www.uibhfhaili.com

Very impressed with Banagher on Saturday.

Seemed to be a bit of complacency with our Birr lads having beat Banagher by 12 in the group.

Although I am told that took place the morning after St Rynaghs had won the minor a football, with St Brendan’s unwilling to move the hurling.

Shane Rigney was head and shoulders above all else on the pitch.
Full back line of Daly, Kelly and Costello also impressed.
Ricky Fitzsimons was very good up front too, crazy to think he couldn’t make the combined schools team over some of the others on show…
Banagher half back line of Hogan (Kiltormer I believe) , Kilkenny (Kiltormer) and Duffy (Lorrha) were also very good. Makes a bit of a laugh of the combined schools that they weren’t considered and exposes it as more of an Offaly development panel than anything.

For Birr, Andrew Hogan, Morgan Feenane and Marc Ryan hurled well. Some of the bigger names never got into it.

Banagher should beat Heywood by all accounts.

faithfulfanatic wrote: ↑Mon Jan 29, 2024 1:58 pm Very impressed with Banagher on Saturday.

Seemed to be a bit of complacency with our Birr lads having beat Banagher by 12 in the group.

Although I am told that took place the morning after St Rynaghs had won the minor a football, with St Brendan’s unwilling to move the hurling.

Shane Rigney was head and shoulders above all else on the pitch.
Full back line of Daly, Kelly and Costello also impressed.
Ricky Fitzsimons was very good up front too, crazy to think he couldn’t make the combined schools team over some of the others on show…
Banagher half back line of Hogan (Kiltormer I believe) , Kilkenny (Kiltormer) and Duffy (Lorrha) were also very good. Makes a bit of a laugh of the combined schools that they weren’t considered and exposes it as more of an Offaly development panel than anything.

For Birr, Andrew Hogan, Morgan Feenane and Marc Ryan hurled well. Some of the bigger names never got into it.

Banagher should beat Heywood by all accounts.

Have to agree re Shane Rigney, class act.

I see offaly minor hurlers are out in Faithfull fields this evening against Laois. Not sure what time

Offaly won this game

Congrats to Banagher on winning the Leinster B schools senior hurling after extra time, didn't get to go to it with work but sounds to have been an excellent game.

Banagher got out of jail. Dominated against the wind before letting in 2 soft goals before half time.
Clawed that deficit back with the wind before another soft goal went in.

Heywood missed a free 30 yards out to win it with the last puck of the game after 68 minutes (although nobody was sure where the ref got all the added time from).

Banagher then dominated extra time.
Heywood player sent off nearly straight away for a headbutt after conceding a free.
Shane Rigney and the fullback got embroiled in a wrestling match soon after. The fullback ended up on the ground, Rigney went to hand him back his hurl as he got up and the fullback hit him a headbutt into the stomach. The ref then showed 2 red cards, extremely harsh on Rigney who will now miss the Al Ireland Semi final.
Heywood had another red soon after, while also seeing their student umpire sent off by the ref for abuse directed towards him.
You’d have to be very embarrassed as a Heywood parent or teacher by the carry-on that took place.

Heywood had 8 starters from Abbeyleix, 2 from Harps, 2 from Ballyragget, 2 from Ballinakill and 1 from Clonad. Abbeyleix and The Harps contested the Laois minor final last year.

Banagher made very hard work of this and now face Blackwater School from Lismore, which seems a tough task without their star player in Shane Rigney.

Sobering reading

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/offal ... ounty.html

pigeon house biffo wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2024 10:13 pm Sobering reading

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/offal ... ounty.html

Its head in the sand stuff from clubs not bothering to set up their own u8 and u10 go games teams. You really do need to get tbe young lads in your club colours first before they head off to play with the independent teams.
If you only had about 10 lads you can manage with that. There's always a few girls mad to join in too with the lads.
Go games is fantastic if you approach it right. Just maximise the chance for kids to play.

Crazy stuff alot of these clubs would really need to have a long hard look at themselves.

Cistercian won the Leinster Schools Senior C Hurling today.

Killina also won the D today.

B, C and D all won by Offaly schools.

Thats great news.

All anyone ever asks is that Offaly teams are competitive at whatever grade or level they are competing at. Most rational minded folk can see we operate with limited resources and so having expectations adjusted accordingly is right.

The very best of luck to Banagher tomorrow great opportunity for a promising group of players. Did they manage to turnover the red card from the last day??Easy to imagine a tough opposition but Banagher at full strength will be tough beat . Also good luck to Killina in their game vs Newport . Good to see us powering on in the schools.

Minor Hurlers out tomorrow in tier 2 against Meath.
Does anyone know much about this team and if theirs much potential here ? How have they performed underage last few years ?

Any players to watch out for particularly?

The form lines so far would suggest they are stronger than Laois, Carlow, westmeath etc...but have a little bit to do v wexford or Dublin but could cause an upset.

Players to watch out for Mcloughney at full back looks to be a real talent and will be pushing for a 20 spot next year in the corner as that his more his natural position.

Andrew Hogan, James Hennessey and James o Sullivan all well able to hurl also.

They are fairly poor going off this display