Offaly Senior Hurling Club Championship 2011

[townman]

I agree with Lone Shark regarding the importance of Belmont v Tullamore. How Tullamore rearrange their backline given Dagg’s suspension will be interesting. Will Nigel Mannion go to 6? Or Ger Treacy? Siting Treacy at 6 will mean minimal disruption to the rest of the defence. I wonder is Mark Conlon (who didn’t feature against Kilcormac) still on the scene?

Belmont looked deadly when they were in possession against Lusmagh. Their biggest problem is gaining possession though, and they were starved of ball for much of the second half that evening. Tullamore’s middle eight will be strong and tall and could well deny them the ball. To do well you need your best players in central positions and fully fit, and Belmont need David Kenny fully fit, which just isn’t possible at the moment.

I’ve been saying it for a few years now, and I’m going to keep saying it – one of these days someone will score 5 or 6 or 7 goals on Tullamore. That might well happen here.

Though they played second-fiddle to K/K they still restricted K/K to 15 scores and 9 wides. I’d be hesitant here but it still looks like Tullamore’s strength will see them prevail here.

The vibes from Shinrone indicate that they are happy to have led Birr for 50 minutes (or whatever it was). Anyone else would be sick to have left a glorious chance of taking a scalp behind them. Shinrone have oodles of talent and that they haven’t taken a scalp in donkey’s years has more to do with their lack of ambition than anything else. Is there a more talented forward around than Eddie Bevans?

Obviously James Rigney is crucial to Kinnitty. Colm Coughlan’s placing also requires thought. He had been midfield in the run to the 2008 County final, though injury forced him to hurl corner-forward on the big day. He has been corner-forward since for some reason when he (or Ódhrán Kealey) ought to be midfield. They need Stephen Molloy to make an impression too.

Shinrone could only draw with Kinnitty the year James Rigney was injured. Kinnitty’s greater ambition should see them through here.

I see Rynagh’s are going to do the divil-and-all this year. See post above. Only the rule that you can only play 15 at a time prevent all those Intermediates from lining out. See post above. The umpires will hardly be able to keep up with them. See the dawn of a new era for yourself on Sunday in Moystown – it’ll only cost a Fiver. Shur they always beat Lusmagh, don’t they?

love your mind game's plain of the herbs

[atomic]

Yeah Mark Conlon is still on the scene alright

[joe bloggs]

This is Rynaghs year. Dinny Cahill seems to be getting the best out of them, and with the other teams so poor and also the standard of hurling in offaly so poor it means that a championship could be easily won.
Birr are on the way out in a quick way, coolderry are pushing on to with average hurlers who got beaten by the westmeath champions and disgraced us in leinster. KK will never win anything,and the blues are a one man team.Get ready for rynaghs dominance.

A one point win over clareen without some key players doesn't look like championship winning form

[concrete]

mark conlon was missing the last day due to the unfortunate passing of his grandfather, he will be available for tonights game and he might slot straight in at number 6 to avoid reshuffling the rest of the backline

[Bazil Brush]

Clareen 1.15 KK 13

[Offaly2010]

Birr 2-22 - 1-8 Drumcullen
Seir Keiran 1-15 - 0-13 Kilcormac/Killoughy
Belmont 1-14 - 2-11 Tullamore.

[townman]

Birr 2-23 Drumcullen 1-8

This game went as everyone thought Birr lead again the wind in the first half 1-8 to 1-4 and should have been more ahead missed two goals and some
bad wide's in the first half with Miley Nolan getting the Birr goal, Dylan Hayden was outstanding tonight and got 4 points from centre field.

Birr lined out without Mark Quinlan and Barry Whelahan who were down on the programme which funny enough both were on crutches at the match
Birr put this match to bed ten mintues into the second half as they score something like 1-7 without any answer from Drumcullen who were down to 14 men
near the end when a dirty Bad pull bye the William spain on Brian (miley)Nolan as he was going for his hat-trick of goal's 3 months ban wouldn't be enough for
him it was a bad pull full force across Miley.

Paul Murphy will be happy two games two wins i know we have hurl well the last two year's only for to fall flat near the business end of the championship
but i think their's a bit of fire back in Birr this year Paul Murphy was very disappointed last year over the defeat to tullamore in the quataer final and he looks like he
wants him and the team to make up for last year.

