Important time changes to big Saturday hurling fixtures in Offaly

HURLING supporters should note time changes to big championship fixtures in Offaly this Saturday.

The changes affect four big games and have been made because of a bereavement in Birr. The Senior Hurling Championship group games between Birr and Ballinamere and Coolderry and Tullamore have been changed from 5pm to 2.30pm.

The Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final between Seir Kieran and Drumcullen and the Senior “B” Hurling Championship clash between Carrig-Riverstown and Lusmagh have been flipped from 2.30pm to 5pm, allowing supporters to hit a couple of games if they wish.

The venues remain the same in all cases with Ballinamere v Birr in Kilcormac, Tullamore v Coolderry in Rath, Carrig-Riverstown v Lusmagh in Birr and Drumcullen v Seir Kieran in Crinkle.

The stakes are huge in three of those games. Ballinamere need a point to be sure of survival in the Senior Hurling Championship – if they lose to Birr and Tullamore beat Coolderry, they will be gone. If Ballinamere lose and Coolderry don’t lose, last year’s beaten county finalists will qualify for the quarter-finals. The winner of Tullamore and Coolderry will qualify.

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The winners of the intermediate quarter-final between Drumcullen and Seir Kieran will meet Shamrocks or St Rynagh’s in the semi-final. Birr will also face either Shamrocks or St Rynagh’s after a facile win over Shinrone in the first quarter-final on Thursday evening.

Both Carrig-Riverstown and Lusmagh have qualified for the senior “B” hurling semi-finals and this fixture will determine who goes through as group winners.

A junior “C” hurling game between Ballyskenach and Tullamore has also had to be changed because of the switch of senior fixtures. It will now take place in Kinnitty at 5pm.

Once the request to change the time of the Birr v Ballinamere game was granted, the Coolderry v Tullamore clash also had to be moved – with the two senior fixtures tied in with each other, they had to be played at the same time and it was decided to switch the senior “B” and intermediate games as well.