Offaly Senior Hurling Championship - Profiles for all ten teams fighting for the Sean Robbins Cup

Birr

Manager – Gary Cahill;

Selectors – Paul Cleary, Kevin Donovan;

Captain – Eoghan Cahill;

Retirements/Long term injuries – Rory Carty, Campbell Boyd and Oisin Murphy are abroad;

New players – None;

Last year – Beaten quarter-finalists;

Star player – Eoghan Cahill;

Key players – Barry Harding, Emmet Nolan, Lochlann Quinn;

Prospects – Birr are working so hard in a bid to recapture the glory days. They almost took Shinrone in extra time in a thrilling quarter-final shootout last year and they are desperate to re-emerge as contenders. Qualifying from this group is far from set in stone and with three qualifying, there will be a significant early casualty. Birr could be that but they also have a great chance of emerging. They were very poor in their defeat by Belmont in the Division 1 Hurling League final last Saturday week. They shouldn't be written off on the basis of that and it is all about the championship for them but they do have a point to prove and there will be considerable scrutiny on them in the town. An early exit is a possibility for them but equally, they have a chance of qualifying. They are capable of big displays but don't look to have the overall depth to regain the cup.