Offaly Senior Footballers 2025

[faithfulfanatic]

Same management in place? Next year be 3 year that's a long time, league isn't important its championship and we finish exactly as we did last year although not loosing to London we did finish 2nd in a group to wicklow.... division 3 was poor this year as are kildare don't b surprised to see them not winning it, we all hoped before year we could win taligan cup and get promoted or at least b in the mic, and recently been installed as favourites to win it. We fall out at quarters and everyone's happy same as last year! It's 2nd Thier football. We need extra lads? Please yhy can't use the lads we have! Brought on 2 lads game changed was beggin for another but didn't happen.

What planet are you on?
I don’t think a 1 point loss to Kildare away is in any way comparable to a hammering off London at home.
At no stage were Offaly favourites for the Tailteann Cup, we were massive outsiders against Kildare. Where did you get that info?

[del]

There is no comparison between this year and last year . I was a huge critic of the MGT last year but obviously the introduction of mickey Harte has really turned around the fortunes of the team. It’s been hugely positive year with some outstanding football been played by the team
Winning promotion and winning the league then Is a massive achievement.
Clearly tho MGT do not trust the majority of the players outside the top 18 players and loads of players were running on empty near the end. There needs to be a few more players unearthed during the winter who are willing to commit but sitting on the bench getting no football at all mite not be that appealing.
A few have already walked this year when they were blocked from playing with their clubs in the league and a few more won’t be going back next year but that’s nothing unusual really.
Looking forward to seeing how the team competes next year in division 2

[private joker]

Stopping lads from playing with their clubs when they don't make the matchday panel is probably the dumbest, self defeating thing a mgt can do.

[seany12]

Key thing for progress is to keep Mickey Harte as he made this team competitive, and maybe even let him bring in his own people as well.

[private joker]

The number of players that stayed part of the panel because MH was brought was significant. If it had stayed the way it was this year eould have been a disaster.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

I agree with the 3 points above to a degree'

1 For the future fringe players must get some league games with their clubs, its not county level but from a mental perspective, confidence and interaction then this needs to happen.....one of the key things being proposed by McCaffrey?? From Dublin.

2.Need to keep Mickey Harte....who is saying we don't....question is does he want to stay? I'd guess he would be happy to give it another go, In relation to the point around bringing in his own people, maybe if he wants to and they need to but at the end of the day, Declan Kelly would have a say in this. S&C came in from outside, Luke Bree may be in demand out there. Gavin Devlin was the main man as part of Mickey's backroom staff and I think he was tied in with Louth underage role, so not sure who he would want to bring in that is available..
GAA has its own FFP rules similar to the soccer and we are burning through a fair amount of cash so there is only so much that can be done.

Biggest challenge is the limited playing time that many of our panel have received and it is only them who can answer if they are happy to go again. There is not a bottomless pit of talent out there willing to come in and commit to the level required and its tough on mgt due to the schedule.

On the other hand, there are a good many players who enjoy the lifestyle and are willing to commit to get the chance at this level, so more luck to them. Its a tough balancing act.

[Superhans75]

I agree about getting more club playing but
We basically run out of ideas in taliteann cup
Lot of players were tired and they gave it all but you can only come back so many time lin games.when you play the counterattack game you use so much energy
And the amount of pace you. Have to use exposes players to injuries .
Our lack of goals was a massive issue which even in certain league games rared its head
We have come on leaps and bounds but we have a hell of a long way to go .
Would we beat Roscommon who have not won a game since early March.?
I doubt it ..
Preparation for Division 2 starts know .
Mickey Harte will have his eye on that .

