Offaly Senior Football teams profiled ahead of start of championship

SHAMROCKS

Manager – John Monaghan and Brian Kinnarney;

Selectors – Jamie Boland and Mark Sheeran;

Captain – Gary Hutchinson;

Retirements/Long term injuries – Shane O'Toole-Greene, Adam Keyes;

New players – Dara Bates;

Last year – Beat Clara in the relegation play off;

Star player – Jack Bryant;

Key players – Nigel Dunne, David O'Rourke;

Prospects – Shamrocks were among the clubs that voted in favour of the controversial new format for the Senior Football Championship and this was very much a case of a club looking after themselves. They will be glad of a trouble free passage to the quarter-finals and if that format is changed for 2025 and senior returns to 10 teams, all the better for them – they won't have to worry about relegation. If Shamrocks had all their players available, they would talk to a few teams. Kieran Dolan has still not got back after his devastating injury while the O'Toole-Greene brothers, Johnny, David and Shane; Paddy Dunican and Alan Heffernan are among the players who were out of the country last year. David O'Toole-Greene played in their intermediate hurling defeat by Seir Kieran last Friday and will be a big help to their footballers. There have been regular rumours in Rahan parish about others returning and the fact that they can write off the group games means that they have a bit of time to play with – though obviously they would need training and games after being away. With all players available, Shamrocks would have the potential to shock teams without being strong enough to win their first ever senior title. With so many away, there is no grounds for suggesting they can make history.