League & Championship hurling 2022

[greenairfield]

Fairplay out of curiosity earlier rounds v who?

I saw them play versus Kilkormac I think anyone that was at it would agree it was written off because of conditions - a draw would of been fair result.

Next game they were awful.

They then beat C/G by about 8 or 9 pts a team kk struggle over might I add.

They then beat Kinnitty a team who drew with Ryngahs.


I would 100 say Birr were awful v St.Rynaghs but earlier rounds is inaccurate as it was one game.

[Plain of the Herbs]

That Coláiste Choilm result should be a massive shot in the arm for hurling in the Tullamore school. For me, that was the story of the week.

The four Offaly schools participating in Leinster B Colleges this year should go well, given they will have a good share of the minors.

Tradition is created. North offaly coming to the fore. Colaiste choilm lost to kierans by two points in leinster league.

[Plain of the Herbs]

It's gone very quiet. I imagine if it was resolved to anyone's satisfaction we'd be hearing about it.

Slightly off topic but was the OCP lease payments ever sorted out, nothing much said about it recently.

[Plain of the Herbs]

You’d nearly forget there were matches coming up this weekend, such is the excitement about next year’s.

The teams in each of Senior, Senior B, Intermediate and Junior A football who had byes in the quarter-finals won their semi-finals. All eight of them. So Belmont and Kilcormac-Killoughey won’t be at a disadvantage here.

I was impressed with Birr in their quarter-final win over Ballinamere. Not just because they had a convincing win, or ran up a big score, but because they tried to do the right thing.

I liked what they attempted to do with the variations in the puckout. Problem was, they rarely gained possession as a result of those variations. Now they generally gained possession anyway, but that was from winning contested ball. Done right, they wouldn’t have had to contest their own puckout, they would have claimed possession cleanly and uncontested. It’s a pity, because they clearly put a lot of work into this area, and we really need someone in Offaly to make a statement of intent, and to dominate games, by doing this. How Kilcormac-Killoughey try to counteract this will be interesting.

Impressed with their ball playing throughout the field, Oisín Murphy and Campbell Boyd stood out as defenders who are comfortable in possession. Luke Nolan impressed at centre half-back with their U20s, and here he showed as a sniper, picking off 1-4. And they could call on Craig Taylor, Rory Carty, Seán Ryan and Brian Watkins off the bench. Their Senior Bs are out, so they have a few more options and I wonder if Joe Ryan would be in line for a call-up, another who impressed for the U20s.

I haven’t seen Kilcormac-Killoughey since the pandemic.




Extra pressure on Belmont and Shinrone, both with a great chance to march behind the band on Senior final day. Belmont for the first time ever, Shinrone for the first time since Seán Lemass was Taoiseach. That may well affect the quality of the hurling.

Belmont were a mixed bag when I saw them against Ballinamere, switching from very good to poor at ten minute intervals. They played some really fluent hurling against Shinrone four weeks ago, playing through the lines, or playing to the vacant corner-forward positions with consummate ease. Really a joy to watch. They do tactical stuff without making it look like a big effort.

They are a team that has transitioned gradually in recent years, but the new faces have slotted in seamlessly while older ones have regraded just as seamlessly. Paddy and Jack Clancy have really prospered this year, Cathal Flynn has real pace, a touch to go with it, and an eye for goal, David Nally has rediscovered his form, Colin Egan had returned to form against Shinrone, Mark Cahill is another graduate from prominent Junior and Intermediate teams. And they topped the group and went straight to the semi-final without Oisín Kelly – that on its own is remarkable. And still there's the evergreen Alan Egan and David Cox for the impact off the bench.


Shinrone have excellent ball players, are a really skilful hurling team, so it was disappointing to see them resort to ‘route 1’ for the duration of the quarter-final. Then again, playing skilful hurling has got them only so far in the past, so if you’ve got the goalkeeper with the reach (they do), and the full-forward with the paw (they do), then the end justifies the means. And the constant threat meant Ben Conneely’s influence was curtailed, to such an extent that Rynaghs didn’t attempt to move the younger Conneely outfield as the quarter-final slipped away.

