on the far side in Banagher. He also confronted Pat Horan after the game with a torrent of abuse.
Although Clara may feel aggrieved by the officials, they only have themselves to blame.
Their officials on the sideline also got into a war of words with umpire and current Offaly goalie Stephen Corcoran over an on-the-ball no call about 30 yards from the goals in plain view of ref Sean Michael Maher which was deemed not a foul.
Although their ill-discipline festered all evening, the pinnacle was reached deep into added time when presented with one final free in their half back line with a chance to draw the game.
Birr player Scott Feenane momentarily stood over the ball to stop a quick free being hit, before Offaly u-20 hurler Barry Egan stormed in from all of 30 yards to shoulder him into the back.
He was given a yellow card and the ball thrown in, although they did create one final opportunity from the ensuing play, where Birr full back Conor Callaghan got a great block to thwart Cormac Delaney.
Barry Egan had hurled a great game all evening and it was sad to see such a rush of blood to hamper his team’s chances.
I wouldn’t usually be one to highlight a team’s disciplinary issues but yesterday evening was a new level to anything I had seen on a pitch and sideline in a good while. Sadly, numerous supporters on the way out commented that similar issues had hampered Clara in the previous round against Kilcormac.

Conor Egan, Josh Fleming, Ciaran Doyle and Barry Egan all hurled well for Clara, with injured u20 star Conor Doyle introduced with 5 minutes to go.

On the victors side, Ailbe Watkins and Cian Nolan were the standouts for me throughout the hour, with the introduction of Cathal Kirwan after 40 minutes proving pivotal as he popped up with 3 well-taken points.

Birr move on to 4 points while Clara are stuck on 0, needing to win out to have a chance of reaching a semi final.

With KK expectedly winning yesterday’s other game (anyone got a teamsheet?), this leaves KK assured of a semi final spot, with Clodiagh Gaels, Birr and Lusmagh on course for the semi finals barring a revival from Clara or Shamrocks.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Clara v Lusmagh
In 2012’s Intermediate championship, Lusmagh were 4–20 to 0-10 winners
In 2021, Lusmagh won 2-15 to 0-19
And last year, Clara won 2-11 to 0-15

Clodiagh Gaels v Shamrocks
in 2014, SHamrocks beat the old Killuring club 3-24 to 0-7 in the Intermediate championship.
In 2018, Shamrocks were 4-15 to 4-12 winners over Clodiagh Gaels
And in 2019, Clodiagh Gaels were 1-21 to 0-14 winners.

Kilcormac-Killoughey v Birr
In the 2018 Intermediate championship, Kilcormac-Killoughey were 3-9 to 3-7 winners
Last year, Birr were 1-24 to 3-16 winners

[Plain of the Herbs]

Birr v Lusmagh
Lusmagh were 5-25 to 2-6 winners in 2012’s Intermediate quarter-final
They drew 0-14 each in 2014’s Intermdiate championship
Last year, Birr were 0-16 to 1-16 winners.

Clara v Shamrocks
In 2004, Shamrocks were 2-10 to 1-8 winners in the group;
Before Clara won a play-off 1-13 to 2-8, which qualified the ‘little town’ for the quarter-final.

Clodiagh Gaels v Kilcormac-Killoughey
In 2016, Clodiagh Gaels were 1-15 to 0-12 winners in the Intermediate championship;
In 2019, Clodiagh Gaels were 5-11 to 0-14 winners;
In 2021, they drew 0-18 each.

[private joker]

Lusma whipped birr today. Clodaigh gaels bet kk in a tight encounter and clara bet shamrocks by 4.

[faithfulfanatic]

13% of votes on the original poll had Clara in the final, as they now face into relegation.

Nobody had predicted Birr, who will be up against it in their semi final.

KK and Clodiagh Gaels final seems the most likely scenario?

[private joker]

13% equals 4 people!!

[faithfulfanatic]

Weekend Betting

All prices Paddy Power.

Kilcormac Killoughey 4/11 Draw 10/1 Lusmagh 9/4
Lusmagh opened up far bigger outsiders yesterday when the price was 10/3. I think this is the first stage of the year that odds have been offered on the Senior B, so the bookies might have needed some betting to work out where the market should be at.

Clodiagh Gaels 1/7 Draw 14/1 Birr 4/1
Don’t think this line has changed much, although it is not yet a day old.

