Greatly improved Lusmagh have the form to delay Carrig-Riverstown dreams

ONE of the best games in the year in Offaly would very well emerge when Lusmagh and Carrig-Riverstown clash in the Senior “B” Hurling Championship final in St Brendan's Park, Birr next Sunday.

The two have been clearly the best sides in the championship so far and a real ding dong tussle should emerge with very little separating them.

Carrig-Riverstown have been in great form from the start of the year and established themselves as favourites at an early stage but Lusmagh have improved significantly this year, and their confidence has visibly grown as the campaign progressed.

Both sides are desperate to get to senior hurling and see how they fare up there. Carrig-Riverstown are an emerging club and their progression out of intermediate into a real force at this level is a credit to the terrific work that has gone on there in recent years.

Lusmagh is one of Offaly's most cherished names, the home to iconic hurlers such as Joachim Kelly, Brendan Bermingham and Jim and John Troy. They won their only Senior Hurling Championship in 1989 but have slipped back in the past decade and now find themselves on the crest of a wave of sorts once again.

They have blown hot and cold at senior B level in recent years. Capable of producing a big result on any given day, they lacked consistency and as a result, they often flattered to deceive. They have found that consistency this year and their confidence is now sky high as they approach the final.

Carrig-Riverstown occupy a very special place in the Offaly GAA story. Across the border in Tipperary but playing in Offaly since 1914, they have spent a lot of their existence in the lower ranks but have made a remarkable transition in recent years.

Located in Birr parish, they have got numbers but have also put in the hard yards to get to within one game of the top flight. They have also contributed powerfully to Offaly teams in recent years. Their greatest ever hurler Ger Oakley was an Offaly cult hero during his career in the late 1990s into the 2000s and his is a selector with this team. Liam Hoare was brilliant in goals and Cathal King was in great form as Offaly won the All-Ireland U20 hurling title in 2024. King has transitioned very effectively onto the senior and Hoare will be mounting a real challenge to Mark Troy for the number 1 jersey in the coming years. Joe Hoctor played for Offaly as they reached the All-Ireland U20 final in 2023, losing to Cork, and the presence of Carrig-Riverstown players on county teams is a great help to Offaly.

Ruari Kelly was Lusmagh's representative on the 2024 All-Ireland U20 champions and every Offaly hurling supporter would like to see this great club coming strong again.

It is also good to see a new club winning this title this year. Kilcormac-Killoughey won back to back titles in 2024 and 2023, meaning that there was no relegation from senior as they wisely opted against fielding two teams up there. K-K's achievement in winning both senior and senior “B” for two years in a row was absolutely remarkable but it was clear from early this year that they would struggle to make the hat-trick.

They took Peter and Thomas Geraghty and Mark Mulrooney off last year's team and played them senior while Enda Grogan went just ahead of their semi-final loss to Lusmagh, playing in the big senior win over Ballinamere. With those players gone, K-K were sitting ducks and in a way, they may be even relieved not to be winning this again – it was not a K-K problem in any way but it would not be healthy for Offaly hurling to see the same club dominating its two highest grades year in, year out.

The sides drew, 0-17 each in their last group game a few weeks ago but with both already qualified, it lacked the intensity and fierce drive that will be present from the throw in on Sunday.

Carrig-Riverstown won their other four games, beating Kilcormac-Killoughey, Clara, Clodiagh Gaels and Coolderry. Lusmagh also drew with Clara and beat Kilcormac-Killoughey, Clodiagh Gaels and Coolderry on their way to second place in the group.

Lusmagh played very well as they dismissed K-K in the semi-final, Carrig-Riverstown were forced into a real dogfight with Clara and only a brilliant late Liam Hoare save prevented the game from going to extra time.

That tight game may serve C-R very well, though it also throws up questions about their current form – they probably should have lost to Lusmagh in their group game when they salvaged a late draw and they flirted with danger against a Clara side who did well this year without ever really convincing that they could win this championship.

There are very good players on both teams. Eibhin Kelly has loads of senior experience and will anchor the side at centre half back with two more Kelly's, Eibeann and Ruari each side of him. Graham Lynch is a fast hurler who likes to attack from midfield while Eoin Quinlan and Paul Kinsella have scored freely for them.

Carrig-Riverstown have a lot of very strong players throughout the field. They are so solid and physically strong down the centre and a nice spread of scoring potential in their attack.

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It should be very close and it is a hard one to call. There has been something very impressive about the way Lusmagh have went about their business this year and they get the nod to edge a real tight battle.

Verdict – Lusmagh.