Kilcormac-Killoughey to make own decision on two senior teams as adult hurling championships stay same

KILCORMAC-Killoughey have the right to make their own decision on whether to field two teams in the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship next year, a meeting of the Offaly GAA County Board was told on Tuesday evening.

Kilcormac-Killoughey won both the Senior and Senior “B” Hurling Championships in 2023 and chairman of the Competitions Control Committee James Murphy said they are entitled to have two teams in the top flight if they so wish.

The club will make a decision at their Annual General Meeting on November 30 and there are pros and cons for both possibilities.

The format for the Senior Hurling Championship in 2024 will be finalised after Kilcormac-Killoughey make their intentions known – if they opt not to field two senior teams, it could lead to a stay of execution for Seir Kieran who were relegated from the top flight this year but that decision will only be made once they know what K-K are doing.

Apart from that, the structure for the Senior Hurling Championship is staying the same for 2024 with two groups of five, the top team in each group going into two semi-finals, second and third criss crossing in two quarter-finals and the bottom team meeting in a relegation play off.

The Senior “B” Hurling Championship will remain with six teams in one group and one meeting four and 2nd playing 3rd in the two semi-finals. The bottom team clash in the relegation play off.

The Intermediate Hurling Championship (8 teams) and Junior Hurling Championship (11 clubs) will once again have two groups with the top team qualifying for the semi-finals, 2nd and third in two quarter-finals and the bottom team in the relegation play off.

Junior “B” hurling will be decided once clubs make entries while there will be a new 13-a-side Junior “C” Hurling Championship next year with the format to be finalised after the numbers are known.

The big change is with U-20 hurling which will revert to a knockout basis after being played in groups this year, as will U-20 football.

James Murphy said the league system didn't work this year with seven walkovers given, four in hurling and three in football. His proposal for a knockout system starting from the end of October with every game on weekends in daylight hours, was accepted after they agreed to examine the feasibility of having a losers group.

St Rynagh's Gerry Quirke and Drumcullen's Peter Lyons supported retaining the league system but the opposition to that was led by delegates from dual clubs.

Ferbane's Brian Flynn and Belmont's Jimmy Cahill both referred to the volume of games their young players had to play between football and hurling with two matches each week.

Tubber's James Higgins said the league system didn't work for St Manchan's Gaels, who had four adult clubs feeding into them (Ballycumber, Doon, Erin Rovers and Tubber).

Chairman Michael Duignan said the problem was with dual players who had to play Tuesday, Sunday, Tuesday, Sunday every week but he foresaw problems with the new structure as it would create difficulties for schools in their championships. “We are just moving the problem,” he said, stating that “secondary schools will be flat out in October”.