Offaly Senior Football 2026

[Anonymous1]

Team named for Sunday. Still a solid team, but it’ll be interesting to see how the newcomers fare.

Hopefully we get some players back soon also. Injuries have left us short of at least 5 starters in Cathal Flynn, Tierney, Dunican, Hyland, Furlong, Higgins.

Also is Aidan Bracken injured or off the panel. Haven’t heard his name mentioned at all.

I also expect Daire McDaid to start.

Unless a couple of them return soon, I find it very hard to see how we can stay up. That's surely the lightest we've been in the forward line in many many years.

In previous seasons, we'd have had a Niall Mac or an Anton or a Panda or a Nigel Dunne or a Dylan Hyland to produce 6 or 7 points from play to drag us through. I don't see who steps up to fill that void at present.

Zooming out for a second and taking a wider view of the coming season; the goal has to be to qualify for the Sam Maguire in either 2026 or 2027.

There are three routes to doing this;

1. Avoid relegation in the league.

2. Reaching the Leinster Final.

3. Winning the Tailteann Cup.

Failing this, I don't see how you could justify retaining the same management next season as we'd be back where we were at the end of 2024 and facing two years to get back to this position.

[Snotser123]

I worry seriously about anyone's knowledge of football that thinks a manager needs to be sacked if he gets relalegated from division two with the depleted panel we have...top scorer Hyland, goalie, your centre back , your centre forward , your goalie, and Tierney your corner forward all injured ....Kyle higgins also ...bracken retired...with what's left if u honestly think that a manager should be sacked because he can't stay up in division 2 I'm not sure what to say ....I also don't remember

[Hasselhoff]

If we get relegated from division 2 in 2026,do we go into the tailteann cup for 2026

[Anonymous1]

I worry seriously about anyone's knowledge of football that thinks a manager needs to be sacked if he gets relalegated from division two with the depleted panel we have...top scorer Hyland, goalie, your centre back , your centre forward , your goalie, and Tierney your corner forward all injured ....Kyle higgins also ...bracken retired...with what's left if u honestly think that a manager should be sacked because he can't stay up in division 2 I'm not sure what to say ....I also don't remember

I worry even more about people who are incapable of reading.

Three rolls of the dice.

Stay up, make a Leinster final (no Dublin excuse) or win the Tailteann Cup.

The injuries excuse won't wash come June in the Tailteann.

[Anonymous1]

If we get relegated from division 2 in 2026,do we go into the tailteann cup for 2026

Yes - unless we make the Leinster final.

[Snotser123]

Its a very weak squad at the moment , it's hard to expect them to stay up.winnin the tailteann could come down to beating westmeath or down for example in a final and I wouldn't write off management if we didn't happen to beat either of those in a one off game...the realities is getting promoted and beating Kildare in a final in croke Park last year was a phenomenal achievement and we are ravaged by injuries at the moment ...absolutely ravaged ...so every one needs to relax on calling for people's heads of certain standards aren't met

...

[jimbob17]

Its a very weak squad at the moment , it's hard to expect them to stay up.winnin the tailteann could come down to beating westmeath or down for example in a final and I wouldn't write off management if we didn't happen to beat either of those in a one off game...the realities is getting promoted and beating Kildare in a final in croke Park last year was a phenomenal achievement and we are ravaged by injuries at the moment ...absolutely ravaged ...so every one needs to relax on calling for people's heads of certain standards aren't met

...

It's a very weak squad for a reason. You'd have to wonder how so many are out injured with non contact injuries. There are a large number of them injuries down to inner groin injuries which is totally preventable by simply not over-training! These are simple overuse injuries that are of own making which is a concern and some of them are going back a year or more before Harte's involvement. With the other couple of injuries, every squad will have 2 or 3 long terms from time to time.

