Offaly Senior A Hurling Championship 2023

[faithfulfanatic]

With the Intercounty now concluded and club due to begin in a matter of weeks, I thought I would do a preview of the championships, starting with Senior A.

Exact same groups as last year with Tullamore replacing CG.

I have no idea of managers or absentees/returns for most clubs, so do let me know.

SAHC Group 1

Kilcormac-Killoughey
Odds: 2/1 (Fav)
Bye first round
Star Players: Cillian Kiely, Charlie Mitchell, Adam Screeney
One to watch: Any of the 4 Kavanagh brothers that could potentially hurl, Lochlann, Leigh, Alex and Brecon
Last year's beaten finalists with the golden generation now coming through.
Despite a lot of talk otherwise, Adam Screeney simply has to hurl Senior A. Despite having never hurled a Senior club game before, the best 18 year old in the country will certainly light up the championship. Dan Currams back too. Will be interesting to see how many of the young lads hurl Senior A.
Won league final without Kiely, Jack Screeney, Mitchell and 7-8 lads from the u20 panel.
Favourites and deservedly so.
Verdict: Champions

St Rynaghs
Odds: 5/2 (2nd Fav)
First round: Tullamore
Star Players: Ben Conneely, Luke O'Connor, Aidan Treacy
One to watch: Shane Rigney
Disappointing finish to last year. Aging team with not too many youngsters coming through - hard to know whether this is a help or a hindrance. Beaten league finalists against KK.
Verdict: Come through group in second, beaten in semi.

Birr
Odds: 13/2
First round: Kinnitty
Star Players: Eoghan Cahill, Rory Carty, Oisin Murphy
One to watch: Padraig Watkins
Beaten in last years semi by KK. Could be one last roll of the dice for the old guard as they look for a title back in St Brendans Park. Relatively successful at u20 in recent years. Fitness of Eoghan Cahill for first round versus Kinnitty could be key.
Verdict: 3rd in group, beaten finalists.

Kinnitty
Odds: 25/1
First round: Birr
Star Players: Shane Kinsella, James Dempsey, Paddy Delaney
One to watch: Cathal Robinson
Sleeping giant of Offaly GAA. Narrowly pipped by Birr last year to get out of group. Always capable of a surprise.
Verdict: 4th again

Tullamore
Odds: 50/1
First round: Rynaghs
Star Players: Shane Dooley, Ger Crowe, Cormac Egan
One to watch: Luke Egan
Offaly's town club back in the big time. A lot will depend on the extent to which footballers are allowed to hurl. I expect Cormac Egan to hurl regardless. Will fancy chances against Kinnitty, Birr and Rynaghs.
Verdict: win relegation final

SAHC Group 2

Shinrone
Odds: 11/2
First round: Coolderry
Star Players: Jason & Killian Sampson, Adrian Cleary
One to watch: DJ McLoughlin
Won first ever title last year. 5-6 with the county who will only be back this week. Along with 4-5 others missing from last year for various reasons, I can envisage a hangover period. Coolderry will be eager to remind their neighbours of their 31 titles the first day out.
Verdict: 2nd in group, beaten in QF.

Belmont
Odds: 5/1
First round: Seir Kieran
Star Players: David Nally, Damien Egan, Clancy brothers
One to watch: Patrick Taaffe
Heartbreak in last year's semi after 2 late mistakes. Will have looked on enviously all Winter at Shinrone. Their golden generation around the 25-29 mark now, know it could be their time. Absence of Oisin Kelly again is a huge blow. Timeline of David Nally's return from injury will be crucial. He ran up scores of 1-11, 0-14, 0-13 and 0-12 in different games last year.
Verdict: 3rd and beaten in QF.

Coolderry
Odds: 10/1
First round: Shinrone
Star Players: David King, Eoghan Parlon, Conor Molloy
One to watch: Gearoid McCormack
Offaly's most successful hurling club. Will be eager to atone for last year. With the old guard seeming to have been forced out of the setup by management, onus is on the next generation to stand up. Will fear nobody, as always.
Verdict: 4th, but barely.

Ballinamere:
Odds: 18/1
First round: Bye
Star Players: Ciaran Burke, Brian Duignan, Ravenhill brothers
One to watch: Dan Bourke
The up-and-coming team. 8 lads across Offaly senior and u20 teams. Will fancy their chances. 18/1 from 25/1 last week. Hammered by Birr in last year's QF. Another year older and wiser. My dark horse.
Verdict: 1st in group, beaten semi finalists.

Seir Kieran
Odds: 33/1
First round: Belmont
Star Players: Joe Bergin, Kevin Dunne, Tom Dooley
One to watch: Luke Carey
Few losses to emigration is never easy for a rural club. Too reliant on an aging Joe Bergin for too long. More relegation trouble.
Verdict: Relegated

[frankthetank]

Great post FF. Hope to do a thorough reply at some stage.

[chimbonda]

Good post - just a few questions:

1. Have any teams players going in J1 who might miss some group games? Seem to recall few rynaghs players going last year.

2. Who are the 4/5 shinrone players missing from last year?

3. What age is Dan Currams now?

All in all i think it will be a very competitive championship.

[faithfulfanatic]

Good post - just a few questions:

1. Have any teams players going in J1 who might miss some group games? Seem to recall few rynaghs players going last year.

2. Who are the 4/5 shinrone players missing from last year?

3. What age is Dan Currams now?

All in all i think it will be a very competitive championship.