Hard to see much value in anything here, although the Senior B has tended to be very unpredictable.

[private joker]

Kk absolutely destroyed Lusmagh. 6-27 to 10 points.

[TerraceTalk]

An astonishing result.

[bracknaghboy]

Kk absolutely destroyed Lusmagh. 6-27 to 10 points.

Lusmagh failed to fulfill a single league this year if my memory is correct.
Anyone know why?

[faithfulfanatic]

Kk absolutely destroyed Lusmagh. 6-27 to 10 points.

Lusmagh failed to fulfill a single league this year if my memory is correct.
Anyone know why?

I believe it was lack of numbers.

Lusmagh beat both of todays semi-finalists in the group, Birr and Clodiagh Gaels.
Are Kilcormac that much ahead of the pack or what other factors are at play?

[faithfulfanatic]

Clodiagh Gaels win 17 to 13.
Poor enough stuff, Birr without Ailbe Watkins and had enough chances to get something here.
2 reds each, Joey Keenaghan and Dylan Hyland will miss the final, both have shown a lot of ill discipline for club and county.

Expect KK to win well.

[Plain of the Herbs]

First and foremost, Kilcormac were awesome yesterday. I’ve seen them a few times this year and there was nothing to suggest this performance was in them. They are presumably training with the Seniors. If so, it is evident that their training has ramped up in pace in recent weeks. A real urgency to their play. Everything done at pace. 0-4 on the board after five minutes, dominating Lusmagh’s puckouts, probably had 0-9 by the time of the first goal.

As for Lusmagh, three absentees left for a depleted team, which resulted in them being flat. And it is a numbers thing. In a six match campaign, the Reds have used 21 players. 18 started a match. Of those, one started a match for the first time yesterday. (A baptism of fire for James Kelly, but he’ll be the better for it.) Maybe there are other clubs with something similar, but there can’t be many.

Looking at demographics generally, rural west Offaly has suffered hugely economically. Doon reached three Senior semi-finals at their peak, now seem destined to operate in football’s fourth tier for the foreseeable. Shannonbridge were Senior champions once, now they’re getting their underage back on the rails after a decade with nothing. The school playground in the village is overgrown, the school having closed a decade ago.

Lusmagh combine with Kinnitty at underage, as everyone knows. Up to a decade ago, both had their own underage teams, in Lusmagh we’d always muster up 17 or 18 for a team and a few subs. This year, the KInnitty/Lusmagh Minor team has 17 togging out. Classes in Lusmagh NS with few or no boys. The collapse of the economy led to massive emigration 15 years ago. Lusmagh’s pioneering 1982 team had four ESB, four BnM and two full time farmers. Now it’s 0, 0 and 1. Six of the team are under 25. The Junior team needs a few 40 year olds in order to field a team.

County Offaly is in danger of losing balance and toppling over to the east. Cappincur, Durrow, Ballinagar, Ballycommon, Clonbullogue and Bracknagh are enjoying unprecedented success, in terms of participation. And more luck to them. Ballinagar can scarcely ever have had two adult teams. And they actually voted to disband the club about five years ago!

Hard to know what the future holds on Shannonside. Currently, Lusmagh remain the only permanent members of the Senior B championship since it commenced in 2018. Maybe the sands of Senior B will run out in time and they will be forced to regrade. Who knows?

But hurling in Lusmagh will go on. No doubt, they are maximising scarce resources. There’s no option. Plenty of volunteers too. Proper skilful hurling is promoted, and if I’m not mistaken it’s five years since Lusmagh had a player red carded in a championship match. Because the local hurling (and football) club is what gives a parish it’s identity. It’s what makes you reply “I’m from Lusmagh” when asked when you’re travelling, and the questioner replies “that’s in Offaly, isn’t it”. It’s what makes local racehorse owners adapt the club colours for their jockeys.

The sun came up this morning. And life, and hurling, and everything else, will go on. We’ve known real tragedy ’round here in recent weeks, so everything in perspective. And next (hurling) year is six months away.

[llkj]

I saw the Lusmagh panel listed online. From a quick count I think it was 15 players with the surname Kelly - looked like 7 started. It must be some type of record. Curious to know the backstory there: is it a couple of sets of brothers, or cousins or is it just an area with many Kelly families?

Tough loss for sure but life and hurling goes on.