Offaly Senior Football Team - Championship 2023

[Superhans75]

Good luck to Wexford
We played like a division 5 team.
Maughan should never have been let go
Egos take over
Up Offaly enjoy the summer

[faithfulfanatic]

We were going nowhere with Maughan either and he had turned most of the players against himself.

[biffinbanner]

simple fact is i dont think were good enough. no matter whos over them. sad but true. maughan went and o se was heir apparent but he didnt take it. that tell something i think. liam kearns rip was doing ok with them but...

[Lone Shark]

I'm still here in OCP and it's a strange paradox - I've never seen an Offaly performance that was so lethargic, and yet been so sympathetic to the players afterwards. Simply put, these lads just ran through too many big emotional and physical hurdles all year, and trying to get up for the Tailteann Cup was just a bridge too far. Wexford were like a team that were at their peak, finally finding their rhythm after a bad league and a nothing Leinster championship. Offaly looked wreck, bereft of energy, and bereft of depth.

So I'm okay with it. Better to bow out here and let the players get a bit of rest, than to accidentally stumble on into the next round and get rightly filleted in Navan or Belfast. The players showed their worth in the Leinster championship, and call me a dinosaur if you like, but that's still a genuine championship, that's real currency for me. Tailteann Cup? No harm as a development competition, but given the choice between winning the Tailteann Cup, or just winning the one game against Meath, I know which one I'd pick.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

I'm still here in OCP and it's a strange paradox - I've never seen an Offaly performance that was so lethargic, and yet been so sympathetic to the players afterwards. Simply put, these lads just ran through too many big emotional and physical hurdles all year, and trying to get up for the Tailteann Cup was just a bridge too far. Wexford were like a team that were at their peak, finally finding their rhythm after a bad league and a nothing Leinster championship. Offaly looked wreck, bereft of energy, and bereft of depth.

So I'm okay with it. Better to bow out here and let the players get a bit of rest, than to accidentally stumble on into the next round and get rightly filleted in Navan or Belfast. The players showed their worth in the Leinster championship, and call me a dinosaur if you like, but that's still a genuine championship, that's real currency for me. Tailteann Cup? No harm as a development competition, but given the choice between winning the Tailteann Cup, or just winning the one game against Meath, I know which one I'd pick.

I’d pick the Taitleann Cup every single time.

The win against a division 2 average Meath side ultimately counts for nothing in the long run. What did it do for Longford a few years ago? Or Carlow ‘Rising’ or any other of the selection of division 3/4 teams that have had their ‘shock’ result over the past few years. One off shocks against a perceived ‘big team’ were the carrot that the GAA at large used to keep their boot on the neck of smaller counties with regards championship structures until secondary competitions were brought in.
We’re still in division 3 and odds on to be in the Taitleann Cup again next year. The year finishes in disarray and disappointment. Today was tough viewing at the end of what was a tough year for the players. Why the performances of late were so poor needs to be analysed by the powers that be.


A Taitleann Cup win on the other hand would mean winning most if not all of 7/8 matches at the height of summer, winning a final in Croke park and promotion to the Sam Maguire next year. All tangible, real progress. The atmosphere in the county and among the players would be positive.


When will we show ambition? Every year the same refrain from supporters of ‘maybe another year in Division 3 would be no harm’, no ambitions for the Qualifiers in years past and now happy to be out of the Taitleann Cup. Is it any wonder we ultimately seem to be showing no progress over the past what, 20 years?! When will we get real that there are now competitions with rewards for us to win and let’s go and at least try our best to win them.

Until supporters treat the Taitleann Cup the same as a club would treat a ‘Senior B/Intermediate’ championship ultimately we’ll go nowhere. But shur we beat Meath so isn’t it grand. ‘Back to the clubs’ comes the cry.

My thanks, as always, to the players for their exceptional effort and commitment this year.

[Lone Shark]

I am absolutely, emphatically, not saying that there is no value to the Tailteann Cup. Westmeath clearly took a lot from winning it last year, albeit that hasn't manifested itself on the field of play so far in 2023. I would say that it's very early to tell. Maybe the competition will take off. Maybe it won't. It's too early to tell.

And I'm certainly not saying that another year in D3 is no harm - however I would argue that based on our performances in the league this year, we weren't good enough to go up. Our scoring difference at the end makes that very clear.

What I will say is this - I don't think it should need too much analysis to ascertain why the players ran out of energy this year. In fact I'd struggle to think of any set of circumstances in the past where it would be any more understandable for any intercounty group.

Liam Kearns' death would have taken a huge toll, and that kind of thing doesn't always hit you straight away. For some lads it will have done, for others it will have been a slow burner. The Leinster campaign was meaningful, and saw huge emotional highs and lows at the end of each game. There was little or no break before the Tailteann Cup, unlike some counties that had a chance to properly reset, and then the loss of three young lads to America obviously further zapped the group, both in terms of energy, and in terms of sending a signal to the rest of the panel that we don't feel we'll miss anything being on the other side of the Atlantic.

Let me just stress here, I'm not blaming any of the trio for leaving. I'd much prefer if more people stepped aside when their hearts weren't in it, and left it to those who wanted to be there, and at that age, chances to travel are invaluable, and should be seized if that's a desire that's in them.

However there were obvious reasons why counties like Antrim, Wexford and Limerick would have come into the Tailteann Cup on the front foot, and obvious reasons why we wouldn't.

