Offaly county hurling team

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The Offaly county hurling team represents Offaly in hurling and is governed by Offaly GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.

Offaly's home ground is O'Connor Park, Tullamore. The team's manager is Michael Fennelly. The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 1995, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1998 and the National League in 1991.

History[]

After a scheme developed by the Gaelic Athletic Association in the 1970s to encourage the playing of hurling in non-traditional counties, Offaly was one of the first teams to benefit. As a result, the county won six Leinster Senior Hurling Championship titles in the 1980s, as well as its first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1981.

The county has since gone on to win three other All-Irelands. Perhaps Offaly's most famous win came in the All-Ireland Final of 1994 in what has come to be remembered as the "five minute final." Limerick looked set to win their first All-Ireland title since 1973 until Offaly staged one of the greatest comebacks of all time, scoring two goals and five points in the last five minutes. They defeated Limerick by 3–16 to 2–13.

In the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final, Offaly defeated All-Ireland champions Clare in a second replay. Offaly had lost the first replay after referee Jimmy Cooney blew for full-time too early, leading Offaly fans to blockade the pitch in protest.[1]

Offaly conceded a walkover to Kildare in the 2020 Christy Ring Cup after an outbreak of COVID-19 forced "almost every member" of the panel into isolation due to Health Service Executive (HSE) advice that they were "close contacts".[2][3][4] Later in the same competition, in the semi-final, Down knocked Offaly out in a first ever inter-county hurling penalty shootout.[5]

Current squad[]

Team as per Offaly vs Kerry in the NHL Division 2A, 16 May 2021

No. Player Position Club
1 Conor Clancy Goalkeeper St Rynagh's
2 Jordan Quinn Right Corner Back Kilcormac–Killoughey
3 Ciarán Burke Full Back Durrow
4 Damien Egan Left Corner Back Belmont
5 Brian Watkins Right Half Back Birr
6 Ben Conneely (c) Centre Back St Rynagh's
7 Killian Sampson Left Half Back Shinrone
8 Leon Fox Midfield Belmont
9 Ross Ravenhill Midfield Durrow
10 Shane Kinsella Right Half Forward Kinnitty
11 Oisín Kelly Centre Forward Belmont
12 Brian Duignan Left Half Forward Durrow
13 Liam Langton Right Corner Forward Clodiagh Gaels
14 Adrian Hynes Full Forward Seir Kieran
15 Eoghan Cahill Left Corner Forward Birr
No. Player Position Club
16 Stephen Corcoran Substitute Coolderry
17 Aidan Treacy Substitute St Rynagh's
18 David King Substitute Coolderry
19 Paddy Rigney Substitute Kinnitty
20 Padraic Guinan Substitute Drumcullen
21 Eimhin Kelly Substitute Lusmagh
22 David Nally Substitute Belmont
23 John Murphy Substitute Ballinamere
24 Shane Dooley Substitute Tullamore
25 Jason Sampson Substitute Shinrone
26 Luke O'Connor Substitute St Rynagh's

RET Player has since retired from the county team.
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.

Recent call-ups[]

Michael Fennelly named his 36-man 2021 NHL panel in April 2021.[6]

The following players have also been called up to the 2021 NHL Offaly panel but did not feature in the most recent game.

Pos. Player Club Latest call-up
? Aaron Maher Ballinamere
? Colm Gath Drumcullen
? Conor Langton Clodiagh Gaels
? Dylan Watkins Birr
? Eamon Cleary Shinrone
DF Joey Keenaghan Clodiagh Gaels v. Meath Colours of Meath.svg, 9 May 2021, 2021 National Hurling League
DF Paddy Delaney Kinnitty v. Meath Colours of Meath.svg, 9 May 2021, 2021 National Hurling League
? Pauric Cantwell Shamrocks
? Peter Geraghty Kilcormac–Killoughey
? Rory Carty Birr

Current management team[]

Colours and crest[]

Kit evolution[]

Team sponsorship[]

The food company Carroll's of Tullamore has sponsored Offaly since the GAA first permitted shirt sponsorship deals in 1991. It is thus the sport's longest running shirt sponsor.[8]

Professional golfer Shane Lowry and Offaly announced a five-year partnership in April 2021.[9][10]

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1991– Carroll's of Tullamore

Honours[]

All-Ireland Titles (9)[]


Provincial Titles (31)[]


League Titles (6)[]

Other Titles[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Back to '98: 'I broke my hurl clear off his shoulder before the ball was thrown in'". The42.ie. 8 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Offaly forfeit Christy Ring opener to Kildare due to COVID contacts". Newstalk. 22 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Offaly's Christy Ring Cup tie against Kildare in doubt after positive Covid-19 test in panel". Irish Independent. 21 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Covid-19 case forces Offaly hurlers to forfeit Christy Ring Cup opener". The42.ie. 22 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Great Scenes In Newry As Down Shock Offaly In Christy Ring Semi-Final". Balls.ie. 15 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Offaly confirm 36-man hurling panel for Allianz League". Hogan Stand. 27 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Offaly Management Teams Ratified For 2021". Offaly GAA. 21 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Our Story". Carroll's of Tullamore.
  9. ^ "Offaly GAA set to expand as Shane Lowry becomes sponsor". RTÉ. 29 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Shane Lowry: Open champion partners with Offaly GAA to offer support to home county". BBC. 29 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Oisín Kelly's late score secures Kehoe Cup honours for Offaly". The Irish Times.
  12. ^ "Offaly hit 0-41 in massive Christy Ring Cup final victory over Derry". The 42. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
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