Season defining clash for Offaly schools hurling team

THE Offaly Schools' senior hurling team face a season defining clash next week. They are fixed to play crack Kilkenny outfit, St Kieran's College in the Leinster Colleges Senior Hurling Championship semi-final in Rathdowney on Tuesday, January 23 at 2.00pm.

It is a repeat of last year's provincial final when a brilliant Offaly Schools team recorded a super win over the Kilkenny side on their home turf in Kilkenny. As a combined side, selecting from several schools, Offaly Schools could not compete in the All-Ireland series and St Kieran's received ample compensation for their Leinster final defeat when they went on to capture the Dr Croke Cup for the 24th time.

Last year's Offaly Schools side was backboned by members of the Offaly U-20 hurling squad who went on to reach the All-Ireland final, where they were beaten by Cork. It is essentially a feeder squad for the county U-20 hurlers and the Offaly manager Leo O'Connor is once again playing a lead role in the schools' team management.

The Offaly team is not as strong as last year. Some of their best players from last year have now gone onto college while they don't have the pick of Colaiste Naomh Cormac in Kilcormac, who competed in “A” hurling this year.

They still, however, have a formidable side with a few players who played in the 2022 All-Ireland minor hurling final loss to Tipperary. They have been playing very well in this year's campaign, improving steadily and they showed great form when beating St Peter's of Wexford in the quarter-final last week by 2-14 to 0-10.

Liam Hoare, Caelum Larkin, Ruari Kelly, Niall Furlong, Shane Rigney and Cathal Robinson all played in that desperately unlucky loss to Tipperary in 2022 and they are all key players on this team.

Tuesday will be a huge test for Offaly but they are motoring very well, will fancy their chances and another big win is certainly a possibility.

The other semi-final between Good Counsel College, New Ross and Kilkenny CBS will also take place next Tuesday, at a venue to be announced yet.