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What's the story with this draw? I know we've hammered 2 minnows.

Offaly play wexford this saturday in Wexford Park
Carlow and Laois play in the other quarter final

Cheers for that OF. We'll see if Offaly's future is in any way bright after this game.

ya the game is at 3:30 in wexford park, will be going so will give an update saturday night.
Hard to know how they will go as they have had no real test in the last two games, not their fall though.
Would be great to get a win

Offaly 4-07
Wexford 3-20
a bad nite

report tomorrow

Twas very poor. I horsed down from Galway quare quick to try and get in in time (contrived to puncture my wheel hopping a kerb doing a quick parking job in the process) and was reasonably expectant of a good showing at least. Logic dictated that if this team were good enough to draw down in Wexford surely they'd at the very least put a good account of themselves forward here. Not so.

It was very discouraging to be honest. If one was to be strictly traditional, it wasn't really that surprising to watch Wexford backs absolutely dominate in the air over our forwards, monopolising possession from the back. What was demoralising was watch our lack of fight in competing for scrappy ball, and to watch Wexford shoot with excellent economy and accuracy while our lads mounted up wide after wide. Even when Wexford did fail to score, it was usually a narrow miss from a shot that was well chosen and worth taking - our lads often missed by huge margins.

It's hard to pick out bright points - despite having had a very poor first half into the breeze, we were well in it at five points down, even though the score of 2-11 to 3-3 gave some indication of how the play had gone. We needed a good start, and although Wexford let us off the hook with a few early wides, we just laboured for scores so much. They absolutely killed us in the second period, so much so that the final margin flattered Offaly more so than Wexford.

On a grim night, I'd say the only players that could claim any credit are James Mulrooney, Daniel Currams, Mark Egan and definitely Brian Harding - man of the match on our side. Midfield was the biggest disappointment - Aaraon Whelahan had a real off night and never got going, while Colin Egan didn't give us the aerial presence you'd have hoped for.


It also gave a little taste of what's to come on Sunday - both keepers were hitting savage puckouts, I'd say we'll be in for plenty of that when Laois come to town and Mullaney starts walloping the ball.

before i talk about the game
lone shark how is it that in this day and age that the pitch in tullamore is shorter than most, birr is the same its ridiculous. what you think?

The game was poor, couldnt make it down last weekend but i dont know how they drew last weekend. you have to realise that this team and management have been training before xmas. what in gods name have they been doing. this is what i have posted before in previous topics. look at ofalys sideline, ger coughlan even though is heart is 100% offaly he hasnt a clue how to train a team in the modern era, and his selectors - between them all they have very little coaching courses done.
all you had to do was look at the wexford sideline - liam dunne, tom dempsey and billy byrne, did you see the enthusiasm that they brought to the setup?. wheres our Brian whelehan, michael duigan, kevin martin etc.
look at tipperary minors this year - tommy dunne and declan ryan. last year for all the championship games eoin kelly carried the players hurlers.
this is what is lacking in offaly.

The thing that annoys me is that we have good enough hurlers they just are nor coached properly and there is no method to their play. this will be the same sunday with the seniors.
Our county is so far behind its incredible and there is nothing been done to change this.

At the offaly training on wednesday in kinnity, there was kids training in 1 pitch and not 1 of them or their coaches came up to watch the county players train.
I dont know its sad and frustrating. are the county board approachable? why not maybe ask a member of county board to meet people and let them air their views? drastic action needs to be done or we are going to be left behind for another 10 years.
i would be interested in lone shark given his views on this.

I'd say there will be a lot of views on this in fairness.......

Taking your points one by one:

how is it that in this day and age that the pitch in tullamore is shorter than most, birr is the same its ridiculous. what you think?

You could have the chicken/egg debate all day about which came first, Offaly's relatively shorter pitches or Offaly's traditional hurling style, where ground hurling and "wristy" strokes were to the fore. What is true is that hurling has moved on and we haven't. A point of note is that our more possession/power based hurlers often came from Rynaghs, and I could be wrong but my guess is that the Banagher pitch would be the biggest hurling surface in Offaly. Possible thesis material there.