1. Unsure on that, hopefully someone else can weigh in there.

2.Ciaran Cleary, Cillian Ryan and I believe a couple more in Australia. There was talk of a number of retirements too. Although having Sampsons, Maher, Cleary and Cleary with another year of inter-county action under the belts and having Conor Doughan back to full fitness should be a major boost.

3. Dan Currams is 33-34 I believe. Kilcormac have an embarrassment of riches going forward, could be a scenario that himself, Healion and COnor Mahon are competing for 1-2 'experienced' spots on that team, at full or centre forward.

[Fairplayalways]

every team needs the experienced player in one or two of the central forward positions, and rest assured KK are wise enough to know that too, Currams being out of action as such a while, has he still the skillset on a consistent level to warrant a starting postion? time will tell, there is no guarantee's the skills and ability and fittness remain when a player is out of the loop for a period of time, even with injury.Players attitudes and prospectives change too which of course can affect every aspect of their lives. KK would deserve favourites tag this year, Shinrone might be abit annoyed at us all writing them off as such, it is a big year for them too having broken through last year, they will have something to prove to us no doubt, depending on results I wouldnt write them off so early, if they get to semi finals they now have the monkey gone off their back, Coolderry and Birr are alos interseting this year, St. Rynaghs, I dont know, if Dolan is still away he is a massive loss as he made/makes it all work upfront, problem is outside one or two with him, its the same old names more or less start, and are subbed on, some great young players need to be given their chance now, but I think it is a season or two too early for them to step in and win straight away, that said, we are all assuminng KK are going to do just that in ways..Belmont have their usual "big year" this year, should be in the shake up, have they enough all over the field to get them across the line or even to a final is the question. On paper yes they have I supose but it doesnt transpire onto the field unfortunately..it will be an interesting championship again.

[uibhfhaili72]

Great work over the 3 championships really good posts all of them. As far as kk are concerned it is hard to not see them having second teams that could challenge in the senior A grade in years to come . Quality players coming through every year or a few years now . But these lads are still only teenagers so alot could change but it's hard not to take that viewpoint .... an 'embarrassment of riches'.

[greenairfield]

I think the reality is they have huge talent coming through but gaps to be filled with Kilmartin, Mahon and Healion all in central positions and close to retirement.

[Toxicity234]

faithfulfanatic what a post -Well done.

Huge Pressure on Kilcormac/Killoughey.
But after last year i'm not 100% sure why.
they should have lost to Birr in the Semi and were well beating by Shirone.
They're young and inconsistent, as all young teams are.
They have lots of hurlers but only 15 can play.

If Ciaran Cleary comes back for Shinrone they have a good chance this year again.
we could have do with him with the offaly senior.
Just that focus point, draging team back, Leaving space for Sampsons and Cleary to pick off points and kill team off.
Simple but effective.

Ryanagh are still close and a little break may not do them an harm.
Shortt, Dolan and tracey are all big men that can take team apart.

Belmont were 8 points up againist Shinrone and shot themselves in the foot last year.
not sure who the manager is this year but they still have loads of good hurlers and are close.

After that.
Take Eoghan Cahill and drop him into another other team and i feel they have a good chance of making a semi -final.
if he out for an game Birr are in trouble.
They not too much between them

I hope Seir Keiran have a good year.
They do have some nice hurlers in the club and they workrate of some of the players that was crap over the last 12 years has seen a huge improvement. I hope that get rewarded.

[frankthetank]

I don’t think anyone in their right mind would agree with you that Birr should have beaten K/K in the semi-final last year. Game was over after 40 minutes. At that stage K/K were up 11 points, took their foot off the gas and comfortably kept Birr at arm’s reach.

[Fairplayalways]

Kilcormac deserved to win, from memory Birr had a few who never got into the game on the day (or werent let call it as you see it from what side your on) but once Birr made changes, probably too late in the game, they did come back into the game and KK were under a bit of pressure but had enough of a lead to see the game out..Birr were definitely on the front foot at the end of that game..

[Toxicity234]

Birr were 5 points down and had a penalty which went over the bar with 4 mins left.
after been 11 points down.
Momentum is a big thing in sport but that ball hit the net and it was game over for K/K.
They had stopped playing and it almost impossable to turn the tide.
We saw this in the Belmont Vs Shinrone game last year.
I'm not saying KK weren't the better team but you can't stop for 20 mins, left other team miss a penalty and not feel to have got away with it.
They were lucky!

[greenairfield]

Great post above.

I think this year like last years championship may be a bit unusual. We have no standout team across the championship everything is pointing for kk to dominate in the not so distant future but for me it's too soon for them this year.
It could well be interesting to see how Shane Hand uses Screeney and co this year as the time is probably now where they play senior hurling.
Alex Kavnagh started last year and he couldn't make the 24 man panel for the all Ireland so ud imagine Screeney is a good bit ahead of him going by that.

St Rynaghs ,Shinrone, Belmont and Birr can all have cases to be made for them that a county final is there for them but as of now its very hard to call the winner.

The fact the final is in Birr would love to see them make it there but not sure if it will happen for them seems to lack consistency.

A very open championship that's for sure.

[faithfulfanatic]

First round fixtures out

All 4 games on Friday 7th July, Tullamore, Crinkle, Rath and Birr the venues

[frankthetank]

Could you post the full fixture list please?

[faithfulfanatic]

Could you post the full fixture list please?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AlzPV0 ... 6hfsA/view

There’s the first round fixture file
Can’t work out how to attach a screenshot of it