Offaly hurling all time low

[The Claw]

Anyone hear Daithi Regan on Off the Ball last night? He was just saying that Offally simply don't have the hurlers anymore, the players on the field are the best in the county, and they are doing their best, but they are just not good enough to compete.

[fearglasmor]

Anyone hear Daithi Regan on Off the Ball last night? He was just saying that Offally simply don't have the hurlers anymore, the players on the field are the best in the county, and they are doing their best, but they are just not good enough to compete.

This is the thing that a lot of lads (and maybe lasses) in Offaly are in denial about. When yoo look at uibhfhaili.com lads are blaming managers, county boards, player not giving commitment  blah blah blah. But the reality is the players just arent good enough, no matter how hard they try.

There was a magical 20 years between 1980 and 2000 during which Offaly won 3 minor all irelands in 4 years. I'm not sure people understand the significance of that in Offaly. Its hard enough with such a small pick at adult level where you can have lads from 18 to 35 playing together. But to get players within a 2 max 3 year age band to achieve that, out of a playing population the size of Offalys was something of a miracle.

I dont believe it will happen again in my life time and most likely never will  but I am glad my father, after a lifelime of hard times for Offaly hurling,  got to see it  and that I lived through it. 
They were brilliant years.

But for now Offaly will always be capable of doing what they did against Galway last year, but ultimately are a second tier team looking to pull off moral victories.

[orangeman]

A letter written by Offaly hurling manager Joe Dooley containing stinging criticism of the county's home ground O'Connor Park has become public.

According to the Irish Examiner, Dooley wrote to County Secretary Martin Boland over the treatment the Offaly hurling squad received at a recent training session at the refurbished Tullamore stadium.


Dooley claimed that the squad were greeted by locked gates inside the stadium, asked to stay off the pitch and told that cars would be taken away from outside the ground.


He added: 'It is very clear to all involved that we are not wanted in O'Connor Park. Every reason seems to be used to keep us out of the pitch or off the pitch during training sessions'.

The letter was also signed by selectors, the coach, the team secretary and team captain Shane Dooley and vice-captain Joe Bergin.

Dooley went on to highlight the commitment and sacrifices made by the panel.


The letter finished by saying that no further requests should be made of Offaly hurlers to use O'Connor Park, that serious consideration should be given to staging some league games in Birr, and that the board should ask clubs in Offaly to make their facilities available for Offaly training sessions.

According to Offaly sources, the letter of grievances will be dealt with in-house by the county board and will be discussed at a meeting tonight.

[seafoid]

Anyone hear Daithi Regan on Off the Ball last night? He was just saying that Offally simply don't have the hurlers anymore, the players on the field are the best in the county, and they are doing their best, but they are just not good enough to compete.

That is not confined to
Offaly.

And it is not as bad as it has been elsewhere in other times. Galway played in Munster for over a decade in the 60s and only won 1 match IIRC.

[deiseach]

There was a magical 20 years between 1980 and 2000 during which Offaly won 3 minor all irelands in 4 years. I'm not sure people understand the significance of that in Offaly.

Jaysus, I never realised that. Some achievement

[orangeman]

What



The Offaly County Board met last night to discuss issues raised by senior hurling manager Joe Dooley in a letter to the County Secretary that has become public.

The letter, also signed by coaches, selectors and senior players, claimed that Dooley and his team were forced to cancel a training session at O'Connor Park in Tullamore last weekend, essentially because they are not wanted at the ground.

The board has said it will handle the matter internally and that it will not be in a position to make a statement until the Offaly hurlers exit the Championship.

Offaly have already been beaten in Leinster, losing their quarter-final to Dublin at the end of May, but they are still involved in the qualifiers.

[seafoid]

There was a magical 20 years between 1980 and 2000 during which Offaly won 3 minor all irelands in 4 years. I'm not sure people understand the significance of that in Offaly.

Jaysus, I never realised that. Some achievement

The Offaly glory years of the mid to late 90s also coincided with a period during which Kilkenny were shite.
Roscommon had a similar flash of gorgeous talent for a few years and ran into Kerry. 