As for Tullamore, well that's just a football pitch - more comparable to Pearse Park or Newbridge than the Gaelic Grounds or Semple.

The game was poor, couldnt make it down last weekend but i dont know how they drew last weekend. you have to realise that this team and management have been training before xmas. what in gods name have they been doing. this is what i have posted before in previous topics. look at ofalys sideline, ger coughlan even though is heart is 100% offaly he hasnt a clue how to train a team in the modern era, and his selectors - between them all they have very little coaching courses done.
all you had to do was look at the wexford sideline - liam dunne, tom dempsey and billy byrne, did you see the enthusiasm that they brought to the setup?. wheres our Brian whelehan, michael duigan, kevin martin etc.
look at tipperary minors this year - tommy dunne and declan ryan. last year for all the championship games eoin kelly carried the players hurlers.
this is what is lacking in offaly.

Lots of things to say to this. Firstly, how many of Wexford's current minor squad would have seen Tom Dempsey or Billy Byrne hurl? Methinks you're a bit inconsistent on that.

As for the training courses, well of course it would be preferable if Ger Coughlan and his selectors had done all this, maybe they had other reasons for getting the job? Maybe they have done these courses in private.

Your other point about the players not involved is the one I would take real issue with. If what you say is true, my previously high opinon of Eoin Kelly has been raised another notch if he does actually do that, but just because he goes the extra yard does not place any onus on anyone else to do the same. Let's not forget that all GAA is voluntary. If any of the superstars from the 1990's have time on their hands and the inclination, of course we'll welcome them with open arms, but you seem to believe that they almost have an obligation to be involved - which I wouldn't agree with at all.

Additionally, the brother (the one with the talent in the shark family) has been hanging around Offaly underage football panels the whole way up along, and as a result has had several trainers, both former stars and not. I can assure you that the days of stargazing stop at around 12 - once you get even close to minor level, players can tell the difference between good training and bad, and no amount of medals will redeem the guy who has been giving ineffective training.

The thing that annoys me is that we have good enough hurlers they just are nor coached properly and there is no method to their play. this will be the same sunday with the seniors.

I will start by saying that these are very young players, many of which have some excellent skills and all of whom have plenty of time to develop into top class players. That said, I was at tonight's game and I saw several instances of (1) Poor basic skills such as lifting or controlling the ball (2) dropped catches under little or no pressure (3) timid attempts to scrap for loose possession, usually losing out to a more aggressive Wexford counterpart and (4) Appalling shooting, hitting bad wides from scoreable chances.

These are not failings of tactics or training - they are failings of ability. Like I said earlier, these lads have a lot of development in them yet, but the paucity of achievement at schools or county level in the past two years suggests that this just isn't an above average vintage.

The seniors is another debate. I would agree there that a skill deficit is not our biggest problem.

At the offaly training on wednesday in kinnity, there was kids training in 1 pitch and not 1 of them or their coaches came up to watch the county players train.
I dont know its sad and frustrating. are the county board approachable? why not maybe ask a member of county board to meet people and let them air their views? drastic action needs to be done or we are going to be left behind for another 10 years.

There's an old Irish phrase which basically says that it's easy to be generous with another man's meal. Not being a gaelgeoir myself, I'll leave it to True Red or An Béarcán Béaraigh to step up and give the proper Irish version, but I think it's slightly apt here.

The county board may not always do things as we like, but they are there, by and large, because they are the people who are the most committed to the future success of Offaly GAA and they have given the most time and effort along the way to that end. For a lot of people, "airing their views" involves giving out about where things are going wrong, suggesting a load of extra work that could be done, but all too often not offering to help do it. I'd can understand a county board member being all too wary of such a forum.

We all have ideas, myself included, but I'll have to hold my hand up and say that right now I'm not even a member of Ferbane GAA club. I'm suiting myself, so I'm with Éire Óg in Galway. That does nothing to help Offaly GAA, but it's convenient for me, since I live in Galway and work a lot. I've no doubt that if I was to move home and train with the juniors, and run a race night or something as a fundraiser I'd be welcomed with open arms. If I wanted to train an underage team I'm sure I'd get my shot at that too. But I don't, and like it or not anything I say is tainted by that lack of personal sacrifice.