The only point where I would vehemently disagree is this one:

The win against a division 2 average Meath side ultimately counts for nothing in the long run.

Leinster championship matters. The buzz in OCP that day mattered. Meath have a heavyweight status conferred by tradition, history, size etc., so beating them matters. You don't need there to be a trophy there for a game to have significance.

[JimBwobb]

Good luck to Wexford
We played like a division 5 team.
Maughan should never have been let go
Egos take over
Up Offaly enjoy the summer

Superhans75 I've also seen your comment about a specific player which was either removed by yourself or by the admins.

You sir are a Bell End.

[DerekCarroll]

Dissapointing end to the season. The writing was on the wall after last week. 4 sending offs in 2 games shows a lack of discipline and a team that are fed up and ready for the county year to be over.

It’s been an enjoyable year and fair play to the players. Offaly’s best year since 2006 with 2 Leinster champ wins and 4 leagues wins. A fighting performance in the OBP cup in Jan too in Parnell. Offaly have never had more than 4 wins in Div 3 since the new structures were introduced in 2008

After the retirements of McNamee, Moloney and Darby and the lack of the u20 team establishing themselves it’s been as good as you could expect. Not to mention the sad passing of L Kearns and the change in mgmt.

I like the Tailteann cup, hard to see much wrong with it but there was more people at the Meath match in O Connor Park than there was at the 3 Tailteann group matches combined.

Hoping for strong club championships and a clean bill of health for all the u20 winners.

[private joker]

Once you have lads leaving mid season from the panel your in trouble. That mind set has to change, you either all in or all out.

[Bord na Mona man]

Looking back at the outpouring of emotion after the Meath win. I think mentally the tank was empty after that day.
The players had come through a turbulent time and had shown they could rally themselves. But that sort of adrenaline doesn't keep you going for weeks and months.
A few months away from it will benefit many of the squad.

[Superhans75]

I've been called worse lol
I never take issue against any person in any game
There is no point but yesterday was a new level.
Our next competitive game is 7 months away !!!!
How is that going to develop Offaly football
Lots of smoke and mirrors in Offaly Gaa
Have a good week

[greenairfield]

Private Joker is right when lads are leaving something isn't right.

They are either fully committed to improving Offaly football and progressing through the tiers or happy with going around in circles.

What is a realistic target for Offaly at the minute it seems like some players are unsure of it.


The u20 team really needs to be focused on and see what we can get from them because maher dunne are at their level and can't seem to bring us to the next level.

[pigeon house biffo]

Throw in those u20s t’f*ck and see how they do

1 from that team starting yesterday and another 2/3 leaving the panel. Screaming out for big men and morgan tynan and ed cullen nowhere to be seen.

Thanks to management and players for their efforts this year

Ps superhans not sure how long you’re posting put you’re yet to produce a single coherent point to date. Something to reflect on before you next click the submit button.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Super hans is clearly a wind up merchant and I'll leave it at that, and coherent is a word to far in his unique vocab!

Season: Generally got more out of it than expected at the start. But TC has been a major flop, as was Down game. Discipline is an issue still but mainly I guess when the group were on a downward tragectory anyway,but there appeared to be too much whinging to refs during the season.
MGT: The loss of Liam Kearns was terrible and he appeared to be on the right road, and Martin Murphy was a key part of that also. Does Martin want it and do the County Board see him as the right man? To be thrashed out between them, and if not who are the options.
Players: There is a need for a mini clearout, to be fair, hopefully there will be new blood putting their hands up for the panel the 20's, previous 20's and older guys who may return to the squad.
There are a few bad eggs in there that need to be moved on ..maybe 3.

We need as a county to strongly look at helping to support the development of managers, its a growing issue due to the challenges of doing these jobs and trying to work also. Our U20 mgt this year probably underperformed (injuries aside), our minor mgt did a reasonable job in their first year at this level, (however there were glaring gaps in the performace levels against both Louth and Dublin). Reviews with all these groups need to be frank and if they are to continue, areas of support and development for them as managers and coaches need to be put in place to assist them and support.
Co Board have been very progressive and will definitely see this as an area to work on. Its not the right thing to disgard people, but see where people can be progressed. Not always the way things are done in the GAA but you can bet its an area closely looked at in the successful couunties.

To the players overall, sincere thanks for your committment and efforts over the seaon and hopefully if called upon you'll be back next year, and thanks to Martin Murphy and his backroom for their efforts in a tough circumstances. As Lone Shark put it, it's easy to be critical after the last few games but there are some mitigations.
And to Liam Kearns family, and friends, thoughts and prayer remain with ye.

[Fairplayalways]

Reading alot of above, I'll repeat this for God knows how many times - how come the cream of U20s in other counties (and we won an All Ireland I stress) seem to be almost automatically in Senior squad of their county the following year and are regular starting in first 15 within another year.. We are "waiting for them to develop" and all this ould mullarkey...are they now ready for Senior or not, not them all I know but surely 3 or 4 of them.. what's with Offaly with bringing them through.. an eternity goes on and they just drift away from what I see.. Secondly if I read one moe comment "this was the worst performance I've seen"... there have been many many of those comments over the last number of months, that tells it's own story..a few other things too been microvaved as excuses at this stage but I won't go into them given the year that was..Wexford and Laois results on a ricter scale tells it's own story...we have stablized mediocre division 3 status, no more no less..