Rochford commits to Tullamore footballers for second year

STEPHEN Rochford is returning to Tullamore for a second year as their senior football coach. The former Mayo manager will be working alongside manager Paul McConway as they bid for a historic four Senior Football Championship titles in a row.

A long serving defensive stalwart, McConway was corner back as Tullamore retained the championship for the first time since 1926 in 2024 and accepted the role as manager after another former player Niall Stack stepped down after five very successful years in charge.

Rochford came on board as a surprise, high profile coach some weeks later and took on a hands on role as Tullamore defeated Ferbane in the Senior Football Championship final. There had been local speculation about his intentions for this year but Tullamore GAA chairman Tom Moloney has confirmed that he has committed for another year and was ratified at a recent committee meeting.

The same management team as 2025 is back with Gracefield's Niall Smith a coach/selector and former Tullamore player, Kevin O'Brien a selector, as well as overseeing strength and conditioning. Birr man and former Offaly footballer, Stephen Lonergan is also back as a coach.

Tullamore beat the Downs of Westmeath in the Leinster Club Senior Football Championship before Ballyboden St Enda's evicted them on a day when they didn't perform to potential. While Tullamore are under no illusions about how difficult it is to win the Dowling Cup and won't be looking one bit further than their local championship, the Leinster club championship is an obvious target for Offaly football's strongest club.

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They will be the favourites for 2026 but will have to play without star midfielder Cillian Bourke who has gone to play professional football in Australia – Bourke could possibly be allowed to play for Tullamore late on in the season but all of that is up in the air at the moment. Bourke's absence does damage Tullamore and an injury to one of their star players, John Furlong or Cormac Egan would quickly bring them back into the pack – Furlong is out for a lot of Offaly's National Football League campaign with a knee injury but Tullamore remain very much the team to beat at the moment.

Local man Brian O'Reilly will be over the Tullamore senior B football team.

Kilcormac man Shane Hand is back for a second year as their senior hurling manager. Hand was controversially replaced as Kilcormac/Killoughey senior hurling manager at the end of 2024 after leading them to the championship and took over Tullamore some time later. They had their best year in some time in senior hurling as they competed well and went close to making the quarter-finals – their priority last year was to retain senior hurling status but they will be targeting a quarter-final this year.

Ballinamere man Alan Scully will be his sidekick once again while Tullamore senior football star Declan Hogan is looking after strength and conditioning.