Interesting how you use the phrase "left behind" - let's call this for what it is. We are now competing at the level that our population warrants. However down the years we have been spoiled by successive overachieving teams. However if you were to ask me what is the key to gaining some of our edge back, I'd say it in one word - participation. From a base where GAA was eminent to the point of being all-consuming in Offaly, we have now reached a point where prominent football clubs like Edenderry and Shannonbridge are losing players at a heavy rate to soccer and rugby respectively. Obviously to a certain degree, that's a reflection on how organised these other sports are in those areas, but I do think participation is a big issue.

In West Offaly, four clubs - Tubber, Ballycumber, Erin Rovers and Doon have about 5% of population of the total catchment area of the football part of the county, each operating out of around a third of a parish. They also field 9 adult football teams between them, with very few adult men not taking part in one or another of their teams. They have 5% of the poulation and 15% of the teams - and if you look at Offaly minor/U21 and senior panels in recent years, these clubs invariably have 5 or 6 players between them on every panel - more or less the 15%.

It seems weird to be advocating more Junior C teams as a way of boosting the intercounty teams, but participation at all levels genuinely increases interest among the kids - it restores GAA to the heart of the community.

Hurling in particular faces a difficulty, one which your Kinnitty example highlights beautifully - intercounty hurlers are anonymous. Tom Kenny of Cork has won two All Irelands and is an All star, while I am a GAA compiler for Ladbrokes who supposedly studies GAA for a living. Tome Kenny could have three noses for all I know, I have no idea what he looks like. Offaly hurlers are never on TV, they never win anything, how the hell can you expect fickle kids to follow them like heroes? How many of them have a clue what David Franks or Joe Bergin look like under their helmets? How many readers on this board would know for that matter?

If you want kids to be interested in GAA, you give them the one thing they crave more than anything else - playing. That will outdo any autograph from a county player. That means games for all, and not just at U-8 and U-10 level. It means every kid should have access to both codes in their own club, even if it means that several clubs only take part in a special Sevens competition designed for clubs where the code is struggling to field. Am I biased because I was that kid that never got to play due to utter ineptitude? Damn right I am, so bear that in mind - but I firmly believe that if you're the sport where everyone takes part, rather than just the elite, that spirit will feed through the community and enthusiasm will do the rest.




Now that's what you call a debate that drifted from the original point!!

Offalys Future wrote:I dont know its sad and frustrating. are the county board approachable? why not maybe ask a member of county board to meet people and let them air their views? drastic action needs to be done or we are going to be left behind for another 10 years.
i would be interested in lone shark given his views on this.

Yes the county board are approachable. There's a forum called a county board meeting and it's held once a month. If you go along to your club's AGM held over the winter you may be appointed a delegate. Clubs are always looking for volunteers and would welcome new people. Club committees are required to have at least one under 18 and one under 21. No-one your age will want to join so you won't be opposed.

Volunteer. You'll only get so far posting your pointless rhetoric on this forum. Try and have some original solutions before you go compete with Mick Sheridan and the like.

Good luck.

Right there is alot there so i will go through bit by bit.

If you want kids to be interested in GAA, you give them the one thing they crave more than anything else - playing. That will outdo any autograph from a county player.

i totally disagree with this, what kids want is people they can look up to, players that they can aspire to become, role models. look at any other sport - soccer - kids see ronaldo and kevin doyle and the likes and they go out and practice and dream of being as good as them.
rugby - brian o driscoll, peter stringer, you go and ask any kid13 that plays rugby and ask him who his favourite player is.
Of course kids want to play, but they want to play to be as good as their role models.
A nephew of mine ran across the birr pitch after the offaly v kilkenny walsh cup game, he is 12 years old and grabbed Tommy walsh for a photo even though his father was only at the far side of the pitch.
Toomy walsh waited and talked with him until his father made it over.
On his wall at home he has pictures of sean og, joe deane, t.walsh, donal og etc aswell as all the autographs.