[Lone Shark]

We absolutely have a long way to go, but a key thing here is that it's easy to see where the gains will come from. If I was to contrast things with when we were last up in Division Two, when we were very unlucky to be relegated, you'd point to things like:

(1) So many of the mainstays of the team, taking up key positions, are aged 21-24. Logically, if they continue to be motivated and get the right support, they should continue to improve.
(2) It's a lot easier to address an issue like lack of depth, than to address the absence of scoring forwards, or gaps at centre back, centre forward etc. You don't need to find guys that are elite players, you just need guys that are decently talented, and completely committed to getting to where they need to be, physically.
(3) There are guys out there who would be an instant add if they were fit and willing to come back in next year. I won't get into naming names because circumstances are different for each and in SOME cases, they might bring more baggage than they're worth, but I'd be surprised if we don't have one or two former Offaly players who decide that 2026 might be a good time to be involved once again.
(4) Following on from the above, just as there are players on the 2025 senior football panel who might feel they didn't get a fair shake, there are one or two county senior hurlers who will have similar thoughts as they reflect on the year. Depending on what happens with the management situation there, there could be a couple of lads, talented footballers t club level and in some cases former underage footballers with Offaly, who might decide that they have a better chance of getting on the field with a big ball in hand. A big advantage here is that in terms of physical condition, guys like this would be a long way down the road towards where they need to be. I should stress here, I'm not talking about the footballers poaching Oisín Kelly or Pádraig Cantwell, but lads that Johnny Kelly clearly didn't value highly.
(5) How can you not be excited about what Cillian Bourke might become? Albeit there is a possibility he might look to the AFL instead, but even then, in a lot of cases that's a 1-2 year project and at the end of it, a finely-tuned athlete ready to really make an impact is what comes back to Ireland.


So overall, I'm quite optimistic. I wouldn't say that 2025 was phenomenal - the league was great, the Leinster SFC was decent but ultimately a missed opportunity, and the Tailteann Cup was definitely underwhelming. Losing by a point to Kildare was nothing to be ashamed of at all, but after getting the rub of the green against Wicklow and limping past Waterford, we underperformed against Laois, which meant we had to travel to Newbridge to play Kildare. I'd argue that if we just took care of business in that Laois game, we'd have been at home in the quarter-finals and now we'd be preparing to go to Croke Park on Sunday as pretty close to joint favourites to win it out.

But in terms of team and player development, it's plain to see that there was forward progress. Also, I would be close with some of the media heads in Louth, and the consensus view there is that Mickey Harte was absolutely crucial to this year's Leinster win. Ger Brennan saw them over the line, but it was Harte who brought in a change of culture, it was Harte who made the players believe it was possible, and by the time he stepped away and Brennan came in, it was a self-governing squad with high standards that didn't need a firm hand. You could see Offaly taking steps on the same road this year.

That's not to say things were perfect. There is no greater recipe for unhappiness in a competitive intercounty player than leaving them trapped in a limbo where they aren't getting meaningful minutes for the county team and they aren't getting to tog out for their club either, and the mental damage that does is much more significant than any gain from being on an intercounty S&C programme. There were a lot of players on the senior panel this year that Kelly and Harte simply didn't trust and didn't want to use, and if that's the case, it would have been far more valuable to cut them loose, and maybe to bring up some of the U-20s to let them make up the numbers in training games instead.

But you'd like to think that could be worked on too. There's nothing there that can't be fixed, and when you look at the journey that teams like Louth, Meath and Down have travelled in the last few years, there's no reason this Offaly group can't do the same, the raw material in Offaly is every bit as good as what's in those three counties. So yeah, I'm enthused.

[Superhans75]

I agree about the down system if ever s county has a squad to suit that system it's Offaly.
Our major problem is when teams stop pressing us we don't know what to do
That is when leadership on the pitch takes over
I look at the talent Which is Available I think we need a strong person to put the head above the pariffit
Only problem with the two managers both might have different ideas.
The problem with club football so many dead rubbers it's not inclined to bring through
Take the game by the balls type of players

[ruletheroost]

We absolutely have a long way to go, but a key thing here is that it's easy to see where the gains will come from. If I was to contrast things with when we were last up in Division Two, when we were very unlucky to be relegated, you'd point to things like:

(1) So many of the mainstays of the team, taking up key positions, are aged 21-24. Logically, if they continue to be motivated and get the right support, they should continue to improve.
(2) It's a lot easier to address an issue like lack of depth, than to address the absence of scoring forwards, or gaps at centre back, centre forward etc. You don't need to find guys that are elite players, you just need guys that are decently talented, and completely committed to getting to where they need to be, physically.
(3) There are guys out there who would be an instant add if they were fit and willing to come back in next year. I won't get into naming names because circumstances are different for each and in SOME cases, they might bring more baggage than they're worth, but I'd be surprised if we don't have one or two former Offaly players who decide that 2026 might be a good time to be involved once again.
(4) Following on from the above, just as there are players on the 2025 senior football panel who might feel they didn't get a fair shake, there are one or two county senior hurlers who will have similar thoughts as they reflect on the year. Depending on what happens with the management situation there, there could be a couple of lads, talented footballers t club level and in some cases former underage footballers with Offaly, who might decide that they have a better chance of getting on the field with a big ball in hand. A big advantage here is that in terms of physical condition, guys like this would be a long way down the road towards where they need to be. I should stress here, I'm not talking about the footballers poaching Oisín Kelly or Pádraig Cantwell, but lads that Johnny Kelly clearly didn't value highly.
(5) How can you not be excited about what Cillian Bourke might become? Albeit there is a possibility he might look to the AFL instead, but even then, in a lot of cases that's a 1-2 year project and at the end of it, a finely-tuned athlete ready to really make an impact is what comes back to Ireland.


So overall, I'm quite optimistic. I wouldn't say that 2025 was phenomenal - the league was great, the Leinster SFC was decent but ultimately a missed opportunity, and the Tailteann Cup was definitely underwhelming. Losing by a point to Kildare was nothing to be ashamed of at all, but after getting the rub of the green against Wicklow and limping past Waterford, we underperformed against Laois, which meant we had to travel to Newbridge to play Kildare. I'd argue that if we just took care of business in that Laois game, we'd have been at home in the quarter-finals and now we'd be preparing to go to Croke Park on Sunday as pretty close to joint favourites to win it out.

But in terms of team and player development, it's plain to see that there was forward progress. Also, I would be close with some of the media heads in Louth, and the consensus view there is that Mickey Harte was absolutely crucial to this year's Leinster win. Ger Brennan saw them over the line, but it was Harte who brought in a change of culture, it was Harte who made the players believe it was possible, and by the time he stepped away and Brennan came in, it was a self-governing squad with high standards that didn't need a firm hand. You could see Offaly taking steps on the same road this year.

That's not to say things were perfect. There is no greater recipe for unhappiness in a competitive intercounty player than leaving them trapped in a limbo where they aren't getting meaningful minutes for the county team and they aren't getting to tog out for their club either, and the mental damage that does is much more significant than any gain from being on an intercounty S&C programme. There were a lot of players on the senior panel this year that Kelly and Harte simply didn't trust and didn't want to use, and if that's the case, it would have been far more valuable to cut them loose, and maybe to bring up some of the U-20s to let them make up the numbers in training games instead.

But you'd like to think that could be worked on too. There's nothing there that can't be fixed, and when you look at the journey that teams like Louth, Meath and Down have travelled in the last few years, there's no reason this Offaly group can't do the same, the raw material in Offaly is every bit as good as what's in those three counties. So yeah, I'm enthused.

Agree with a lot of this Kevin.

A few points though. There is a big gap between decent and elite players. There are a lot of decent players on the 26 and extended panel that got zero game time. Bringing in a few more decent players won't help the cause. They have to be good enough to make a difference. Most teams have 7 or 8 players that don't weaken the team when introduced and in some cases strengthen it. We don't have that luxury unfortunately. And management obviously realise that.

Some elite players might have some baggage, but it's down to the management to embrace and control that. I honestly think that if Rian O Neill was from Offaly one of the managers wouldn't have him on the panel because he's hard work?

Management has also burned bridges with a lot of players at this stage. Every player that the county knows are good enough to be at least asked in should be asked in regardless of anything that happened in the past. Division 2 is going to be extremely tough and those 18/19 guys that the management only deem good enough, need help. We have 5 or 6 of that group going back to their clubs shattered and with lots of niggly injuries.

[Lone Shark]

Agree with a lot of this Kevin.

A few points though. There is a big gap between decent and elite players. There are a lot of decent players on the 26 and extended panel that got zero game time. Bringing in a few more decent players won't help the cause. They have to be good enough to make a difference. Most teams have 7 or 8 players that don't weaken the team when introduced and in some cases strengthen it. We don't have that luxury unfortunately. And management obviously realise that.

