Sport: | Hurling | ||
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Irish: | Uíbh Fhailí | ||
Nickname(s): | The Faithful County | ||
County board: | Offaly GAA | ||
Home venue(s): | O'Connor Park, Tullamore | ||
Recent competitive record | |||
Last championship title: | 2023 | ||
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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 Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
Offaly's home ground is O'Connor Park, Tullamore. The team's manager is Johnny Kelly.
The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 1995, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 1998 and the National League in 1991.
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]
This section needs to be updated.(June 2022) |
Team as per Offaly vs Kerry in the NHL Division 2A, 16 May 2021
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team.
RET Player has since retired from the county team.
WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Offaly have a history of appointing "foreign" managers. [7] In 2016, the former Waterford hurler Kevin Ryan became Offaly's ninth "foreign" manager in a quarter of a century. [8]
Andy Gallagher 1976–1983
Dermot Healy 1983–1986
Georgie Leahy 1986–1988
P. J. Whelahan 1988–1989
Paudge Mulhare 1989–1990
Pádraig Horan 1990–1992
Éamonn Cregan 1992–1996
John McIntyre 1996–1997
Babs Keating 1997–1998 [9] [10]
Michael Bond 1998–1999 [11]
Pat Fleury 1999–2000 [12] [13] [14] [15]
Michael Bond (2) 2000–2001 [16] [17]
Tom Fogarty 2001–2002 [18] [19]
Mike McNamara 2002–2004 [20] [21]
John McIntyre (2) 2004–2007 [22] [23]
Joe Dooley 2007–2011[ additional citation(s) needed ] [24]
Ollie Baker 2011–2013 [25] [26]
Brian Whelahan 2013–2015 [27] [28]
Éamonn Kelly 2015–2016 [29] [30] [31]
Kevin Ryan 2016–2017 [32] [33] [34] [35]
Kevin Martin 2017–2019 [36] [37] [38] [39]
Joachim Kelly 2019** [40]
Michael Fennelly 2019–2022 [41] [42]
Johnny Kelly Portumna 2022– [43]
**=In a caretaker role
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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021) |
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2021) |
The food company Carroll's of Tullamore sponsored Offaly since the GAA first permitted shirt sponsorship deals in 1991 until 2021. It was the sport's longest running shirt sponsor. In 2022, Glenisk became the County's Camogie, Football and Hurling sponsors, with them becoming the Ladies Football sponsors in 2023 once their current sponsorship with CMG closes.
Professional golfer Shane Lowry and Offaly announced a five-year partnership in April 2021. [44] [45]
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
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1991–2021 | O'Neills | Carroll's of Tullamore |
2022– | Glenisk |
The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurling competition in the province of Leinster, and has been contested every year since the 1888 championship.
Brian Whelahan is an Irish former hurler who played as a left wing-back at senior level for the Offaly county team.
Kevin Martin is an Irish hurling manager and former player. His league and championship career with the Offaly senior team lasted ten seasons from 1993 until 2003.
The 2011 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 123rd staging of the All-Ireland championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The draw for the 2011 fixtures took place on 7 October 2010. The championship began on 14 May and ended on 4 September 2011. Tipperary were the defending champions.
The 2014 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 127th staging of the All-Ireland championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The draw for the 2014 fixtures took place on 3 October 2013. The championship began on 27 April 2014 and ended on 7 September 2014.
The 2016 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 129th staging of the All-Ireland championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. It is the top tier of senior inter-county championship hurling.
The 2017 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 130th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 23 April 2017 and ended on 3 September 2017. The draw for the championship was held on 13 October 2016 and was broadcast live on RTÉ2.
The Offaly county football team represents Offaly in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Offaly GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The Westmeath county football team represents Westmeath in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Westmeath GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The Wexford county football team represents Wexford in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Wexford GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The Kerry county hurling team represents Kerry in hurling and is governed by Kerry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Carlow county hurling team represents Carlow in hurling and is governed by Carlow GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Laois county hurling team represents Laois in hurling and is governed by Laois GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the National Hurling League.
The Wicklow county hurling team represents Wicklow in hurling and is governed by Wicklow GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Kildare county hurling team represents Kildare in hurling and is governed by Kildare GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Meath county hurling team represents Meath in hurling and is governed by Meath GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Westmeath county hurling team represents Westmeath in hurling and is governed by Westmeath GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Down county hurling team represents Down GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, in the Gaelic sport of hurling. The team competes in the Joe McDonagh Cup and the National Hurling League.
The Galway county hurling team represents Galway in hurling and is governed by Galway GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the National Hurling League. It formerly competed in the abolished Connacht Senior Hurling Championship, winning the last title in 1999.
The 2023 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 136th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county hurling tournament, since its establishment in 1887. The championship began in April 2023 and ended on 23 July 2023.
Bond took over from Michael 'Babs' Keating in controversial circumstances after last season's Leinster final defeat and guided the Faithful County to their second All-Ireland success of the '90's via the back door.
Meanwhile, former Tipperary hurling boss Father Tom Fogarty has been appointed as the new Offaly manager. Fogarty replaces Michael Bond, who stepped down after this year's disappointing campaign which saw Offaly well-beaten by Kilkenny in the Leinster Semi-Final.
Hurling manager, Mike McNamara also quit, citing a lack of support as the main reason for his decision. McNamara met with club delegates last night and then took questions from them during a two hour session. However following that meeting McNamara felt he did not have enough support and announced he would not be staying for next season.