Offaly U20 hurling team named for championship opener

THE Offaly U20 hurling team has been unveiled for their Leinster championship opener against Laois in Portlaoise.

There will be none of the excitement that surrounded Offaly's prospects at this grade in the past couple of years but a very honest, hard working group of players will be fiercely determined to put their best foot forward and do the best that they can.

Limerick man Leo O'Connor has remained at the helm. He was the Offaly manager when they were pipped at the post by Tipperary in the 2022 All-Ireland minor hurling final and gained revenge a year ahead of schedule when capturing the All-Ireland U20 hurling in 2024.

Offaly were expected to challenge strongly to retain their crown last year but never really got going and Dublin took them out in the quarter-final. Ajay Cleary, Andrew Hogan, James O'Sullivan, Patrick Lyons, Conor Egan and Harry Sweeney all played that day and are on the starting fifteen for Saturday's game.

Odhran Fletcher is the only member of last year's Offaly minor hurling team called up to the starting team while his Kilcormac-Killoughey club mate Oisin Carroll is a sub. Offaly minors received a bad beating by Laois in the Leinster minor hurling preliminary quarter-final last year and will be under no illusions about the challenge that awaits them.

Offaly acquitted themselves reasonably well at minor level three years ago, losing out to Kilkenny by seven points after losing to Dublin and Wexford and beating Kerry and Westmeath.

There has been a significant turnover of players from that squad. The Carney twins, Rob and Fionn, then Ballyskenach-Killavilla but now Shinrone, are concentrating on rugby while Cillian Bourke has gone to Australia to try and make professional football there. Of the starting team for Saturday, Gearoid Maher, Mark Mulrooney, James O'Sullivan, Harry Sweeney, Liam O'Riordan and Ajay Cleary all played in the battling defeat to Kilkenny – subs Eanna Mulhare, Darragh Scully, Caelum Larkin and Dylan Hollywood also played in Faithful Fields that day.

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The first ask will be to replicate the spirit they showed against Kilkenny and see where it takes them.

Offaly are in group 2 in the championship and have a quick turnaround as their next game is away to Meath on Thursday evening and they have a break until they host Dublin in O'Connor Park on Wednesday, April 22. The top team in each group qualifies for the semi-finals with the next two making the quarter-finals and qualification is the very obvious target for Offaly.

OFFALY: Matt Watkins (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Sean Og Foley (Doon), Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Joey McLoughlin (Coolderry); Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James O'Sullivan (Shinrone), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Sean Carey (Seir Kieran), James Hennessy (Drumcullen); Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Liam O'Riordan (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone); Odhran Fletcher (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks). Subs – Eanna Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Marc Ryan (Coolderry), Darragh Scully (St Rynagh's), Caelum Larkin (Carrig-Riverstown), Noel Standish (Kinnitty), Michael Dooley (Kinnitty), Conor Berry (Clodiagh Gaels), Dylan Hollywood (Drumcullen), Oisin Carroll (Kilcormac-Killoughey)

THE Offaly U20 hurling team has been unveiled for their Leinster championship opener against Laois in Portlaoise.

There will be none of the excitement that surrounded Offaly's prospects at this grade in the past couple of years but a very honest, hard working group of players will be fiercely determined to put their best foot forward and do the best that they can.

Limerick man Leo O'Connor has remained at the helm. He was the Offaly manager when they were pipped at the post by Tipperary in the 2022 All-Ireland minor hurling final and gained revenge a year ahead of schedule when capturing the All-Ireland U20 hurling in 2024.

Offaly were expected to challenge strongly to retain their crown last year but never really got going and Dublin took them out in the quarter-final. Ajay Cleary, Andrew Hogan, James O'Sullivan, Patrick Lyons, Conor Egan and Harry Sweeney all played that day and are on the starting fifteen for Saturday's game.

Odhran Fletcher is the only member of last year's Offaly minor hurling team called up to the starting panel while his Kilcormac-Killoughey club mate Oisin Carroll is a sub. Offaly minors received a bad beating by Laois in the Leinster minor hurling preliminary quarter-final last year and will be under no illusions about the challenge that awaits them.

Offaly acquitted themselves reasonably well at minor level three years ago, losing out to Kilkenny by seven points after losing to Dublin and Wexford and beating Kerry and Westmeath.

There has been a significant turnover of players from that squad. The Carney twins, Rob and Fionn, then Ballyskenach-Killavilla but now Shinrone, are concentrating on rugby while Cillian Bourke has gone to Australia to try and make professional football there. Of the starting team for Saturday, Gearoid Maher, Mark Mulrooney, James O'Sullivan, Harry Sweeney, Liam O'Riordan and Ajay Cleary all played in the battling defeat to Kilkenny – subs Eanna Mulhare, Darragh Scully, Caelum Larkin and Dylan Hollywood also played in Faithful Fields that day.

The first ask will be to replicate the spirit they showed against Kilkenny and see where it takes them.

Offaly are in group 2 in the championship and have a quick turnaround as their next game is away to Meath on Thursday evening and they have a break until they host Dublin in O'Connor Park on Wednesday, April 22. The top team in each group qualifies for the semi-finals with the next two making the quarter-finals and qualification is the very obvious target for Offaly.

OFFALY: Matt Watkins (Ballyskenach-Killavilla); Sean Og Foley (Doon), Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Joey McLoughlin (Coolderry); Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James O'Sullivan (Shinrone), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Sean Carey (Seir Kieran), James Hennessy (Drumcullen); Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Liam O'Riordan (Ballyskenach-Killavilla), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone); Odhran Fletcher (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks). Subs – Eanna Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Marc Ryan (Coolderry), Darragh Scully (St Rynagh's), Caelum Larkin (Carrig-Riverstown), Noel Standish (Kinnitty), Michael Dooley (Kinnitty), Conor Berry (Clodiagh Gaels), Dylan Hollywood (Drumcullen), Oisin Carroll (Kilcormac-Killoughey).