It was a new departure for them not to hurl well and still win. And a bigger achievement to win without either Dan or Conor Doughan. There were times in the first half when a couple more Rynagh’s scores might have broken them, but they didn’t come. And they converted a couple of clutch frees during the second half that the mightn’t have before. Éamonn Cleary looks the part in goals, Michael Cleary blocked off the centre well, Declan Cleary is a competent midfield worker, Adrian Cleary is always willing to roam and make himself available in space and pick off scores, and Killian Ryan made a big impact off the bench late in the game.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The final whistle will see scenes of joy for the winners and heartbreak for the losers, more than at any semi-final for some time. The winners will go home to put the flags up, the chance mightn’t come around again for the losers.

[SearingDrive]

Shinrone last appeared in the SH Final in 1960, losing to Drumcullen. That was Drumcullen’s last county title. They will play intermediate hurling in 2023. How the once mighty have slipped back from their halcyon days in a different Ireland.
Whoever wins the Belmont v Shinrone game will see a new team play for the Sean Robbins Cup.

[Fairplayalways]

Fairplay out of curiosity earlier rounds v who?

I saw them play versus Kilkormac I think anyone that was at it would agree it was written off because of conditions - a draw would of been fair result.

Next game they were awful.

They then beat C/G by about 8 or 9 pts a team kk struggle over might I add.

They then beat Kinnitty a team who drew with Ryngahs.


I would 100 say Birr were awful v St.Rynaghs but earlier rounds is inaccurate as it was one game.

Birr lost two games (one heavily) against the then 2 title favourites Rynaghs and by a point to KK (fair enough it was only a point and while not at the game by all accounts it wasn't the best of hurling conditions didn't help but end of the day KK won the game) Birr beat Clodagh Gaels (now relegated) and Kinnity (OK they drew with a jaded Rynaghs side - themselves now out) to qualify for knockouts. Fair enough they blew Ballinamere out of the water, more was expected of Ballinamere but it didn't happen, Birrs form is somewhere in the middle, in a semifinal having won 2 group games against the bottom 2 teams in their group (absolutely no disrespect to to Clodagh Gaels or Kinnity) Yes they have an excellent opportunity here, no doubt about it, KK are unbeaten despite not hitting top gear, KK deserve to be favourites on their record in Championship to date, unbeaten. If Birr win I'll be surprised but not shocked as they say.. Good luck to all teams tomorrow and great debates on here as always.

[Dodge83]

A few Junior games on this weekend also. In Junior A quarter final Ballinamere play Ballyskenach/Killavilla. Clodiagh Gaels , Kk & Edenderry all into semi finals already.
In Junior B semi finals Crinkill play Kk and St Rynaghs play Lusmagh.

[Hasselhoff]

Belmont left that behind them.

[greenairfield]

That would be putting it mildly
...

[private joker]

Fair play to shinrone, were bet and bet again until the end. Never gave up. Belmont absolutely should have seen the game out. Poor decision making in the last 5 minutes ultimately cost them massively.

[Fairplayalways]

I did predict as a possibility Shinrone would win by a late goal above yesterday , Belmont losing that game one has to wonder, it was almost "Mayoesque".. that was a painful loss indeed, its a long road back to another semi funext year etc. whatever about how Belmont lost it, you have to say Shinrone hung (just about) in there.. you need luck too..Shinrone won't mind how they won this evening..

[private joker]

If shinrone play like they did tonight in the final they'll be bet out the gate.

[Hasselhoff]

If shintine play like they did tonight in the final they'll be bet out the gate.

I thought the exact same.
I thought Belmont played way better a faster brand of hurling than shinrone. Hard to believe shinrone won it.
Shinrone in my opinion will be rank outsiders in the final but the final will be a different game.

[Doon Exile]

If shintine play like they did tonight in the final they'll be bet out the gate.

I thought the exact same.
I thought Belmont played way better a faster brand of hurling than shinrone. Hard to believe shinrone won it.
Shinrone in my opinion will be rank outsiders in the final but the final will be a different game.

Agree on both counts. Belmont will take a while to get over this one and I was genuinely devastated for them. They played all the hurling but left the gate open at the end unfortunately- the old mantra of goals winning games popped up again

Thought it was a very entertaining game of hurling.

[greenairfield]

It was so strange and after the minor final I never thought I would see a finish like but we sure did.

Couple of points on SBP for lone shark if comes down to attendance at a semi final surely one of the biggest ever in Offaly maybe it was the nice weather but it was rammed.