Reeling in the Years - Offaly and Laois

[Plain of the Herbs]

As we’ve all seen on the ‘Reeling in the Years’ series on television, Ireland was a much different place in the early 1980’s. Back then we watched videos on betamax or VHS, listened to music on vinyl LP’s and it was Charlie and Garret who adorned the election posters. The hurling world was a much different place too. In Munster, Cork were dominant, on their way to winning ten Munster titles in twelve years, though the competition was as much hyped then as it is now. Back then; Leinster hurling was where it was all happening. Offaly, Kilkenny and Wexford served up some superb contests that decade, while for sheer, pulsating drama, an Offaly v Laois Leinster semi final was the best show in town.

Neither county had shown much sign of promise during the previous decade. Offaly only had championship wins over Kildare, Laois (once) and Dublin (once) to show during the decade, while Laois had regraded to the All-Ireland ‘B’ competition for a period, which they won twice, in 1977 and 1979. In 1978, Laois beat Kilkenny in the Leinster under 21 semi final, while Offaly accounted for Wexford at the same stage. Offaly won the final by seven points to win the title for the first time. Many hurlers from both sides would play a big part in the rivalry that would ensue throughout the next decade.

As we entered the 1980’s, Offaly and Laois had played each other 37 times in the Leinster championship with each winning 17 and three drawn. In 1980, the pair were drawn together in the first round, with Offaly emerging from O’Moore Park with a four point win. It would be the last time for two decades they would meet at a provincial venue, the next eight encounters would be held in Croke Park. Offaly, as we know, went on to capture the Bob O’Keeffe Cup for the first time that year. As he presented the trophy to Padraig Horan, then Leinster council chairman Paddy Buggy remarked- “we always have good hurling on Leinster final day”.

Offaly’s win seemed to spur on Laois and this, coupled with the coaching of Georgie Leahy, gave them the belief that they, too, could aspire to Leinster glory. The next spring, Laois won promotion from division 2 of the league and advanced to the league semi final where their opponents were Offaly. Offaly edged a tough, tight encounter by one point in a sign of things to come.

Two months later, the two midlands counties were paired together in the Leinster semi final. Laois rocked Offaly with six goals that day, as Christy Jones and P.J. Cuddy did much harm. Offaly hit back with 20 points, though they matched that with almost twenty wides. The lead changed hands several times before Offaly opened up a five point lead going into the last ten minutes but Laois had the belief to hit back with two goals to take the lead again. It took two unbelievable scores for Offaly to overhaul Laois and qualify for the Leinster final on the amazing score of 3-20 to 6-10.

Offaly went on to ultimate honours on the first Sunday in September. Again, this spurred Laois on, and a narrow Offaly quarter final win over Wexford the following year ensured a semi final repeat pairing. This time, Laois opened up an early 1-5 to 0-0 lead before Offaly edged their way back into it. Again, the lead changed hands several times, and a late Billy Bohane free meant a replay three weeks later. Again, Laois blitzed Offaly early on in that replay and led 0-9 to 1-1 at one stage. Offaly were level by half time however, and pulled away in the second half to win by 9.

The sides didn’t meet in 1983 or 1984. Still, Laois built on their progress by winning the Leinster under 21 title in 1983 and reaching the Centenary Cup final in 1984.

Laois eventually qualified for the Leinster final for the first time since 1948 with a two point win over Wexford in 1985, with Pat Critchley leading the charge from midfield, for which he would win an All-Star award later in the year. Offaly had to draw on all their experience to overcome a nine point deficit against Kilkenny in the second semi-final to force a draw. They went on to win the replay by six, to set up the first ever Leinster final between the counties from opposite sides of the Kinnitty Mountains. Thirty two thousand attended the provincial final, which was four thousand more than attended the Leinster football decider between the two counties four years earlier. The draw and replay with Kilkenny had ‘brought on’ Offaly and they blitzed Laois, whose expected challenge never materialised. Five Offaly goals ensured the O’Keeffe cup would be retained by the Offalymen on a scoreline of 5-15 to Laois’s 0-17.

They were drawn together at the semi final stage the next year. Laois were back in goalscoring mode again, scoring four. Offaly rode out the Laois storm with twenty three points and a great Brendan Bermingham goal, and had five points to spare at the final whistle (1-23 to 4-9). By the time of their next meeting a year later both teams were starting to break up. Laois, again, made things difficult for their neighbours to the north, though Offaly held on for a six point win. By 1989 Offaly had a mix of old and new talent and enjoyed a big win over the Laoismen.

There followed a seven year gap before their next meeting in 1996. Offaly were going for their third Leinster crown in a row though Laois, now with Michael ‘Babs’ Keating at the helm, were fancied having beaten Kilkenny in the league quarter final and coming to within two points of Tipperary in the semi final earlier in the year. On the day Offaly were much sharper and scored a big win, though a year later, Offaly bumbled and stuttered and were very fortunate that the Laois attack spurned a number of chances that would have won it.

Much has changed since. Betamax and VHS are no more, having been replaced by the DVD, while the cassette tape, which saw for the LP has been replaced by the compact disc. Bertie and Enda posters now adorn the nation’s telephone poles. The fact that last year’s encounter was played out in O’Moore Park in such horrendous conditions, and that nobody cried ‘stop!’ (or sent for the fire brigade or a slurry tanker!) spoke volumes as regards how far each county had slipped from the hurling radar since those great days two decades previously.

The bedrock on which the GAA is built is that of local rivalries, both at parish and county level. Over half the country can’t realistically aspire to All Ireland, or even provincial glory. So what are their targets? Or, as the bank’s advertising slogan reads “why does a GAA star do it?”

The answer lies in local rivalries. For example, Louth would dine out for a considerable time with a long overdue win over Meath. Wexford and Carlow footballers have drawn eight times in something like thirty meetings. A win over Roscommon would sate Leitrim’s appetite for a while. Laois hurlers won’t win a Leinster title any time soon. But taking the scalp of a neighbouring county would ensure they would be treated as heroes within the O’Moore county. To the south they’ve Kilkenny, which even the most faithful of Laoismen would admit would be a bridge too far, and to the west there’s Tipperary who are in another province. But to the north, there’s Offaly. As demonstrated above, Laois have never lacked for belief when faced with the Faithful men, even during Offaly’s glory days.

Laois will come to O’Connor Park on May 27th on a mission – to end a thirty five year wait for a win over Offaly. They will have targeted this match since the draw was made back in October. This is their ‘All Ireland’, their big chance to light up their championship. This Offaly team will need to be at their sharpest in order to meet this challenge head on, as Laois will, as back in the eighties, throw everything they have at their greatest rivals.

[Heshs Umpire]

Sent you a private message re this post , PotH.

[Kevin]

Thanks for the history lesson and entertainment value.