Birr hurl well and Drumcullen were very very poor which ever way you want to look at it, if Joe Dooley or any of his backroom staff were at the match tonight i hope they
took note of Barry Harding who scored 3 great long range points tonight from frees and was a rock at centre back or Brian Watkins who tied up Connor Gath and maybe they
might get a call up if the door is still open to go onto the panel as both are as good if not better than whats in there at the moment. anyway no more action for 12 weeks now
which is crazy then you wonder why young lads or players that are not with county team go way or don't bother hurling their should be another round after the Dublin game at least.

we should have Paul Cleary and Barry Whelahan and Quinlan back for the next round which gives us a strong panel, Simon Whelahan and Brendan Murphy came on and scored 2 great
points each tonight so things are looking up as we go forward to reclaim the Sean Robbins cup again

[Plain of the Herbs]

If ever a red card was coming to a chap that was it. Sounds a bad stroke from what you say. The Scummy Drummies really need to sort themselves out in that regard. Never gonna happen.

Drumcullen who were down to 14 men near the end when a dirty Bad pull bye the William spain on Brian (miley)Nolan as he was going for his hat-trick of goal's 3 months ban wouldn't be enough for him it was a bad pull full force across Miley.

[townman]

If ever a red card was coming to a chap that was it. Sounds a bad stroke from what you say. The Scummy Drummies really need to sort themselves out in that regard. Never gonna happen.

Drumcullen who were down to 14 men near the end when a dirty Bad pull bye the William spain on Brian (miley)Nolan as he was going for his hat-trick of goal's 3 months ban wouldn't be enough for him it was a bad pull full force across Miley.

yes it was a bad pull and no need for it as the game was well won, also near the end as mick verney was coming out with the ball and Harry Ryan went to take him out of it
as Verney pass the ball over his head but he meet his waterloo verney meet him with his shoulder and left him on his back for a few minutes, also Dermot Gath was doing silly things
off the ball tapping lads hands and looking for argo with players.

what is it with Drumcullen they were at it again John Lockes of Callan in the leinster final as well, Birr like John lockes kept their eye on the ball and let their hurling do the
talking thats the only answer to it, they wouldn't get any good out of the sh.t they go on with on the field or is Big Sack Paddy Kirwin driving them mad

[Plain of the Herbs]

They’ve been at that carry-on for a hundred years, Townie, so I wouldn’t blame Paddy Kirwan for it. Ask your elders about Drumcullen and they’ll tell you some horror stories, how they bullied and intimidated their way to anything they won. Some of those stories are really quite disgusting. What they done to Killavilla’s Brendan Maher, a lovely hurler, would turn your stomach.

To give credit where it’s due it was St. Rynagh’s who cleaned up Offaly hurling in the 1960s when they came with a stylish young team who Drumcullen couldn’t cope with. To this day it seems Drumcullen haven’t moved with the times at all. Incidentally I was researching through some newspaper archives lately and I was surprised to learn that there were only 6 Senior clubs in Offaly in 1963! Now I know why Drumcullen were prominent at that time – they had only to win 2 (or 3) matches to win a county title!

I thought they had made progress when they won the Intermediate title last year but now they are at the same ‘oul schyte again. It is a pity because they are a well-run club, fellas like Peadar Nugent, Joe O’Brien and Mick Spain have dedicated their lives to Drumcullen, they were the first club in the county to have a covered stand so they are progressive in that regard, but sadly the first instinct is to pull timber. Also, for a population of about 750 they do well to field 3 adult teams every year.

I know someone will come on here and say every club has their skeletons, and that is very true, and I include my own club in that. Lusmagh, and others, did change their style over the years though. The most recent example is Belmont, who were a referee’s nightmare a decade ago, but they have changed and since they won that Intermediate title, in full flow they are a treat to watch. So it Can be done, if the will is there.

yes it was a bad pull and no need for it as the game was well won, also near the end as mick verney was coming out with the ball and Harry Ryan went to take him out of it as Verney pass the ball over his head but he meet his waterloo verney meet him with his shoulder and left him on his back for a few minutes, also Dermot Gath was doing silly things off the ball tapping lads hands and looking for argo with players.

what is it with Drumcullen they were at it again John Lockes of Callan in the leinster final as well, Birr like John lockes kept their eye on the ball and let their hurling do the talking thats the only answer to it, they wouldn't get any good out of the sh.t they go on with on the field or is Big Sack Paddy Kirwin driving them mad

[alltheway]

Who was Brendan Maher, and what happened him?

[GreatDayForTheParish]

Went along to this as an interested neutral to see if Birr's demise and Rath's rise were accurate or exaggerated. Later in the year will decide the former. The latter? Definitely. A couple of points is all, broadly in agreement with what has gone before.

1: Drumcullen's use of 'd timber' was embarrassing if not shameful - particularly when the match slipped out of reach early in the second half. Egged on from the sideline by the mostly incoherent Paddy Kirwan, their typically indiscriminate pulling was a marker of where they are going as a team - nowhere.

