Offaly Hurling 2026

[backofthenet]

I was a little dissapointed to see the crowd as i walked into oconnor park yesterday but i do think that will change after that result.

The game itself really did well to stick with dublin at times and needed the goals to do so.

Positives: No short supply of grit, determination on top of the skill shown by the team. Hopefully no major injuries & what could still prove to be an important point. We do not want to be going to Kildare on one point in the final game.

Adam Screeney, Charlie Mitchell, Dan Bourke got some great scores and you really feel that u20 team are beginning to arrive into senior level after last year. Still missing Donal Shirley, Ciaran Burke & James Mahon so a solid 15-18 starting to become apparent.

Work Ons:
Frees: Adam Screeney should not be taking frees out past the 40...its ridiculous and we have very good options already on the field in Dan Ravenhill & Liam Hoare.

Points from distance: I could be wrong but cant remember us scoring from play outside of about 40-50. We had 4-5 wides from further distances so definitely something to work on there as the inside line will just not go as well as yesterday every day out

Supporters: We have to really drive on now as supporters, the team put everything on the line yesterday but we as supporters werent there in as full a voice as we could be...OConnor Park has to be full for our next visitors to have any chance.

[G91]

Looks like Newbridge is the new portlaoise sand all over the pitch due to the amount of games it's had everyone here called it

O Connor park is in great condition a real credit to the groundsmen

[Bord na Mona man]

Lads, I wouldn't worry about the lack of support. If the fickle ones who weren't there Saturday start showing up again, one bad display will see them abandon the team immediately again.

How much help are a couple of thousand extra folks who will start groaning as soon as a mishap occurs?
Actually no harm that our next game vs Galway is the hardest one and away. It'll fend off some of the programme flingers for a bit longer into the season.

[Géill Slí]

Made the trip up with my son and daughter from Borris in Carlow, they’re both Carlow hurling through and through, and at the age they’re at now they love slagging me, but they were shouting as loud as anyone for Offaly by the end last night. The application and honesty from our lads was outstanding. I love watching Ben play, he is such an honest and intelligent player. Pat Taffe was brilliant as well last night. With due respect to Mark Troy, Liam Hoare has been a revelation this year, his puc outs are pinpoint and he got a lovely point from a long distance free in the first half … agree with other posters above, Adam should maybe leave the long frees to Liam from here on.
In the forwards, everyone seemed to make a contribution at different stages, which was a big improvement from the league: eg Conor Doyle’s early point which seemed to settle us, or Shane Rigneys goal in the first half which gave us a real adrenaline shot (same as his goals vs Kilkenny in the U20 a couple of years ago).
A special mention, though, to Adam and Charlie, who are both special talents. I love the comment above about the lawnmower starting up after the winter but Charlie is a real warrior in the mould of the 80s team but with the wrists of the 90s team. His points in the first half were top class, his speed of striking (even in traffic) is exceptional. And Adam really roasted the Dublin corner back (Eoghan O’Donnell I think?). The pass for Brian Duignans first goal was a lovely bit of vision.
We are dealing with a special group of lads here, agree with other posters it would be great to get the big crowds back from here on in.
On a side note, I really enjoy reading the good analysis on this forum. I read a few posts on Reservoir Dubs and it’s mostly self-absorbed dross, so thanks to some of the regular posters on here for your insights.
Don’t know where the rest of the championship will take us, but I was a proud Offaly man driving home last night, and even the kids were happy A very good night indeed.

[biffinbanner]

weve a forward line now that the majority of them would be in the reckoning to get on most county teams .great to see the lads coming along gradually. lets hope for a respectable result in galway and take it from there. 3rd place would be a great achievement. points difference might come into it yet.

[Faithful Future]

A heartwarming display on Saturday night, we cannot ask for any more from our lads.
It certainly wasn't perfect and our striking and first touch let us down a few times, but each of them more than made up for it in heart and effort.

I thought Ben was outstanding at full back, Taaffe did the simple things right throughout and even got an incredible block in towards the end. Hopefully Brecons injury early in the game isn't too bad. Ciaran Burke did a fine job but was maybe lucky not to have seen red.

The half back line put in a very measured performance. Ross always gives his all and i think Sampson is really shining at 6. He has incredible distribution and intelligence on the ball. It could be argued Ter has found himself in his best position at 7 due to Shirleys injury and really stood out on Saturday night for me.

I certainly didn't see the sense in Dan R at midfield but happy to be proven wrong - i thought he has taken his fitness and movement to another level and on another day he would have another few points to his name with his excellent striking. I also think he or Liam H should be on the frees from the 65. Cathal King took an early knock but kept going and hopefully he is given adequate time to recover. Colin did well getting up to the pace of the game in the 2nd half.

For a man on his debut, Rigney could have had 3 goals. He's a great weapon to have - once he gets the ball in his hand he's a goal threat and thats from any distance as he proved. Dan Bourke had some nice touches but i still feel like we need a bit more physicality at 11. Was definitely Conor Doyles best senior performance and his early point really set the tone that we were going to go at that Dublin defence straight down the middle.

Not a whole lot to say about the inside line that hasn't been mentioned already. 3.06 from play but more importantly off the scale in terms thankless effort and chasing back. Adam coming into his own at this level, Brian showing his form again of 2025 and Charlie showing the rest of the country what we already knew - an incredible hurler, leader and mentality to come in and put in that kind of performance given what he's been through.

I've certainly been a critic of the management team but i have to say i thought we looked well coached Saturday night and we were at the right pitch mentally too which can't have been easy after a difficult league. What somehow slipped under the radar over the past few months is the amount of players that got exposure to 1A hurling - i make it 30 players, and that is without Ciaran Burke, Shane Rigney and Charlie Mitchell seeing game time. Management deserve credit for this. The difference in standards was evident over the weekend with the exception of Clare.

