Offaly Club Hurling Championship 2025

[greenairfield]

I would say the Birr membership has changed alot over the last 10 years to what it was of the old and our success is in the past so our members probably do realise that.

The committees who work would be plenty of new faces and forward thinking.

Of course we have to respect what we Birr GAA achieved as a club and if Crinkill come to the table they have to realise that.

I just dont buy the whole moving to Carrig which is in Tipperary might I add and you have to go through Birr town the parish you are in on the way.

If I was from Crinkill I know where I would prefer to go.

Birr would be willing to talk if the right people sat down with Crinkill and I think it would work.

Whether there would be enough good will to swing that vote is another thing but as I said its a new generation involved in Birr GAA very different to the old.

[Lone Shark]

Of course we have to respect what we Birr GAA achieved as a club and if Crinkill come to the table they have to realise that.

You didn't answer directly, but I think what you've said here is an answer in itself. I don't know of any example in the GAA where a club just allowed themselves to be subsumed by their neighbours in anything other than a marriage of equals, and I just find it hard to believe that 75% of Birr club members would go along with that kind of arrangement, where the Birr name would cease to exist.

I have some limited experience of this, actually. When I lived in Galway city (I think late 2006 when this happened), I transferred to a club called Éire Óg, based in Crestwood on the north of the city, just off the N84. But before I played a game for them, they amalgamated with Fr. Griffin's, historically based in the Claddagh. Fr. Griffin's fielded two adult teams easily, albeit their first team was Junior A by now, and they had a rich history with seven Galway SFC titles and two Connacht SFC titles. Not at Birr's level, but ahead of 98% of GAA clubs in the country all the same. Éire Óg had no history outside of junior, no underage teams at this stage, and they were all too frequently conceding walkovers because of numbers. Hence a lad with toblerones for feet, like me, thought he might get a game.

Yet even with this contrasting background, the clubs joined up to create Fr. Griffin's Éire Óg, with completely new colours.

Anyway, moot point. I would hope that we won't see any other Offaly clubs need to seek refuge with their neighbours for a long time, but even if it does happen, I would imagine there are other clubs that are a lot closer to danger than Crinkill.

[Runner_bean]

Looks like the kk senior team missing players will gave a significant impact on the senior B championship. Kk bet in senior B by lusma by 8. Probably will be relegation from Senior A championship this year.
Carrig and clara with good wins.
In junior A , brosna gaels with a huge win over a struggling crinkle.

Crinkill are in big trouble of relegation to junior B this year if results in the league & that hammering by Brosna Gaels is anything to go by. From what I hear they are without some good hurlers this year for one reason or another. Maybe relegation won’t be a bad thing. A club that is struggling for numbers with very little coming through from minor in the next few years.

why wont these “good” hurlers play is the question that needs to be asked?

[Dodge83]

What’s the story with home & away fixtures in the championships this year instead of neutral venues ?

[faithfulfanatic]

What’s the story with home & away fixtures in the championships this year instead of neutral venues ?

Everyone has 1 home and 1 away game

[Bogman123]

Ballinamere 4-18 Tullamore 2-18

The game was closer than the scoreline suggests. Tullamore got off to a brutal start when the GK dropped a ball into the net in the first few minutes. Ballinamere missed a lot of chances and let Tullamore back into it to go 2 up at half time. Same thing again in the second half, Tullamore GK comes out to catch a ball and misses it (under pressure from B/mere corner forward). Take those two goals out of it, and Ballinamere really would have been pressed to the pin of their collars.

From a Ballinamere POV, they will definitely be relieved to escape O'Brien park with the 2 points. It is job done but definitely not convincing by any means. Brian Duignan very dangerous from open play, but will be disappointed with his placed balls. Aaron Maher was very influential and if he was locked down, it may have been a different story for last year's finalists. David Magner got on a world of ball in midfield and Sam Bourke very good in defence. It seems from an early stage that Ballinamere are missing some of their forward power from previous years. I saw John Murphy named in extended subs alongside Dan Ravenhill, but it seems they are carrying a few passengers in the front 6. Subs didn't make much difference.

