Big hurling win ensures 2025 will be remembered fondly by Offaly GAA

EVEN if Offaly don't win another game, Sunday's absolutely crucial 3-15 to 1-16 win over Antrim in round 5 of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship ensures that 2025 has been a good year for GAA in the county – retaining status in the top flight was the season's big objective for the senior hurlers and Antrim now go back to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Promotion from Division 1B of the National Hurling League and Division 3 of the National Football League were the highlights at senior level while the county received a huge, unanticipated boost by coming up on the rails to win the Leinster Minor Football Championship, staging a sensational late snatch and grab raid in the final against favourites Louth.

The manner of that win has affected supporters in a very meaningful way and it ensures that Offaly have a Leinster title in the county for the fifth successive year – U20 football in 2021, minor hurling 2022, U20 hurling 2023 and 2024 and now minor football.

That is a fantastic run of success as the county has begun to climb out of the doldrums in both codes and the two senior squads are really digging in. The footballers won the Division 3 title, beating Kildfare in the final while the hurlers lost to Waterford in the Division 1B final.

Offaly ran Meath very close in the Leinster Senior Football Championship and have gone a long way towards banishing the memories of last year's horrific Tailteann Cup campaign by qualifying out of the group with a round to go. Offaly haven't fully convinced in their wins over Wicklow and Waterford but are much more tuned in and focused than last year when defeats by London and Limerick heaped pressure on everyone at the coalface.

The minor footballers have an All-Ireland quarter-final against Connacht runners-up, Mayo to look forward to on June 7 and you just wouldn't know how far they can go – it could all end the next day but minor is a very unpredictable code and with lethally dangerous forwards and a growing confidence after a great recent run of wins over Laois, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare and Louth, nothing would surprise with this squad.

A fancied Offaly U20 hurling team relinquished their Leinster and All-Ireland crowns with a quarter-final loss to Dublin. With several of last year's squad still available, hopes were high for this team but a few things conspired against them. Injuries was one while staying up in the senior championship was a big priority for the county and there was no agenda of saving players for the U20 grade. Apart from that, the squad didn't have the same hunger or replicate the same ferocious work rate as last year – the writing had been on the wall for them early but they were competitive and went out with heads held high.

Sunday's win over Antrim was heart attack stuff in ways as the northerners had corner back Niall O'Connor red carded after six minutes and found themselves 2-9 to 0-11 down at half time after playing with a strong wind. Offaly didn't play well in the second half, missing chances and allowing Antrim to hang in there. They were in serious bother when the visitors got the gap down to a point late on but a sensational late Killian Sampson goal got a highly relieved Offaly across the line.

The second half performance showed how much work Offaly have to do to become truly competitive in the top tier. A virus during the week affected a number of players, was a definite factor in their second half struggles and they were wrecked at the final whistle but this year was all about survival and making baby steps forward. They have done that, achieving their two big goals of promotion and staying up while the gap is clearly closing on Dublin and Wexford – Offaly were very close to wins over both in the championship while they were heavily beaten by Galway and Kilkenny.

They have more or less ticked all their boxes in 2025 and staying in the top flight was paramount for them.

The two real black spots on the year were the performances of the U20 footballers and minor hurlers. The U20 footballers never really got going while the minor hurlers suffered a really bad beating by Laois in the preliminary quarter-final.

It is the nature of the beast in a dual county like Offaly, however, that some teams just won't be good while Offaly senior footballers will be hoping to make a real bid for the Tailteann Cup.

They travel to Newbridge on Saturday evening to face Laois in their final group game – they have qualified anyway but will be aiming for the win that will secure top spot and a quarter-final place. If Laois beat Offaly and Wicklow take Waterford, you would end up with three teams on four points and scoring difference determining places. The four group runners up will play New York and the three best third placed teams in preliminary quarter-finals and while that would not be a disaster for Offaly, they wouldn't mind a week off before a quarter-final and will be going all out to win on Saturday.

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It remains to be seen how far Offaly can go in the Tailteann Cup, where their hunger levels are and the jury is out on them but they are well capable of embarking on a run, have nothing to fear against any team and could win the competition.