For me, the depth of squad is compromised by the unwillingness of some lads not to play and the exclusion of others. Without going back over old arguments, would we be better served and going into tomorrows game with some semblance of confidence if we had some of the likes of Cian Farrell, Ruairi Mac, Aaron Kellaghan, Anton Sullivan, Bill Carroll, Jack O'Brien, Kevin McDermott, Bernard Allen available and on board? Would the squad be a stronger squad with likes of OK Martin, Morgan Tynan, Adam Bolger, D Finneran? Where is Cian Johnson and Aidan Bracken? Luke Plunkett is surely an option for consideration on panel at least? That is a depth pool of 15 players not involved that excludes the 6 or 7 injured lads in Hyland, Furlong, Dunican, Tierney, Higgins and Flynn among others who would all be eligible for championship starting places. That is 21 players deep that we can ill afford to ignore in my opinion. So if we are choosing to either ignore that volume, or whether they choose to not be involved or whether overuse injuries are responsible for some not being available, there has to be some form of accountability for this with management team.

This is year 3 for Declan Kelly and Year 2 for Harte. If you were told that you'd have 3 years as a manager starting out to get us into Sam Maguire competition, and that if you did not succeed in that time, then your time would be up, I think that that would have been a very fair expectation and also very fair criteria for not being kept on. I don't think that changes. There are 3 opportunities still of doing that this year as mentioned above by staying in Div 2 or by reaching a Leinster Final or by winning Tailteann Cup. All should be genuine achievable targets for us again this year and I really hope that we can get there this year with our current management and wish them the very best.

However, we have to be both ambitious, realistic and honest about our recent progress. Year 1 for DK was disastrous under any criteria. Last year with Harte joining the ticket, there was a major improvement and we got back to a level we were at under Maughan and Kearns - and nabbed 2nd in Div 3 to get promotion. This year is a year where we need to see the fruits of the last two years work and gain entry to Sam Maguire competition. Our U20 All Ireland success was 5 years ago now meaning that group should be in their prime now. There were decent minor and U20 teams either side of that U20 success so it is not like we are coming from a very low base. We are not looking for major inroads here - just to see some progress over a 3 year time frame. That is just getting us into top 16 in country - a very reasonable expectation across a 3 year period. Time for excuses is over in my opinion.

I just wonder Snotser, given outline on those listed above, how you think under any reasonable criteria, how it would be acceptable to extend a management's reign, should we not achieve this (Sam Maguire status) within the 3 year time frame, particularly as we were ranked probably between 18 and 20th best team in country when Martin Murphy / Liam Kearns regime was over. Remember that in 2023, we took Louth to extra time in Leinster semi final. 3 years to move 3 or 4 places up the rankings is not asking for a huge amount imo.

[Snotser123]

Cian johnson is injured and said he was loving being involved so far....Morgan tynan got numerous chances , I was at the games ...believe me I wanted him to kick on but he just hasn't. ..I was at numerous ballinagar games that just passed him by the ballinagar lads will tell you that themselves ..cian Farrell refused to turn up for a game last season...that in my opinion was a disgrace ...but look everyone makes mistakes..maybe he has apologized and it's managements fault for not accepting ...I simply don't know ...but I do know he refused to turn up to wear the jersey last year....furlong injured in a leinster game playing for club can you honestly seriously put that on harte and Kelly ?? Hyland played when he shouldn't have for Raheen while carrying an injury everyone knows that in the county can you honestly put that on harte and Kelly ?? You keep going on about championship ....finneran again not good enough for senior county football ....Anton great servant but Jesus Christ lads move on ...sure will be just bring back in Niall McNamee as well while we are at it? Also numerous stories on Anton being very unpopular with the players , just as many stories on him being unpopular with the players as there is Kelly .....Bill Carroll I watched many times for Offaly ..way off it..easy call for the few names now when the injuries are so bad....petty

[Cma154]

Jesus Snotser you really know how to kick lads when they are down. I dont think you can say lads are not good enough or a Disgrace as you put it, about certain players as all the players mentioned on this forum have played with Offaly over the last few years. Every true Offaly supporter knows the real reason why certain lads are not involved. Remember the only people that really benefit financially are the management teams where the players are the ones that get the abuse when all the facts are not correct on forums like this. I have yet to come across any of the players mentioned here that dont want to play for Offaly but serious questions need to be asked why the management team dont have the best players in the county available for selection. For people to say this player and that player dont get on with the management is just not good enough for a small county like Offaly. How can a management team fall out with so many players.... Also no way should a county like Offaly have 2 players from outside the county be starting ahead of lads that have come through the development squads, minor and U20's. Is that not the idea of these squads to get players to senior level where the current manager had alot to do with them squads. Anyway best of luck to the lads tomorrow its going to be tough but to get a result will set them up for Kildare next week.