For Tullamore, they will feel hard done by not to bring this one down the wire and nab something from the home game. James Houlihan very influential with 1-5 from play, Shane Dooley with 1-2 or so and very good on the frees. Luke Egan very influential throughout and Cormac Egan really grew into the game as it went on. Tmore started going for goals with 10 mins to go, but it might have been a different story had the two soft goals not been conceded. Similar to B/mere, they seemed to be missing some strength from the bench and some additional scoring power outside Houlihan and Dooley. If they can tighten up the GK position and add a few more scorers, they will scare the remaining teams in the group and don't be surprised to see them take a scalp.

One point I must make, the game was reffed very well by Joey Deehan - local rivalry always had the potential to get out of hand but he was excellent at keeping level heads and issuing yellows when required.

[frankthetank]

Comprehensive 0-20 to 0-14 victory for Belmont tonight over a very average looking St Rynaghs side.

You would have to presume that’s the year over for St Rynaghs. Practically impossible seeing them beat K/K who seem to be getting their players back. (They are playing St Thomas of Galway this weekend in a challenge game)

Anyone know the last year St Rynaghs didn’t make the championship knockouts?

[Anonymous1]

Big win for Belmont. Missing key players and still playing well.

Ryangh’s are effectively out of the championship and that team seems over the hill.

When was the last time Belmont beat Ryangh’s in the championship? Must be more than 10 years ago.

[faithfulfanatic]

Was in Banagher this evening.

Belmont were solid without being spectacular, Rynaghs were awful.

David Nally was quiet for a good while but came into the game well and finished with 5-6 points from play.
Shane Rigney very quiet for Rynaghs.
Shows the massive step up from u20.
Rynaghs have to now try beat KK and Kinnitty to qualify, which would still be unlikely then.
Ben Conneely was quiet enough from centre back.
James and Shane Nally did well.

I was also in Lusmagh yesterday evening for our senior b meeting.
Firstly, massive credit to Lusmagh (and Banagher) for how well their grounds were prepared with loads of stewards on duty.
Early red card for our lads virtually ended it as a contest.
Lusmagh took the eye off the ball for a while after half time but eventually pulled away again.
Eimhin Kelly outstanding for Lusmagh, Ruairi Kelly quiet enough.
Declan Parlon and Joe Larkin hurled well for Coolderry.

Can’t get over how poor the coverage of the games has been, both on social media and from reporters.
Only match report from senior b in round one was from the Clodiagh Gaels and Carrig game, and none from yesterdays game at all.
The only coverage/review available online will be ‘team X will be happy/relieved to win and team Y will be disappointed but could win their next game but could also lose their next game or else they might draw it’.
Very little coverage on social media either, other than updates from Offaly GAA every 10-15 minutes.

[Offaly Hero]

Banagher definitely entering a transitional period and with little coming through from underage, a lean time ahead looks likely.

Historically you’d have to go back a long time for the most successful three hurling clubs of Coolderry, Banagher and Birr to all be considered rank outsiders for the county title in the same year, as they all are this year. Which is no surprise given that between the three clubs, they had a combined total of one guaranteed starter on the Offaly team this year - Ben Connelly.

[frankthetank]

I don’t think I’d ever classify Coolderry as rank outsiders for a county championship!!

[greenairfield]

Nore Birr Clareen and Kinnitty would be rank outsiders!

[frankthetank]

Birr seem to be improving slowly. They’ll make the knockouts and anything can happen then.

Kinnitty and Clareen just don’t have the numbers unfortunately for them. It’s probably undervalued in both clubs how well they are doing just to be hurling Senior A.

All they have to do is look at Drumcullen to see what could happen if they don’t stay plugging away.

[greenairfield]

I would agree with that....would Belmont not be of similar size and seem to have numbers ?
Ryanghs potentially struggling going forward too.

[frankthetank]

I would agree with that....would Belmont not be of similar size and seem to have numbers ?
Ryanghs potentially struggling going forward too.

Belmont has the town of Ferbane which has to be a help despite the protestations that there’s no hurling there.