Some elite players might have some baggage, but it's down to the management to embrace and control that. I honestly think that if Rian O Neill was from Offaly one of the managers wouldn't have him on the panel because he's hard work?

Management has also burned bridges with a lot of players at this stage. Every player that the county knows are good enough to be at least asked in should be asked in regardless of anything that happened in the past. Division 2 is going to be extremely tough and those 18/19 guys that the management only deem good enough, need help. We have 5 or 6 of that group going back to their clubs shattered and with lots of niggly injuries.

That's all very fair.

(1) Correct, there's a huge gap between decent and elite. But I guess the point I'm trying to make, clearly not very well, is that it shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge to take a handful of capable, driven club footballers and work with them, and at the end of it a couple of them would be able to give you a decent 15-20 minutes at the end of the game, particularly in the middle eight. Of course it's great if you're like Galway and Armagh at the weekend and it's players like Oisín Conaty, Stefan Campbell, Paul Conroy and Johnny Heaney coming off the bench - but that's not where we are right now, and frankly, given the size of the county, I doubt we ever will be. But we need to get to a point where we're not asking 13 or 14 of our starting outfielders to play at least 60 minutes in every game.

(2) I think there's a bit of realpolitik trade off when it comes to 'managing' difficult players. Firstly, there is the issue of particularly what type of management is required. Managing a guy who has his own high standards and who is inclined to call out management on their failings within the sanctuary of a dressing room or meeting room is difficult, but good management should be able for that. Likewise a guy who wants to do the right things, but who just has some personal life stuff that needs to take priority for a while.

Managing guys who don't make the right lifestyle choices and who thus made it impossible for high standards across the full panel, or players who look to undermine the group in the wider community, is a different matter. As a reporter, I've had players drop information my way before, no doubt in the hope that I'll help their agenda by going public with it. That's not the type of person you can manage. There are also players that might be talented, but the dressing room is a less happy place because they're in it, they just have that toxic mentality, maybe in terms of cutting young lads down, or bringing club rivalries and their own bitterness into the county dressing room, anything like that.

Equally, the sums change when it comes to a player like Rian O'Neill, similar to lads like Diarmuid Connolly in the past. If you're the type of player who is a significant upgrade in a team that's competing for the All-Ireland, then it's just the reality that the rules are different. No disrespect to any of the lads in Offaly that aren't on the panel at the moment, but none of them are Rian O'Neill. And even with Connolly, it was a mixed bag. In terms of talent, I would say he and Con O'Callaghan are the best forwards that Jim Gavin team had at any time in his management. Yet you couldn't say with certainty Dublin were a better TEAM with Connolly in there.

(3) Firstly, the club championship was half over by the time Mickey Harte came in last year. This year, he'll be able to see a lot more players first hand, and if there are guys who have been cut by DK in the past, Harte will be in a better position to advocate for them, if he wants to. Secondly, I agree with you, that every year should be a fresh start, up to a point. Again, it's back to a matter of behaviour. Time passes, lads can move past old rows and make peace. But that depends on what type of row it was, also. I'll keep it hypothetical here, deliberately. If Declan Kelly cut loose a player because he chose to play a college or club game against orders, or he stormed out of the dressing room in a fit of rage, then that should be something you can move past. If a player decided to throw a punch at him on the way out of the dressing room, then that's a bit harder to gloss over.

[Wingbackassassin]

Get Cian Farrell back on panel. He was getting motm every game he played in his first championship season when he was 20/21 and now he's prime age and not on panel. Make it make sense. Him, Keith O'Neill and Hyland on the pitch at the same time would be lethal.

[ruletheroost]

Agree with a lot of this Kevin.

A few points though. There is a big gap between decent and elite players. There are a lot of decent players on the 26 and extended panel that got zero game time. Bringing in a few more decent players won't help the cause. They have to be good enough to make a difference. Most teams have 7 or 8 players that don't weaken the team when introduced and in some cases strengthen it. We don't have that luxury unfortunately. And management obviously realise that.

Some elite players might have some baggage, but it's down to the management to embrace and control that. I honestly think that if Rian O Neill was from Offaly one of the managers wouldn't have him on the panel because he's hard work?