As i have posted before, look at all the players that have been part of the county for so long and then the County board run a easter academy for the best underage hurlers in the county - the next generation and here Shane Dooley is launching this alongside eddie brennan. i think Shane Dooley has the makings of a good hurler but at present he isnt a role model and young players dont see him as.

Lots of things to say to this. Firstly, how many of Wexford's current minor squad would have seen Tom Dempsey or Billy Byrne hurl? Methinks you're a bit inconsistent on that.

The point i was making was that what Wexford have is 3 guys that are relatively young and enthusiastic in the job they have got.
i know different people have different ways of expressing themselves but in the first half a member of the offaly management came down and roared at the full back line for 5 minutes. Encouragement is what they need, not negativity.
Also a committee member of bord na nog was on the sideline roaring in at the lads too. too many voices all saying different things.

As for the training courses, well of course it would be preferable if Ger Coughlan and his selectors had done all this, maybe they had other reasons for getting the job? Maybe they have done these courses in private.

Preferably - we are talking about an intercounty minor team here.
They have at the most the basic course done and that is fact.
i will tell you why they got the job.
Firstly i want to make clear that i am talking about hurling here, nothing else. i would never question ger coughlans loyalty to Offaly.
The reason the management was put into place was because they were free. and thats it. the county board refuse to spend money on proper coaches and trainers. so they get guys who have great time for Offaly hurling but they dont have the qualifications to train teams.

Eoin Kelly has been raised another notch if he does actually do that, but just because he goes the extra yard does not place any onus on anyone else to do the same.

yes that is true, no sher nobody has to do it, but there isnt anyone thing that wins a gam or makes a team successful, its all these small things that make the difference.
Imagine if Brian Whelehan or Joe Dooley had been on the sideline carrying hurls or Joe Bergin or Rory Hanniffy.
At the end of the day the onus is on the players, they get a opportunity to represent our county and for the past players of te 90's many of them reaped huge rewards from hurling with Offaly.
What needs to be done is a good qualified coach/trainer needs to be brought in and paid and hve then 2 ex county players of the 90's as selectors.

players can tell the difference between good training and bad, and no amount of medals will redeem the guy who has been giving ineffective training.


I will start by saying that these are very young players, many of which have some excellent skills and all of whom have plenty of time to develop into top class players. That said, I was at tonight's game and I saw several instances of (1) Poor basic skills such as lifting or controlling the ball (2) dropped catches under little or no pressure (3) timid attempts to scrap for loose possession, usually losing out to a more aggressive Wexford counterpart and (4) Appalling shooting, hitting bad wides from scoreable chances.
These are not failings of tactics or training - they are failings of ability.

Now you are seeing where i am coming from,
the reason for all the above is that the coaching at unerage in the county is non existent. Like i said that hurling academy that took place in Tullamore over the easter no player from Banagher, Birr or Shinrone went to this. The reason is because its a complete waste of time. They arent coached properly, there ar no structures in place. For gods sake John Leahy the hurling development co-ordinator doesnt even get involved.

Interesting how you use the phrase "left behind" - let's call this for what it is. We are now competing at the level that our population warrants. .

This comment really disappoints me and i am afraid to say thats the feeling of alot of people in our county.
Instead of changing things ye use the excuse that "ah sher we are a small county didnt we do great in the 80's and 90's for such a small pick"
That is why Offaly hurling is the way it is now.
People constantly using excuses instead of looking for a solution.
This is so sad.

How many of them have a clue what David Franks or Joe Bergin look like under their helmets? How many readers on this board would know for that matter?

wht is done to promote the hurlers on the county team?
For instance at the training last wed nite there was 5 players that didnt train, so here they were standing watching the session for an hour and a half. Why wasnt there something organised that they went down to the kinnity u-12's that were training 100m away and spen a half an hour coaching them. Its things like this that needs to be done.
My first point above was about role models, obviously ronaldo and the likes are on tv every day, but gaa players can offer something so much better, interaction between them and the kids, if done right no television can beat this.

Like i have said previously its all the little things that make the difference and thats why other counties are successful and we are not.
These are bleak times for our county and the worrying thing is that no changes are been made.