[jimbob17]

Cian johnson is injured and said he was loving being involved so far....Morgan tynan got numerous chances , I was at the games ...believe me I wanted him to kick on but he just hasn't. ..I was at numerous ballinagar games that just passed him by the ballinagar lads will tell you that themselves ..cian Farrell refused to turn up for a game last season...that in my opinion was a disgrace ...but look everyone makes mistakes..maybe he has apologized and it's managements fault for not accepting ...I simply don't know ...but I do know he refused to turn up to wear the jersey last year....furlong injured in a leinster game playing for club can you honestly seriously put that on harte and Kelly ?? Hyland played when he shouldn't have for Raheen while carrying an injury everyone knows that in the county can you honestly put that on harte and Kelly ?? You keep going on about championship ....finneran again not good enough for senior county football ....Anton great servant but Jesus Christ lads move on ...sure will be just bring back in Niall McNamee as well while we are at it? Also numerous stories on Anton being very unpopular with the players , just as many stories on him being unpopular with the players as there is Kelly .....Bill Carroll I watched many times for Offaly ..way off it..easy call for the few names now when the injuries are so bad....petty

Seriously Snotser. Your post is extremely disrespectful to some of these players who have done their very best in an Offaly jersey. You are better than this and they are much better than the credit you give them. You clearly have no idea of the requirements of an inter county regime or the effort some of these lads have given or you wouldnt have made such disrespecting comments. Some have soldiered for the county for years and are still capable of offering something! Many are young who with right support could offer a lot if given time and deserve a hell of a lot more than your dismissive and disrespecting comments.

It's no secret that there was a personality clash between DK and some senior players in 24. Look it, we are a small county. We have a limited pool. It is the job of the management to make the most of what is at their disposal. It certainly is not an easy job but dont tell me given the current context that a few of them discarded lads dont have something to offer. You can say alll you like about a lad not doing great with club etc - but i guarantee that if some of them lads were in a supportive Offaly structure, they would thrive at club level and some at county level too. Besides, most were thought good enough to start in last years or previous years league - so what has happened since with so many gone off the panel.

Hyland had an overuse injury running back before Offaly finished last year to best of my knowledge, though I stand to be corrected on that. That was not of Raheen's making. There were others managing time with same injury going back to last years league who are still in same boat. No contact, just basic simple overuse injuries that were picked up and not managed correctly when with the county team. Others may have made judgement errors as young lads....or may not have. Either way, they are issues and egos to be managed and within the right culture, lots of such disagreements / personality clashes / issues (call them what you want), could have been resolved and managed in best interests of county team. For whatever reasons, we are left with what we have in the current scenario and that for is both unfortunate and disappointing to say the least. There are just too many absentees for way too many reasons right now for me. I know some of these lads and I can guarantee you that the majority of them would only love to be involved with Offaly if under different circumstances. This isn't a player v management debate. I am behind the full group - management and players alike; but it just totally mystifies me as to how there can be so many injuries or fall outs or any amount of reasons over such a short period of time. Yea there are ego's etc involved and it certainly isn't an easy job, but I think there is always a solution to most of these problems that result in better outcomes for the county senior panel - so that we go into the league with a much stronger squad than we have currently. That is all most supporters would want and ask for.