2: Paddy Kirwan's conduct last night and that which he instilled in his team was all too familiar to those of us who've seen his charges before. Like something out of a d'unbelieveables skit, you'd laugh at the backwardness of it all if it was just confined to the Drummies. It's not however, he's the county U-21 manager. Where do you even begin to start with that? Sometimes I feel that for the good of hurling, the GAA should just step in to Offaly and, at the very least, take over the running of our underage system because by God, we clearly don't seem to be up to it.

3: I agree with townman, Barry Harding was impressive at centre back. That makes two games in a row - should be worth a call up.

4: Hayden and Hanniffy were brilliant at midfield. Wouldn't be a bad pairing for the county, although I personally would rather have Hayden closer to goal. However, neither player should be played any further back the field for the county. How many times must it be said.



Quickly, as regard the other clubs, I agree with POTH - Colm Coughlan should be played at midfield for Kinnitty. Kenny should of course be left at centre back for Belmont while I fail to understand this years edition of the hype regarding Rynaghs. The same team that was hammered a year ago by Kinnitty, who themselves were humbled by Coolderry, are suddenly live-wire contenders? Semi-finals in Offaly aren't hard to make, but yet Rynaghs haven't managed it in what, 8 years? An U-21 title hasn't been annexed in at least 4/5 years and while, granted, some good minor teams have been produced, that's nothing new with Rynaghs.
Thus, I remain inherently skeptical. Hopefully I'm proven wrong though, a strong Rynaghs is needed for the Offaly senior team. For a club of it's size, their contribution to the Offaly senior team/panel over the last decade has been abysmal. That has to change.

[Bord na Mona man]

Sometimes I feel that for the good of hurling, the GAA should just step in to Offaly and, at the very least, take over the running of our underage system because by God, we clearly don't seem to be up to it.

Its well past that! We'd need UN sanctions and NATO intervention.

[townman]

Sometimes I feel that for the good of hurling, the GAA should just step in to Offaly and, at the very least, take over the running of our underage system because by God, we clearly don't seem to be up to it.

Its well past that! We'd need UN sanctions and NATO intervention.

in both codes not just hurling the football is as bad

[townman]

Went along to this as an interested neutral to see if Birr's demise and Rath's rise were accurate or exaggerated. Later in the year will decide the former. The latter? Definitely. A couple of points is all, broadly in agreement with what has gone before.

1: Drumcullen's use of 'd timber' was embarrassing if not shameful - particularly when the match slipped out of reach early in the second half. Egged on from the sideline by the mostly incoherent Paddy Kirwan, their typically indiscriminate pulling was a marker of where they are going as a team - nowhere.

2: Paddy Kirwan's conduct last night and that which he instilled in his team was all too familiar to those of us who've seen his charges before. Like something out of a d'unbelieveables skit, you'd laugh at the backwardness of it all if it was just confined to the Drummies. It's not however, he's the county U-21 manager. Where do you even begin to start with that? Sometimes I feel that for the good of hurling, the GAA should just step in to Offaly and, at the very least, take over the running of our underage system because by God, we clearly don't seem to be up to it.

3: I agree with townman, Barry Harding was impressive at centre back. That makes two games in a row - should be worth a call up.

4: Hayden and Hanniffy were brilliant at midfield. Wouldn't be a bad pairing for the county, although I personally would rather have Hayden closer to goal. However, neither player should be played any further back the field for the county. How many times must it be said.



Quickly, as regard the other clubs, I agree with POTH - Colm Coughlan should be played at midfield for Kinnitty. Kenny should of course be left at centre back for Belmont while I fail to understand this years edition of the hype regarding Rynaghs. The same team that was hammered a year ago by Kinnitty, who themselves were humbled by Coolderry, are suddenly live-wire contenders? Semi-finals in Offaly aren't hard to make, but yet Rynaghs haven't managed it in what, 8 years? An U-21 title hasn't been annexed in at least 4/5 years and while, granted, some good minor teams have been produced, that's nothing new with Rynaghs.
Thus, I remain inherently skeptical. Hopefully I'm proven wrong though, a strong Rynaghs is needed for the Offaly senior team. For a club of it's size, their contribution to the Offaly senior team/panel over the last decade has been abysmal. That has to change.

yes Kirwins is something out of the dark ages it took him nearly 10 minutes to go into the dressing room at half time, as for his sidekick Kieran Dooley was shouthing to lads to
pull timber thats alright if its the ball they hit but anything that moved they were pulling on. have to say fair play to Birr they gave as good as they got and stood up to them and let
there hurling do the talking. and yes i do worry about our underage with Paddy Kirwin over them he has been there for years over minor and under 21 teams same sh.t different year.