Shamrocks fancied to move up a rung as Birr aim for IHC final upset

FAVOURITES from the start of the campaign, Shamrocks will now have to produce it on the most intense, unforgiving stage of all when they meet Birr in the Intermediate Hurling Championship final next Sunday in Rath.

The Rahan parish men have been the form team in the championship to date but will be very aware of the challenge posed by Birr, who have a number of players with senior experince as well as some bright young talent.

Shamrocks were also favourites to win last year but were beaten by Coolderry in the semi-final. They had been relegated from senior “B” in 2019, having contested the final a year earlier, and the impression that they are capable of hurling at the higher level is a strong one.

It should be a very good, very competitive final and there will be plenty of interest in it. It is clashing with the senior semi-final between St Rynagh's and Kilcormac-Killoughey and while this will impact on the neutral crowd at it, the two competing clubs will bring huge support.

Both are hungry for success. Birr are one of the great names of Offaly hurling and their exploits in the 1990s and 2000s brought them national glory. They have slipped down the ladder in the past decade but are working very hard at getting back to the top. An intermediate title won't make that big of a difference to them in the broader scheme of things but it would be a very sweet win for them. It would be a step in the right direction for the club and give them confidence at all levels.

Senior hurling will of course always define the year for Birr and they will look back on their 2021 campaign with very mixed memories. They finished on a spectactular high, destroying county champions St Rynagh's in their final group game but it didn't save them from an early exit as they lost out to Shinrone on the head to head rule. Ultimately they paid the price for defeats to Shinrone and especially Belmont but the manner of their win over St Rynagh's will give them hope for the future – even if Rynagh's had already qualified and were not fully tuned in on the day. The intermediate side, however, are providing a nice distraction for them and they are hungry for success.

In their way is a Shamrocks side who are desperate for success. While now known mainly as a football club, there is a very proud, much cherished tradition of hurling in the parish, and in the Rahan end in particular. Rahan appeared in a few senior hurling finals in the early decades of the GAA and were a mainly hurling club initially. Like other clubs such as Edenderry and

Clara, football took precedence as the years wore on. This was particularly the case in Rahan when St Carthage's was formed towards the mid 1960s. Around that time, there were four clubs in existence in the parish – Rahan, Mucklagh, the legendary Blackwood Rovers and there was also a much cherished team in the Island. Football quickly became the strongest sport in St Carthage's. They won U-21 and Junior Football Championship titles in the second half of the 1960s as a young Nick Clavin emerged as one of the greats of Offaly football.

They were beaten by Tullamore in a famous Senior Football Championship final in 1973 and then declined for a while. Things changed after Shamrocks was formed in the mid 1990s. Shamrocks was an amalgamation of the then St Carthage's and Mucklagh clubs. Mucklagh had reformed by the early 1980s and competed well in junior football for most of that decade. The parish joined initially as St Carthage's/Mucklagh before the name was changed to Shamrocks.

The new club continued to try and promote both codes but they were stronger at football. Shamrocks were particularly unlucky in the 2000s as they lost Senior Football Championship finals in 2000, 2005 and 2007.

The hurling flag was kept flying during those years and they won the Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2000 and 2014 – incidentally, St Carthage's/Mucklagh won it in 1994 while Rahan took the title in 1930 and 1952.

Rahan bowed out of senior football during the 2010s, only winning promotion back in 2018, and dual commitments has always been a big challenge for them. They have plenty of players who play football only or have a clear preference for that game but they don't have many players whose only game or clear priority is hurling. They do, however, have some very passionate hurling people, men who really want the game to thrive in the area.

Things have been different for them in recent weeks. Their senior footballers bowed out in the quarter-final and this has allowed them to focus on hurling. It has certainly been a great assistance to their intermediate hurlers.

Birr don't have the same complications. They have occasionally had a competitive junior football team but they didn't field one at all this year and hurling is an undisputable priority there.

Both sides have been in good form this year. Shamrocks topped group 1 with full points from their three games and have already beaten Birr, who qualified as runners up.

In the first round, Shamrocks defeated Seir Kieran by 2-19 to 0-18 while Birr grinded out a good win over Coolderry, 4-12 to 3-10. Birr beat Seir Kieran by 2-22 to 0-19 in the second round with Shamrocks accounting for Coolderry, 1-18 to 0-13. The last round was a match to decide who topped the group and Shamrocks beat Birr by 1-21 to 0-16. It meant that Birr went into the quarter-finals where they had an easy 4-22 to 2-13 win over Belmont.

Both sides had excellent wins in the semi-final. Birr came up against formidable opponents in their parish neighbours, Carrig-Riverstown and got across the line in extra time, 0-25 to 1-20. It was a real character building performance by Birr and it will bring them on a lot.

Shamrocks did not receive the same test as they beat St Rynagh's by 5-11 to 2-10. They led by five points at half time and pulled away in the second half for a facile win. They might have liked a tougher game but it was an excellent result for them and will have done their confidence a lot of good.

It sets the scene for what should be a compelling final. Birr have a very good chance. They have a lot of very good hurlers and Shamrocks will be aware of the quality of players such as Donal Ryan, Joe Ryan, Michael Mulrooney, Scott Feenane, Tomas Bolger, Craig Shortt and others.

Birr will also be familiar with the quality at Shamrocks disposal. David O'Toole-Greene has played senior hurling for Offaly in recent years, Padraig Cantwell has impressed on U-21 teams. Nigel Dunne was on the senior hurling panel briefly a few years ago and Shamrocks will be very hard beaten.

David O'Toole-Greene is the pivotal figure in this game. He scored 3-2 in the semi-final and has played at a level that no one else has in this fixture.

Birr won't fear their opponents in the slightest but Shamrocks form has been convincing and they are deserved favourites.

Verdict – Shamrocks.