Newcomers get chance to impress for Offaly footballers in O'Byrne Cup

A NUMBER of newcomers and unestablished players have been handed their chance to impress as Offaly senior footballers begin their 2026 season with a trip to Carlow to face the home side in the O'Byrne Cup on Saturday.

Paddy Dunican, John Furlong, Cathal Flynn and Dylan Hyland are on the list of medium to long term injury absentees and managers Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly have given a number of newcomers a chance to impress ahead of a tough National Football League Division 2 campaign.

Dunican's Shamrocks' club mate Sean O'Toole is named in goals and the other newcomers include Cathal Ryan, Eoin Dunne, Ciaran Murphy, Harry Plunkett and Darragh Flynn.

Ryan is a nephew of Declan Kelly and has been given his opportunity after impressing for Daingean last year. Clodiagh Gaels' man Eoin Dunne is named at midfield, having impressed in recent weeks as Offaly try to develop a midfielder following the departure of Cillian Bourke to Australia.

Dubliner Ciaran Murphy declared for Offaly this year under the parentage rule and has also made a favourable impression in recent weeks. His mother is from Bracknagh and he has played underage football for Dublin as well as featuring on an extended senior panel. He is one of two Dubliners named in the Offaly attack – Castleknock's Eoin Sawyer, the son of a Clara father, declared last year, featuring in a few games.

A very new look attack includes just two established players in Keith O'Neill and Jordan Hayes and two other newcomers who impressed for Tullamore and Ferbane in the championship last year, Harry Plunkett and Darragh Flynn. Plunklett is the only Tullamore man named with Daire McDaid, Aaron Leavy and brothers Cormac and Diarmuid Egan all on the subs bench. Shane O'Toole-Greene and Marcas Dalton are named in defence and are also trying to stake a claim for a league role.

Other new players on the subs bench are sub goalkeeper Adam Nugent, Ed Cullen, Sean Conway, Harry Goulding and Conor Dunican.

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OFFALY: Sean O'Toole (Shamrocks); Cathal Ryan (Daingean), David Dempsey (Ballycommon), Lee Pearson (Edenderry); Shane O'Toole-Greene (Shamrocks), Marcas Dalton (Clara), Rory Egan (Edenderry); Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue), Eoin Dunne (Clodiagh Gaels); Ciaran Murphy (Skerries Harps, Dublin), Keith O'Neill (Clonbullogue), Jordan Hayes (Edenderry); Eoin Sawyer (Castleknock, Dublin), Harry Plunkett (Tullamore), Darragh Flynn (Ferbane); Subs – Adam Nugent (Ferbane), Daire McDaid (Tullamore), Aaron Leavy (Tullamore), Ed Cullen (Clara), Cormac Egan (Tullamore), Diarmuid Egan (Tullamore), Sean Conway (Ballycommon), Harry Goulding (Edenderry), Dan Molloy (St Brigid's), Conor Dunican (Ferbane), Jack Bryant (Shamrocks).