Management has also burned bridges with a lot of players at this stage. Every player that the county knows are good enough to be at least asked in should be asked in regardless of anything that happened in the past. Division 2 is going to be extremely tough and those 18/19 guys that the management only deem good enough, need help. We have 5 or 6 of that group going back to their clubs shattered and with lots of niggly injuries.

That's all very fair.

(1) Correct, there's a huge gap between decent and elite. But I guess the point I'm trying to make, clearly not very well, is that it shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge to take a handful of capable, driven club footballers and work with them, and at the end of it a couple of them would be able to give you a decent 15-20 minutes at the end of the game, particularly in the middle eight. Of course it's great if you're like Galway and Armagh at the weekend and it's players like Oisín Conaty, Stefan Campbell, Paul Conroy and Johnny Heaney coming off the bench - but that's not where we are right now, and frankly, given the size of the county, I doubt we ever will be. But we need to get to a point where we're not asking 13 or 14 of our starting outfielders to play at least 60 minutes in every game.

(2) I think there's a bit of realpolitik trade off when it comes to 'managing' difficult players. Firstly, there is the issue of particularly what type of management is required. Managing a guy who has his own high standards and who is inclined to call out management on their failings within the sanctuary of a dressing room or meeting room is difficult, but good management should be able for that. Likewise a guy who wants to do the right things, but who just has some personal life stuff that needs to take priority for a while.

Managing guys who don't make the right lifestyle choices and who thus made it impossible for high standards across the full panel, or players who look to undermine the group in the wider community, is a different matter. As a reporter, I've had players drop information my way before, no doubt in the hope that I'll help their agenda by going public with it. That's not the type of person you can manage. There are also players that might be talented, but the dressing room is a less happy place because they're in it, they just have that toxic mentality, maybe in terms of cutting young lads down, or bringing club rivalries and their own bitterness into the county dressing room, anything like that.

Equally, the sums change when it comes to a player like Rian O'Neill, similar to lads like Diarmuid Connolly in the past. If you're the type of player who is a significant upgrade in a team that's competing for the All-Ireland, then it's just the reality that the rules are different. No disrespect to any of the lads in Offaly that aren't on the panel at the moment, but none of them are Rian O'Neill. And even with Connolly, it was a mixed bag. In terms of talent, I would say he and Con O'Callaghan are the best forwards that Jim Gavin team had at any time in his management. Yet you couldn't say with certainty Dublin were a better TEAM with Connolly in there.

(3) Firstly, the club championship was half over by the time Mickey Harte came in last year. This year, he'll be able to see a lot more players first hand, and if there are guys who have been cut by DK in the past, Harte will be in a better position to advocate for them, if he wants to. Secondly, I agree with you, that every year should be a fresh start, up to a point. Again, it's back to a matter of behaviour. Time passes, lads can move past old rows and make peace. But that depends on what type of row it was, also. I'll keep it hypothetical here, deliberately. If Declan Kelly cut loose a player because he chose to play a college or club game against orders, or he stormed out of the dressing room in a fit of rage, then that should be something you can move past. If a player decided to throw a punch at him on the way out of the dressing room, then that's a bit harder to gloss over.

All great points Kevin.

Furthermore if managment has issues with players or people belonging to them and is using that as an excuse not to bring in certain players, then that is not for the good of Offaly football and is something that should be questioned.

I'm hoping for the good of Offaly football that more Offaly people are involved in the set up next year. I know a lot of people from a lot of clubs in Offaly and the same theme keeps emerging. Offaly football is being held back because of spats and personal issues. These need to be pushed aside. Cian Farrell, Bill Carroll and the likes can't have their intercounty careers cut short because of one person.

[SearingDrive]

Agree with a lot of this Kevin.

A few points though. There is a big gap between decent and elite players. There are a lot of decent players on the 26 and extended panel that got zero game time. Bringing in a few more decent players won't help the cause. They have to be good enough to make a difference. Most teams have 7 or 8 players that don't weaken the team when introduced and in some cases strengthen it. We don't have that luxury unfortunately. And management obviously realise that.

Some elite players might have some baggage, but it's down to the management to embrace and control that. I honestly think that if Rian O Neill was from Offaly one of the managers wouldn't have him on the panel because he's hard work?