Suddenly we have options and a team with a bit of belief in them. There will be ups and downs with this young team but with their honesty of effort they have fully earned the entire counties support from here.

Esto Fidelis

[Faithfully]

Duignan said today on Indo Sport that Cathal King and Dan Ravenhill are both out for the Galway game at the least.

[Lone Shark]

Duignan said today on Indo Sport that Cathal King and Dan Ravenhill are both out for the Galway game at the least.

On the one hand, if they are, it's tough on the two lads and not ideal for Offaly, but you can't go into a Leinster SHC with games coming week on week, much less when the games are as intense as that game on Saturday, and not have knocks. I'd always prefer to see a fella that's not fully right left aside and for someone else to be trusted to step up, rather than playing hampered players, particularly when it's not knockout stuff.

You have Eimhin Kelly, David Nally, Jack Clancy and other options as well. I would have said Ross Ravenhill would be a midfield option too, but I thought he had possibly his best game ever for Offaly on Saturday at wing back, definitely in the shake up for a MOTM performance, and there's no way I'd do anything other than say "well done, same again please" to him.

And on the other hand, it's not like Mitchell was advertising his absence/fitness, and Galway will know too that Duignan isn't exactly unbiased. Maybe they're unavailable, maybe not. We'll find out on Sunday, and as was hinted at in the thread above, I'll be happy not to hear a dickie bird one way or another until 3.15pm, because if I haven't heard, it's much more likely that Galway haven't heard either!

[Anon444]

I think one major thing as well about the injuries is that out of all the games where you could afford to not chance/miss players, it’s Galway in Pearse Stadium. Every other game, I think we could get results, even Kilkenny based on their performance or lack there of on Saturday. After the Galway game, there is a week’s break so it’s 3 weeks between the Dublin and the Kilkenny games. Obviously that’s being optimistic, any slight injury can rule you out for the rest of championship.

[frankthetank]

4,651 was the official attendance.

Woeful.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa ... 30760.html

[Plain of the Herbs]

Several of the national media herd going off about this, but I wouldn’t worry about it, to be honest.

A lot going on in Offaly at the moment. Last week had U14 hurling leagues, U13 football leagues, U16 hurling leagues, Adult hurling leagues at the weekend, while this weekend is going to have U12 hurlijg, U15 hurling, U14 football, U11 football, U13 hurling, U16 hurling, with Adult football leagues at the weekend. And that’s just men/boys, there’s presumably camogie and LGFA as well. So a lot of going, with a lot of dual clubs, and families with children on three or perhaps four teams. And I’d sooner have it that way – Offaly Board provide a serious programme of games. Better have them practicing their skills.

That’s before considering the intercounty Minor hurling, U20 football last week, Adam Mangan and Celtic Challenge at the weekend, and Minor football and U20 hurling this week.

The GAA isn’t the be all and end all either, people have lives away from it too. There’ll be a time for the Offaly Senior hurlers in the next month anyway.

On a separate though related issue, the current fuel price crisis is going to pinch the Leinster Council more than the others, given the distances involved. People are going to pick their matches, a trip from Wexford or South Kilkenny to Galway or Offaly isn’t really on for too many. Ditto Galway to Dublin. It’s all very well in Munster where you’d cover a few venues in an hour’s drive. There’s great yahooing about the crown in Ennis yesterday, but there probably weren’t too many from East Waterford there.

[Anon444]

I was listening to the Indo Hurling Podcast yesterday and one comment Michael Verney made which seemed to go unnoticed was that the seniors had to ‘earn the trust of the supporters’ or something along those lines. The crowds that followed the minors and 20s did not immediately start off with them. Only after a couple of big results did the crowd follow.

Saturday evening should serve as the point to at least fill out O’Connor Park for our home games. The lads earned a lot more respect and showed that they can be competitive. I imagine Galway will be too strong, but if Wexford manage to scare or even beat Kilkenny, surely there can be a sense that we can pull off an upset against Kilkenny? And then last year, if Wexford hadn’t Lee Chin to save them, we surely would have pulled off another upset. There can be reason for optimism, but it’ll need to be curtailed.

At the end of the day, it’s one result which was positive. You’re 2 results off probably facing into a tense encounter with Kildare for survival. I think Johnny Kelly is very good at putting things into perspective. He will know that Galway are probably a cut above the others and there is no point in risking injuries. And Kilkenny with Adrian Mullen will be a massive task. But if we get that effort out of the lads every game, who knows what could happen.

[frankthetank]

Fill out O'Connor Park for our home games? Absolutely not going to happen.

O'Connor Park holds 18,000 by current H&S regulations.

The largest crowd for an Offaly senior hurling game in there in the last 20 years (at least, as I'm only going since redevelopment) was last year vs Galway when 10,073 was recorded as the official attendance. And to be fair a sizeable crowd from Galway were there.

So sorry to disappoint but no way will the sold out signs (or even close to it) be needed for the Wexford or Kilkenny games.

It's the nature of being a small county and people have other things to do than go to Leinster Round Robin games.

[Anon444]

I was paraphrasing for getting a good support in at least. If O’Connor Park was to be filled, it would require almost a quarter of our population. Especially tough given the historical north/south football/hurling divide. But instead of having 6,000, surely 10,000+ is possible if there’s a bit of momentum there.

[Superhans75]

Just have to say the tailteann cup game could be the same day as the Kilkenny
Game .
Let's be realistic the county board probably make more from the two football games being played at O'Connor park than if offaly were playing.
Going to Galway 15 quid terrace get sun / wind burn
Let's enjoy the ride