Offaly Club Hurling 2026

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.

Semi Finalists

Poll ended at Mon Jun 29, 2026 10:07 am

KK
11
28%
Ballinamere
5
13%
Shinrone
7
18%
Birr
7
18%
Belmont
5
13%
Kinnitty
0
No votes
Lusmagh
0
No votes
Tullamore
0
No votes
Rynaghs
0
No votes
Coolderry
4
10%
 
Total votes: 39

greenairfield
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Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:20 pm
Club: birr

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by greenairfield »

Was at the two games today and im gone away thinking is this really how bad club hurling is at the minute.

Im hoping things will improve. After two games St.Rynaghs look the strongest but they are certianly well beatable by a few teams.

Belmont Lusmagh game for me was a shocking watch and the game this evening wasnt much better.

Anon444
County player
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2025 6:54 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Anon444 »

Got to see the Belmont Lusmagh game and truth be told, the game was never allowed to develop into an actual match. Everything was so stop start and frees were blown for anything. I think that’s a common feat throughout the championships and it needs to be looked at. Fair enough, frees can be subjective at times but there needs to be a level of contact allowed. I wonder does this go on in Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Kilkenny, etc.

Offaly Hero
County player
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2024 5:06 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Offaly Hero »

greenairfield wrote: Sat Jul 25, 2026 9:10 pm Was at the two games today and im gone away thinking is this really how bad club hurling is at the minute.

Im hoping things will improve. After two games St.Rynaghs look the strongest but they are certianly well beatable by a few teams.

Belmont Lusmagh game for me was a shocking watch and the game this evening wasnt much better.
People have been saying this about their own championships in every county in both codes since time began. A bit like every successive generation giving out about young people.

Anyway, a club championship has damn all relevance to a county team. Birr won All-Irelands and Leinsters 20 years ago and KK and Coolderry got to successive all Ireland club finals 15 years ago while the Offaly senior team was in absolute free fall.


The general standard of club hurling in Offaly is roughly the same as it's always been - for better or worse.

greenairfield
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Posts: 1218
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 12:20 pm
Club: birr

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by greenairfield »

Maybe it was the wrong statement point im making is nobody setting the world a light and any of 5 or 6 teams could win it with the right approach.

private joker
All Star
Posts: 1542
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by private joker »

There is an issue with the way the game is been reffed within the county. I was at a senior b game over the weekend and there must have been a free a minute . The game never got going and was basically decided by free takers. There were fouls. There always is, but an awful lot of the frees were basically for lads tackling hard.

Plain of the Herbs
All Star
Posts: 3715
Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 4:47 pm
Club: Lusmagh

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

Are we comparing club hurling to intercounty hurling? A comparison that's always going to be unfavourable.
Offaly Hero wrote: Sat Jul 25, 2026 9:33 pm
greenairfield wrote: Sat Jul 25, 2026 9:10 pm Was at the two games today and im gone away thinking is this really how bad club hurling is at the minute.

Im hoping things will improve. After two games St.Rynaghs look the strongest but they are certianly well beatable by a few teams.

Belmont Lusmagh game for me was a shocking watch and the game this evening wasnt much better.
People have been saying this about their own championships in every county in both codes since time began. A bit like every successive generation giving out about young people.

Anyway, a club championship has damn all relevance to a county team. Birr won All-Irelands and Leinsters 20 years ago and KK and Coolderry got to successive all Ireland club finals 15 years ago while the Offaly senior team was in absolute free fall.


The general standard of club hurling in Offaly is roughly the same as it's always been - for better or worse.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

"Offaly's hurling is exact and abrasive: full of assurance on the ball, devoid of fumbling and slicing and sod-busting". Kevin Cashman RIP (September 1994).

Jim Troy
Junior B
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2025 1:42 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Jim Troy »

St Rynaghs are in a great position after yesterday.

Free shot at Kilcormac to get to a semi final.

I watched the Belmont game. Stuttery. But they are up and running.

