Drumcullen desperate for quick return as Offaly Intermediate Hurling Championship gets underway

THE stakes are particularly big for Drumcullen this year as they bid to quickly bounce back out of the Intermediate Hurling Championship.

One of the great names of Offaly hurling, they were devastated to lose out to Lusmagh in the relegation play off from senior “B” last year.

Drumcullen's tradition may be an ancient one. Their seventeen Offaly Senior Hurling Championships has them fourth on the county's roll of honour but their last title was won way back in 1960.

They were one of the big casualties as St Rynagh's emerged as a powerful, almost unstoppable force for much of the 1960s and 1970s. A rural parish, they have suffered from depopulation in recent decades but remain passionate hurling people and are desperate to get back up a rank.

Great window of opportunity for all Offaly Senior Hurling Championship teams with genuine aspirations

It is a long time since Drumcullen have been senior hurling contenders and they have spent quite a bit of time yo-yoing between grades but they won't be happy at being back in the third tier.

Teams have got relegated before but the key is to quickly get back up. If you don't get back up at the first attempt, it can take a while and both football and hurling is littered with examples of this.

Drumcullen may be the pre-championship favourites but this classification is a very tentative one. Intermediate is a competitive grade with a decent standard of hurling and it is a very hard championship to win.

There will be tough opposition and Drumcullen will be under no illusions about the task ahead of them. Carrig-Riverstown should be very close. Beaten by eventual champions, Shamrocks in the semi-final last year, them, Drumcullen and Edenderry are the only clubs in it who haven't a team in senior hurling.

That should be a help to them and Carrig-Riverstown look to have the quality to win this. Edenderry won junior last year and they could talk to a few teams.

The championship is divided into two groups with the top team going direct into the semi-finals and the next two to two quarter-finals. It will be closely fought and the second teams of strong senior clubs, St Rynagh's, Coolderry and Shinrone could get going very well. Seir Kieran were beaten in a replayed final last year and generally compete very well at this level.

Drumcullen, St Rynagh's, Coolderry and Belmont are in group 1 while group 2 consists of Seir Kieran, Carrig-Riverstown, Shinrone and Edenderry.

It is a wide open looking championship and most of the teams have some sort of a chance, though Belmont had to survive a relegation play off last year and would have to improve significantly to win.

Drumcullen and Carrig-Riverstown are the two early front runners.

Verdict – Drumcullen.

First round games

Saturday, July 8

Group 1

Kinnitty: St Rynagh's v Coolderry 4pm; Verdict – Coolderry.

Birr: Belmont v Drumcullen 4pm; Verdict – Drumcullen.

Group 2

Crinkle: Carrig-Riverstown v Shinrone; Verdict – Carrig-Riverstown;

Durrow: Seir Kieran v Edenderry 4pm; Verdict – Seir Kieran.