Clodiagh Gaels and Kilcormac-Killoughey front runners in Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship

THE Senior “B” Championships in both football and hurling have provided some of the best, most entertaining games in Offaly in recent years and we can anticipate another cracker of a competition in hurling.

The six teams all play each other in the one group: Birr, Clara, Clodiagh Gaels, Kilcormac-Killoughey, Lusmagh and Shamrocks. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals with one playing four and second taking on third.

The format gives teams considerable margin for error but things will tighten up from the second round on and they will all want to hit the ground running.

Clodiagh Gaels were relegated from senior last year and are the starter's favourites. They can have feet of clay at times but they should be very strong, very good at this level. In Joey Keenaghan, Liam Langton and Conor Langton, they had three players on the Offaly senior hurling panel while goalkeeper, Kieran Coonan and Ruari Dunne were subs on the Offaly side that lost to Cork in the All-Ireland U-20 hurling final.

Not many clubs can match that at this level, with the possible exception of Kilcormac-Killoughey.

Clara will fancy their chances. They did very well to reach the final last year and while that went wrong against Tullamore, they will be hopeful of challenging again. Conor Doyle is now available out of minor ranks and he will be a huge addition to them at this level.

It will be interesting to see how Shamrocks perform. They won the Intermediate Hurling Championship last year and should be able to mount a challenge. Shamrocks had been in the senior B final the year before they got relegated and it was a surprise that it took them a few years to get back up out of intermediate.

Now that they are up, they will be confident of not only holding their own but going close to another title. That remains to be seen though. They did not stay down in intermediate because of bad luck and one of last year's outstanding performers, David O'Toole-Greene is gone abroad. Their key player, Padraig Cantwell missed most of the Offaly campaign with an injury and Shamrocks certainly need him on board to have a chance.

Time will tell about Shamrocks but we can be fairly certain of Clodiagh Gaels and Kilcormac-Killoughey challenging while Clara should be there or thereabouts, even if the jury is still out on them.

Kilcormac-Killoughey's presence at this grade provides a real conundrum. They were very close to beating Tullamore in the semi-final last year and K-K have some outstanding young players coming onto the scene. It will be a surprise if Adam Screeney and Brecon Kavanagh don't play senior while James Mahon may go up at some stage, though he may be held back for a year. Ter Guinan, Daniel Hand, Leigh Kavanagh and others are all eligible for adult hurling down and some of these will play senior “B”.

Dan Currams has returned from England and there is a possibility that he could feature at this grade too, though he would be an automatic senior if his few years away from the game has not taken the edge off him.

Apart from those players, K-K have a number of other very good players coming up and they are serious contenders in this grade. They should certainly reach the semi-final and they will be hard to beat.

Birr and Lusmagh are also in this grade. Birr were beaten in the semi-final last year while Lusmagh did well to survive a relegation play off with Drumcullen. Birr and Lusmagh have to be respected and they could beat any team on any given day. It is Lusmagh's first team and they have a lot going for them but their results last year did not lie and they are in a transitional period.

Birr and Lusmagh are the championship outsiders and it is a big ask for either of them to win – Birr could lose players to senior.

We will know more after the first two rounds but at the moment, Clodiagh Gaels and Kilcormac-Killoughey look to have the strongest credentials. Shamrocks and Clara will be balancing dual commitments and this could be a factor for them. Clodiagh Gaels are slight favourites and have a bit more experience but K-K are a real rabbit in the hat and they could get very good as the year goes on.

Verdict – Clodiagh Gaels.

First round games

Friday, July 7

Doon: Kilcormac-Killoughey v Lusmagh 8pm; Verdict – Kilcormac-Killoughey.

Saturday, July 8

O'Connor Park: Clodiagh Gaels v Clara 4pm; Verdict – Clodiagh Gaels;

Lusmagh: Shamrocks v Birr 4pm; Verdict – Shamrocks.