Offaly Hero
County player
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2024 5:06 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Offaly Hero »

Plain of the Herbs wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2026 12:58 am Are we comparing club hurling to intercounty hurling? A comparison that's always going to be unfavourable.
Offaly Hero wrote: Sat Jul 25, 2026 9:33 pm
greenairfield wrote: Sat Jul 25, 2026 9:10 pm Was at the two games today and im gone away thinking is this really how bad club hurling is at the minute.

Im hoping things will improve. After two games St.Rynaghs look the strongest but they are certianly well beatable by a few teams.

Belmont Lusmagh game for me was a shocking watch and the game this evening wasnt much better.
People have been saying this about their own championships in every county in both codes since time began. A bit like every successive generation giving out about young people.

Anyway, a club championship has damn all relevance to a county team. Birr won All-Irelands and Leinsters 20 years ago and KK and Coolderry got to successive all Ireland club finals 15 years ago while the Offaly senior team was in absolute free fall.


The general standard of club hurling in Offaly is roughly the same as it's always been - for better or worse.



No 'we' are not.
What I am commenting on is the universal, timeless tradition of the bemoaning of the standard of a club championship and how its much worse compared to either some halcyon past days in that county OR every other county.

Invariably that thinking then progresses to 'the county team will never be any good while the club scene is bad'.
I disagree with all that thinking.

Hope that clears it up.

Superhans75
All Star
Posts: 500
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2023 3:04 pm
Club: Birr

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Superhans75 »

Basically 80 percent of club players will never grace the county set up
30 years ago you had more club players so you had mathematically chance of having a great club set up .
Numbers count

Buttons
All Star
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:34 pm
Club: Club

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Buttons »

Was at the tullamore vs ballinamere game and best way to summarise it was even up to 20 minutes, all ballinamere from 20-45 minutes, all tullamore 45-58 minutes and then ballinamere once tullamore drew level.

Dooley kept tullamore in it with frees, Joe Maher probably scored about 7-8 points from play for ballinamere. Wind played a big part in it but an enjoyable game. Dan Bourke played well in the first half before getting injured before half time, Duignan won some big possessions when needed I think it was his run and catch after tullamore drew level that stemmed the flow.

Cormac Egan played well and got some nice scores, would an engine like his do well for the senior hurlers, obviously football must be his first passion. I think tullamore will still have a big part to play in this championship.

SearingDrive
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Posts: 1507
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:00 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by SearingDrive »

Buttons wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2026 2:25 pm Was at the tullamore vs ballinamere game and best way to summarise it was even up to 20 minutes, all ballinamere from 20-45 minutes, all tullamore 45-58 minutes and then ballinamere once tullamore drew level.

Dooley kept tullamore in it with frees, Joe Maher probably scored about 7-8 points from play for ballinamere. Wind played a big part in it but an enjoyable game. Dan Bourke played well in the first half before getting injured before half time, Duignan won some big possessions when needed I think it was his run and catch after tullamore drew level that stemmed the flow.

Cormac Egan played well and got some nice scores, would an engine like his do well for the senior hurlers, obviously football must be his first passion. I think tullamore will still have a big part to play in this championship.
If Tullamore dominated the final qtr, how did Ballinamere win. Were they leading after the goal .?

Buttons
All Star
Posts: 351
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2014 9:34 pm
Club: Club

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by Buttons »

Ballinamere were up by about 5 at half time, 9 midway through the second half, draw game with a minute or two left and then ballinamere scored the final 4 points.

SearingDrive
All Star
Posts: 1507
Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:00 pm

Re: Offaly Club Hurling 2026

Post by SearingDrive »

Buttons wrote: Sun Jul 26, 2026 10:07 pm Ballinamere were up by about 5 at half time, 9 midway through the second half, draw game with a minute or two left and then ballinamere scored the final 4 points.
Thanks for the clarification. Ballinamere must have been on top either side of half time. Early days in the championship.

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