Offaly Hurling 2026

[Kevin]

Miserable Memorial Day Weekend weather here, but significantly brightened by footballers and hurlers!

It looked like Kildare weren’t really up for it on the day, but was excited to see some really slick and stylish passing and movements down the field. Then the icing on the cake being that we move on!

Congrats to all.

Looking forward to the next day in both codes. It’s been a while since we’ve been in this position.

Come on guys! Let’s push on!!!!

[Wing Back]

Just listened back to the Hurling Pod, and Will O’C seems to speculate that the All-Ireland quarter-finals could potentially be pencilled in for Croke Park. That would be superb. A huge occasion, hopefully with ample ticket supply and no mad scramble. If it’s Offaly, Clare, Cork and, I’d imagine, Dublin involved, there will likely be a massive crowd.

It would be a fantastic experience for our senior players. Many of them have already played in big underage games, and they seem to thrive on those occasions and the big atmosphere. You never know what could happen after that, but that’s dreamland stuff.

Most importantly though, these days are for the supporters, especially the youngsters and underage players who are the future. To show them the heights they can aspire to reach. To let them see their heroes performing on the biggest stage and believe that one day they can do it too.

I grew up in the 90s watching Offaly in Croker on summer Sundays, passing places like Bermingham’s on Dorset Street, the Big Tree and Gill’s, packed with Offaly jerseys everywhere. Then watching our heroes hurl in front of adoring fans before going home and puckin’ ball off the gable end for the evening, trying to imitate them. I loved what the clubs did with the underage buses to the finals back then, and again recently for the underage finals there was a rallying call. I really hope they push this to the absolute limit again for this match. I would bombard all social channels and anywhere Offaly GAA is given airtime, to rally the call for CB, the clubs, the parents and even target the kids to beg their parents to go.

We have a tremendous crop of players now, many of whom would still have been underage under the old U21 grade. It would be wonderful if days like this could inspire our U10s, U12s and U14s to really chase it, following in the footsteps of the underage success and senior progress of this group. It doesn’t have to lead to All-Irelands or even provincials every time. If each generation can produce one or two players from every grade to feed into the next crop, that keeps everything moving forward.

For many people it might just be a venue, but for me it’s more than that. I think every opportunity for inspiration should be seized upon, because those moments help sustain development into the future.

That’s why I admire the youngsters now so much. They never saw Offaly on those big days, in most cases they weren’t even born. Yet they hurl without fear, as if they grew up watching Troy, Sid, Hanamy, Pilkington and the Dooleys.

If the decision hasn’t yet been made, and regardless of who ends up participating in both matches, I’d love to see the County Board push for Croker and make a real spectacle of it. It would be a huge moment for the players in their journey, but just as importantly for the younger supporters, to experience Offaly there on merit, on the big stage.

Sometimes, all young aspiring players need, is to believe.....and that's a whole lot easier when they see that it’s possible, and experience the hairs standing on the back of their neck in reality.

Esto Fidelis

[frankthetank]

What was Big Will’s rationale for predicting Croke Park as the venue?

[Wing Back]

What was Big Will’s rationale for predicting Croke Park as the venue?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fry-qMhfvY

Skip to 52mins......again its pure speculation....and it's only for one. But he outlines his reasoning.....which I'm more than happy to run with. And hopefully the County Board get behind and make sure the speculation comes to fruition.....and even better.... push a double header.

[hamstrings]

What was Big Will’s rationale for predicting Croke Park as the venue?

Will said he seen the official croke park logo on fixtures document suggesting croke park migh5 be used for it.
Nothing confirmed.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Thurles would be a great place for it too. That Offaly team is made for Thurles.

Depends who's in it. Don't be surprised if it's Galway facing Clare in the other quarter final.

Anyway, most important thing is that Offaly are there.

[Offaly Hero]

Thurles would be a great place for it too. That Offaly team is made for Thurles.

Depends who's in it. Don't be surprised if it's Galway facing Clare in the other quarter final.

Anyway, most important thing is that Offaly are there.

Totally personal opinion, but I actually don’t like Thurles.

The ground by now is very dated. Traffic and parking are poor.
But mainly, its because I never bought in to the misty eyed rubbish peddled out by (mainly) Munster hurling aficionados that ‘it’s the home of hurling’ and that we should all be so lucky to have a chance to play there and genuflect at its majesty.

Croke Park for the players and the supporters would be my choice.

[Lone Shark]

Thurles would be a great place for it too. That Offaly team is made for Thurles.

Depends who's in it. Don't be surprised if it's Galway facing Clare in the other quarter final.

Anyway, most important thing is that Offaly are there.

The last line is indisputable.

In terms of the venue though, I'd say the result of the Munster final will make all the difference. Whether it's Dublin or Galway will make little or no difference, but Cork are bringing massive crowds to games, and if they lost to Limerick, then the capacity of Thurles would come under pressure. And given how historic this game is for Offaly, and how the crowds didn't turn out at the start of the year but they're starting to come out of the woodwork now, I'd hate to see even the bandwagoners locked out of a game like this.

There has been talk as well of splitting up the two games, in that instance. It wouldn't suit Offaly if that's the case because a Clare/Dublin/Galway audience will get behind our lads against Cork, whereas a standalone Offaly/Cork crowd will be 80/20 in the Rebels' favour, even if we come out in good numbers.

If it's Limerick, then yeah, Thurles is likely, and I'd have no problem with that, albeit Wing Back makes some excellent points in his post above.

[G91]

Why should it be in thurles to suit the GAA Munster agenda , croke park is the place for it double header be fantastic, and it's just deserved to all teams

What's the point of having 82,000 capacity if it's only used handful of times for what it was intended for

[Jim Troy]

The Division 1 league is very imbalanced between the two groups.
Is Championship likely to be similar?

Ballinamere, KK & Shinrone probably worst affected by the county teams set up.

[Offaly Hero]

The Division 1 league is very imbalanced between the two groups.
Is Championship likely to be similar?

Ballinamere, KK & Shinrone probably worst affected by the county teams set up.

Time enough to worry about this after Offaly win the All-Ireland in July.

[Jim Troy]

Very good!

[frankthetank]

I presume we are looking at a Q-Final double header in Thurles?

Offaly vs Cork/Limerick
Clare vs Galway/Dublin.

These Q-Finals are notoriously poorly attended due in no large part to the fact they are usually played on a Saturday. In fact I think 2 years ago the first one threw in at some ridiculous time like 1.15pm on a Saturday as RTE were contractually obliged to show the URC rugby final. I’m not sure if an Irish team were even in it!!

Also in the GAA’s bid to make the Tailteann cup more appealing to counties they included a clause with RTE that the semi finals must be shown live on a Sunday and must be played in Croke Park. I know there has been a big drive by hurling boards to have the q-finals on a Sunday this year but to the best of my knowledge that would demand a moving away from the Sunday Tailteann cup semi finals.

A tricky one to navigate all told.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa ... 41087.html

No white smoke as of yet.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa ... 54305.html

[G91]

Very poor Leinster final + Joe mcdonagh

Both the winners for all the hurling they did left the carrot dangling for the opposition

Thought Dublin got a few calls unfairly against them at times where Galway had some very soft frees , I know there was even amount of both in the end probably more so Dublin.

From an Offaly and even kk perspective if not offaly

You couldn't say if you got your act together going into next year you'd fear either those

Terrible display for Leinster after the talk of how competitive it was going into the last day

Now I do take into account the amount of injuries definitely had an effect on the game.