O’Byrne Cup 2023

[Ballybrittas Boy]

O'Byrne Cup 2023

Group A: Kildare, Louth, Westmeath, Wexford

Group B: Longford, Carlow, Meath, Laois

Group C: Dublin, Wicklow, Offaly

Wednesday, 4 January 2023: Wexford v Kildare; Louth v Westmeath; Laois v Longford; Carlow v Meath; Wicklow v Dublin; Offaly Bye

Saturday, 7 January 2023: Westmeath v Wexford; Kildare v Louth; Longford v Carlow; Meath v Laois; Offaly v Wicklow; Dublin Bye.

Wednesday, 11 January 2023: Wexford v Louth; Westmeath v Kildare; Laois v Carlow; Meath v Longford; Dublin v Offaly; Wicklow Bye.

Sunday, 15 January 2023: Semi-Finals, Winners A v Winners C, Winners B Bye to Final.

Friday, January 20 2023: Final

[Butch Cassidy]

Any idea what kind of a line up we can expect Wednesday?

[SCFC]

Any idea what kind of a line up we can expect Wednesday?

It would be pure guesswork to try predict that team.
Scott Osborne in goals might be something to see. Maybe the return of Piggott and Murphy. And a few new outfield lads in the squad might get a run like Sean O'Neill, Patrick Kirwan and Damon Larkin.

[BallyroanAbu]

Apart from having a poor manager, we are now deciding that average players from outside the county are eligible.  They keep finding new lows.   

[Butch Cassidy]

What's this BallyroanAbu?

[Spiritof86]

1 – Killian Roche (Killeshin)
2 – Sean Greene (Emo)
3 – Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan)
4 – Alex Mohan (Portarlington)
5 – Padraig Kirwan (Emo)
6 – Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood)
7 – Darragh Carolan (Stradbally)
8 – Damon Larkin (Portlaoise)
9 – Cathal Doyle (Ballyroan-Abbey)
10 – Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise)
11 – Lee Walker (Graiguecullen)
12 – Dylan Kavanagh (The Heath)
13 – Niall Corbet (Clonaslee-St Manman's)
14 – Brian Daly (St Joseph's)
15 – Colm Murphy (Portarlington)

[Laoiseabu]

Apart from having a poor manager, we are now deciding that average players from outside the county are eligible.  They keep finding new lows.

I 100% agree with you Ballyroanabu . I know the player(s) you are talking about too .

[BallyroanAbu]

Sort out our underage, at least begin to tackle our problems. It's  16 years since we have won any Minor/U21/20 Leinster Titles.  Dublin haven't dominated here so that excuse is a non runner.

[Giovanni]

Nothing particularly new about using average players from outside the county. And we're not the only ones.

I'm glad to see a new look side who might come with fresh energy and interest.

[BallyroanAbu]

They won't, I'd say we have the same cliches every year.   Last year we were getting optimistic in the O Byrne Cup with a fresh team.  That turned out well, we simply wander along aimlessly.  No plan or strategy and hope for a result.

[Laois man]

Lads ye may take over the footballers cause ye know what all the problems are. Not a ball kicked this year yet are yer giving out.

[BallyroanAbu]

Doesn't matter nobody cares that much,  drives me mad.  But less so as years go on,  nobody wants to hear it as some relative, pal is somewhat connected.  But our demise over 15 years has been brutal.

[Giovanni]

There is no doubt that our demise over the last 15 years has been brutal.

I don't have a lot of time for Billy Sheehan (as a player or a manager) but what can you expect him to do? If he goes with the same old soldiers, he is guaranteed to get the same results (or worse) than before. So he is right to go with a new team. I don't know if this is the best that's available to him or if he's managed to get everyone on board but we should wait and see and give him a chance.

Sugrue was the only one in recent years who made the team greater than the sum of its parts and although it was painful to watch at times, it was effective. I would hope that Billy Sheehan can find a way to make the team more effective.

[Spiritof86]

The current management background team wouldn't exactly inspire you with confidence Conway aside .
Regardless best of luck to the lads Involved. Division 4 will be a struggle particularly with the transition we are going .
Demise there to be seen . This is our level now for the foreseeable until the ground work is revitalised in the county which is a long way away unfortunately.
Still have to support the lads in Division 4 and the Taiteann Cup as they'll need it and it's something we have to get used to now going forward.

[mcwregor]

Agree with most of the above. It really shouldn't be that difficult to put a long term plan in place. Stop ploughing so much money into our senior teams and invest in underage. We only need to look over the ditch at offaly and take note. They are moving to strengthen all areas around coaching and development. Offaly realise that rome wasn't built in a day but they are making headway in as many areas as they can and its clearly a plan for the future more so than now. Laois set up is more like carrying on to carry on. Its short term success driven which is a waste of time, its hap hazard, non transparent, nobody outside of the co board can see any tangible progress. Even the newly proposed works at the COE appear great, ball wall and 5g pitch but will we have players to play their in 10 years time?. The co board deserve credit for the facility we have at COE but we should now be looking at investing in the future of our games hurling and football.
Our co secretary lashed out at ppl for bemoaning our development squads whole declining to get involved. Anybody i have spoken to that has been involved over the years have been left disappointed with a lack of leadership and lack of real ambition from HQ.
Bottom line the priority of our co board needs to  be the schools(primary and secondary), development squads, clubs underage structures and setanta programmes etc need to be managed properly with proper investment. Otherwise we will forever be division 4 team.