New look team named as Offaly U20 hurlers begin defence of Leinster and All-Ireland crowns

A NEW look Offaly team has been named for tonight's Leinster U20 Hurling Championship opener against Galway in Ballinasloe.

With injuries ruling out key players, Ter Guinan, Adam Screeney, Caelem Larkin and Daniel Hand, Offaly will be giving debuts to a couple of players just up out of minor ranks: Coolderry's Andrew Hogan, Shinrone's James O'Sullivan and Shamrocks' Conor Egan were all on the minor team that gave a very good account of themselves when losing to Wexford in the quarter-final last year – Drumcullen's Patrick Lyons is another new name in the starting line-up at this grade.

There is considerable excitement about the prospects of Offaly, who won the All-Ireland and Leinster U20 titles in sensational style last year. The absence of key players from it, however, means that they are stepping into the unknown a bit here and it remains to be seen how this team performs.

Ter Guinan and Adam Screeney were outstanding as Offaly captured public imagination last year while their Kilcormac-Killoughey club mate, Daniel Hand featured as a sub and would have been expected to be a starter this year.

Liam Hoare, Ruari Kelly, James Mahon, Donal Shirley, Brecon Kavanagh, Leigh Kavanagh, Conor Doyle and Shane Rigney all played heroic roles in last year's triumph while Dan Ravenhill would have been a central figure only for injury.

They have all been named for the opener and will backbone the team. Mahon, Shirley and Dan Ravenhill have all played key roles for Offaly senior hurlers this year as they won promotion to Division 1A of the National Hurling League. Shirley and Ravenhill started in last Sunday's Division 1B final loss to Waterford but with the team struggling badly, they were called ashore early in the second half.

Mahon would have started but for suspension while Hoare and Brecon Kavanagh have been non playing subs, though Kavanagh was not named on the 26 last Sunday.

A last minute goal denied Offaly a deserved victory over Tipperary in the All-Ireland minor hurling final three years ago and the U20 team is now based on that, though there is a considerable turnover of players. The injuries to Larkin, Guinan, Screeney and Hand has forced four of the changes while Cillian Martin, a very effective, hard working midfielder three years ago, is listed among the subs.

Martin's Tullamore colleague and midfield partner in 2022, Niall Furlong has been named at midfield. He has played for Offaly U20 footballers in their losses to Westmeath and Dublin as both managements agreed to facilitate him playing both codes, even though dual players are rarely accommodated now with fixtures programme so suggested. Furlong, however, comes from one of Offaly's iconic footballing dynasties and while he is a key figure for the U20 hurlers, there was agreement that his football prowess should also be facilitated and he was not forced into a hard choice - as some players have been in the very recent past.

Offaly U20 footballers are playing in their third game against Meath in Ashbourne on Wednesday evening but are out of contention and this meant that no hard discussions were necessary about Furlong playing for the hurlers – it would have been a different story if the U20 footballers were in contention but with so many injuries, his inclusion on the hurling team was very much the right call.

The stakes are not huge for the hurlers at the moment as they are in the Tier 1 group 1 with Galway and Laois and every team qualifies, irrespective of results. However, the results do determine where a team goes with the group winners in the semi-finals, the runners-up in the quarter-finals and the third placed in a preliminary quarter-final.

Offaly have a short turn around to their second game at home to Laois in Tullamore on Saturday and will be anxious to secure at least a quarter-final berth – they went this route last year and that extra game didn't do them any harm as they generated fierce momentum, with the county getting behind them.

Cathal Robinson, the first sub in against Tipperary three years ago is named in the attack while another of the subs, Mark Mulrooney is also listed on the bench.

The players on the Offaly senior hurling squad have a very busy itinerary in the next few weeks as their championship campaign starts on Saturday week in Dublin and will be relentless from then on. It will be a delicate balancing act between senior and U20 hurlers but last year's wins have removed a lot of the pressure that would have surrounded the U20s this year, if they hadn't got across the finish line. There is still a great appetite to win back to back U20 titles in Offaly but the County Board have made it clear that their priority in 2025 is to retain senior status in the Leinster championship and that means that senior manager Johnny Kelly will have full access to every player he wants.

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It also means he will be trying to get Adam Screeney onto the field in the coming weeks. The outstanding forward is on the way back from a groin injury that has ruled him out of the season to date. While he has not been listed on the Offaly subs for Galway, it would not be a surprise if he was a late addition, though there is no need to rush things with them having room for error.

OFFALY: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Ruari Kelly (Lusmagh), Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Donal Shirley (Tubber), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), James O'Sullivan (Shinrone); Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Niall Furlong (Tullamore); Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Cathal Robinson (Kinnitty), Conor Doyle (Clara); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks). Subs – Eanna Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Sean Og Foley (Doon), Mark Mulrooney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Eoin Bailey-O'Brien (Shinrone), Ronan Flynn (Belmont), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone), Cillian Martin (Tullamore).