[classof81]

I worry seriously about anyone's knowledge of football that thinks a manager needs to be sacked if he gets relalegated from division two with the depleted panel we have...top scorer Hyland, goalie, your centre back , your centre forward , your goalie, and Tierney your corner forward all injured ....Kyle higgins also ...bracken retired...with what's left if u honestly think that a manager should be sacked because he can't stay up in division 2 I'm not sure what to say ....I also don't remember

So your saying management should b kept regardless of results? We are weak in the forwards. Where's Aaron kelleghan, cien farrell cien Johnson? Won't play for management that's where they are

[Snotser123]

Do people honestly think these exact things aren't happening in every single county in Ireland in both codes ....are ye really that naive ....donegal famously won the all Ireland without there best player for god sake because of player manager fall outs.....do ye honestly think there's not horror stories of Brian Cody's managements by lads on the sidelines ...by young lads who couldn't make the cut or by old lads who felt they had lots to give but got the chop.......I can't think of any talented young lad in Offaly that hasn't been given his shot by current management ...Dalton the stand out player in senior b this year and boom he's straight in...seriously I don't get it ...panda and Anton are bound to be peaved.....just like charlie Carter was with Cody....it happens in every sport ...you can cling on to anton and panda forever and they will do a solid job but those that mean you wouldn't have o neill and Bryant in this year as they would have got no minutes the last few years....cop on lads...we have two all Ireland managers working with out lads....what do ye want ? One of the absolutely coaching spoofers with the gift of the gab that are all over the country

[jimbob17]

Do people honestly think these exact things aren't happening in every single county in Ireland in both codes ....are ye really that naive ....donegal famously won the all Ireland without there best player for god sake because of player manager fall outs.....do ye honestly think there's not horror stories of Brian Cody's managements by lads on the sidelines ...by young lads who couldn't make the cut or by old lads who felt they had lots to give but got the chop.......I can't think of any talented young lad in Offaly that hasn't been given his shot by current management ...Dalton the stand out player in senior b this year and boom he's straight in...seriously I don't get it ...panda and Anton are bound to be peaved.....just like charlie Carter was with Cody....it happens in every sport ...you can cling on to anton and panda forever and they will do a solid job but those that mean you wouldn't have o neill and Bryant in this year as they would have got no minutes the last few years....cop on lads...we have two all Ireland managers working with out lads....what do ye want ? One of the absolutely coaching spoofers with the gift of the gab that are all over the country

Of course other counties will have issues at periods with some players. Do they have the same volume of them as we seem to have? I'd imagine not. And for the record, I have yet to hear of any of these players that has had any issue with Mickey Harte to be fair to him. I am not saying it is an easy job, it certainly isn't easy to keep all of these players happy all of the time and only 15 lads can play at a given time. There are ego's involved and often they are a product of the way people put some of these talented players up on a pedestal when they are young lads coming through. There is a way though of dealing with them and that can happen without falling out with them. Who does that serve? Normally, a manager gets 2 or 3 years at the helm and the best managers tend to find a way of bringing people with them. Having 21 of our top 45 - 50 or so players unavailable for the year for whatever reasons is not serving us well. I can't for the life of me understand how you can't accept that and are so entrenched in the view that management have zero role in this....

It was a good effort today by the lads to be fair. A brave performance if you want to call it that but it was a winnable game that we didnt win and if we were a little bit stronger, we might have got the win. When it comes to this level, small margins make a big difference, and unfortunately, I'd fear that lots of these 'small margins' are within our own control. It was a decent performance today. Kildare the next day will be another big challenge.

[Offaly Hero]

The amount of negative talk on this forum about this management, team, players, everything is deplorable. Especially after what was our best year in years in 2025. It is clear that for some posters, their opinions regarding this team and management are informed by a personal dislike. And top it off, according to the same posters there is a team of division one inter county players in the county not on the panel, only for the management.
The attitude on this thread compared to the hurling one is like night and day. One has to ask, why is that.


Regarding the result today, a decent performance by a very injury depleted team. Just found the going too hard in the second against the wind - a lot of attacks stalled at the arc. The result seems inevitable from a long way out.

[DurrowBoy17]

Not an awful or shocking result today by any means.

But at the same time. Some mad calls.

No Harry plunkett today ? Deck Kelly still clearly has an issue with him.
Bryant taken off ?
Sawyer nowhere near the level and left on.

I will get bashed for being a Kelly hater. But the evidence is there lads. What sort of team & players would we have involved if he wasn’t there ? More than likely Plunkett will walk now and who can blame him