[horse]

the offaly hurling team of the eighties were one of the best ever seen, the ground hurling and quality stick work set them apart from the rest at the time.
I fear for offaly hurling at the moment and feel that they are on a down slope at the moment (certainly hope I am wrong)
the game of hurling will become less and less popular in most counties if the Gaa do not start to take an interest in the weeker counties

[AZOffaly]

the offaly hurling team of the eighties were one of the best ever seen, the ground hurling and quality stick work set them apart from the rest at the time.
I fear for offaly hurling at the moment and feel that they are on a down slope at the moment (certainly hope I am wrong)
the game of hurling will become less and less popular in most counties if the Gaa do not start to take an interest in the weeker counties

90s you mean? Offaly in the 80s had a few agricultural lads, as you needed back then. The 90s were the artists, and the last great amateur team in the traditional sense.

[theskull1]

Is the glass half full or half empty?

"I fear" this and "nail in the coffin" that  . Reality is those who love the game in those counties just need to keep plugging away, hopefully with a bit more planning and foresight and see where it takes them. I personally dont believe that AI titles are the be all and end all.
Can the rest of us "losers" not be expected to enjoy our hurling year on year or are we all meant to eternally wallow in self pity every year we get chinned?

[INDIANA]

Is the glass half full or half empty?

"I fear" this and "nail in the coffin" that  . Reality is those who love the game in those counties just need to keep plugging away, hopefully with a bit more planning and foresight and see where it takes them. I personally dont believe that AI titles are the be all and end all.
Can the rest of us "losers" not be expected to enjoy our hurling year on year or are we all meant to eternally wallow in self pity every year we get chinned?

All of Antrim, Westmeath and Laois can do what Dublin have done. Offaly's problems are largely internal. Badly organised at county board level means their structures are shite. Wouldnt be a huge effort to get them very competitive in my view.

[Lar Naparka]

the offaly hurling team of the eighties were one of the best ever seen, the ground hurling and quality stick work set them apart from the rest at the time.
I fear for offaly hurling at the moment and feel that they are on a down slope at the moment (certainly hope I am wrong)
the game of hurling will become less and less popular in most counties if the Gaa do not start to take an interest in the weeker counties

90s you mean? Offaly in the 80s had a few agricultural lads, as you needed back then. The 90s were the artists, and the last great amateur team in the traditional sense.

They were indeed, AZO, they were indeed.   Well, at least they were amateurs in the traditional sense where match preparation was concerned.
I remember one of the players being interviewed in the lead up to a Leinster final against Kilkenny.
I think the lad in question was Daithi Pilkington and when he was asked how Offaly were training for the game, the reply went something like this:
"Geez, we're training fierce hard for the game alright. We've upped the sessions to three nights a week for the last month and I think none of the lads has taken a drink since then.  Me meself I haven't had a smoke in over a week now and I hope to stay off them until the game is over."
God be with the Good Ol' Days!

[AZOffaly]

Those are the anecdotes Lar, but a lot of that is exaggerated by the media, the fans, and even the lads themselves. Make no mistake, that Offaly team were serious about their hurling, but they knew there was more to life. Win lose or draw they realised that life went on.

I guarantee you not too many of them went off on a training run the morning after the All Ireland Finals

[MoChara]

Dooley steps down as Offaly boss


Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Joe Dooley has stepped down as manager of the Offaly senior hurling team.

Dooley announced his decision tonight - three days after the Faithful County's involvement in the Championship ended with a one-point defeat to Cork in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

Offaly had previously lost out to Dublin in the Leinster quarter-finals.

Dooley told Sport at 7: 'It was probably on my mind that this was going to be my last year but it's still very hard to make the final decision to step down.

'It's tough going, I've a busy day job and you're trying to juggle all the balls in the air as well. I also feel that the lads need to hear a different voice, they need to hear someone who can bring them that extra little bit now. It's for the good of Offaly hurling as well as my own personal reasons.'


Dooley, who won three All-Irelands and six Leinster titles with Offaly as a player, was appointed manager in 2007.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0628/dooleyj.html

[AZOffaly]

I suppose the verdict on Joe's tenure would be 'good, not great'. He has instilled a unity in the team, and certain fight and pride is back in the jersey after some horrendous collapses. However, we've still not won a game against a serious team, apart fom the possible exception of Limerick in 2008, and narrow defeats to the likes of Tipp, Waterford, Dublin, Galway and now Cork were still defeats.

It's a vital appointment coming up. Will Offaly take a step forward, or stagnate or worse?