Management has also burned bridges with a lot of players at this stage. Every player that the county knows are good enough to be at least asked in should be asked in regardless of anything that happened in the past. Division 2 is going to be extremely tough and those 18/19 guys that the management only deem good enough, need help. We have 5 or 6 of that group going back to their clubs shattered and with lots of niggly injuries.

That's all very fair.

(1) Correct, there's a huge gap between decent and elite. But I guess the point I'm trying to make, clearly not very well, is that it shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge to take a handful of capable, driven club footballers and work with them, and at the end of it a couple of them would be able to give you a decent 15-20 minutes at the end of the game, particularly in the middle eight. Of course it's great if you're like Galway and Armagh at the weekend and it's players like Oisín Conaty, Stefan Campbell, Paul Conroy and Johnny Heaney coming off the bench - but that's not where we are right now, and frankly, given the size of the county, I doubt we ever will be. But we need to get to a point where we're not asking 13 or 14 of our starting outfielders to play at least 60 minutes in every game.

(2) I think there's a bit of realpolitik trade off when it comes to 'managing' difficult players. Firstly, there is the issue of particularly what type of management is required. Managing a guy who has his own high standards and who is inclined to call out management on their failings within the sanctuary of a dressing room or meeting room is difficult, but good management should be able for that. Likewise a guy who wants to do the right things, but who just has some personal life stuff that needs to take priority for a while.

Managing guys who don't make the right lifestyle choices and who thus made it impossible for high standards across the full panel, or players who look to undermine the group in the wider community, is a different matter. As a reporter, I've had players drop information my way before, no doubt in the hope that I'll help their agenda by going public with it. That's not the type of person you can manage. There are also players that might be talented, but the dressing room is a less happy place because they're in it, they just have that toxic mentality, maybe in terms of cutting young lads down, or bringing club rivalries and their own bitterness into the county dressing room, anything like that.

Equally, the sums change when it comes to a player like Rian O'Neill, similar to lads like Diarmuid Connolly in the past. If you're the type of player who is a significant upgrade in a team that's competing for the All-Ireland, then it's just the reality that the rules are different. No disrespect to any of the lads in Offaly that aren't on the panel at the moment, but none of them are Rian O'Neill. And even with Connolly, it was a mixed bag. In terms of talent, I would say he and Con O'Callaghan are the best forwards that Jim Gavin team had at any time in his management. Yet you couldn't say with certainty Dublin were a better TEAM with Connolly in there.

(3) Firstly, the club championship was half over by the time Mickey Harte came in last year. This year, he'll be able to see a lot more players first hand, and if there are guys who have been cut by DK in the past, Harte will be in a better position to advocate for them, if he wants to. Secondly, I agree with you, that every year should be a fresh start, up to a point. Again, it's back to a matter of behaviour. Time passes, lads can move past old rows and make peace. But that depends on what type of row it was, also. I'll keep it hypothetical here, deliberately. If Declan Kelly cut loose a player because he chose to play a college or club game against orders, or he stormed out of the dressing room in a fit of rage, then that should be something you can move past. If a player decided to throw a punch at him on the way out of the dressing room, then that's a bit harder to gloss over.

All great points Kevin.

Furthermore if managment has issues with players or people belonging to them and is using that as an excuse not to bring in certain players, then that is not for the good of Offaly football and is something that should be questioned.

I'm hoping for the good of Offaly football that more Offaly people are involved in the set up next year. I know a lot of people from a lot of clubs in Offaly and the same theme keeps emerging. Offaly football is being held back because of spats and personal issues. These need to be pushed aside. Cian Farrell, Bill Carroll and the likes can't have their intercounty careers cut short because of one person.

Cian Farrell opted off the panel this year. Cian left the football panel last year too, You can’t account for players deciding to leave for whatever reason.

I would like to see more players on the bench, given a chance in future league and championship matches.

[Fairplayalways]

a team many on here were dismissing as Offaly should and could beat, now in Tailteann Cup final, beat a Wicklow team who beat Westmeath..Kildare or Fer managh will have a game of it in the final...no guaratee Offaly would beat Limerick in final had they beaten Kildare and maybe Fermanagh today..