No clear favourites in wide open Offaly Intermediate Hurling Championship

THE Molloy Environmental Systems Intermediate Hurling Championship looks to be wide open with no clear favourites.

Eight teams are grouped into two groups of four with the top team in each group going into the semi-finals and the next two playing off in two quarter-finals.

It is a format that gives every team decent prospects of going through and it looks to be an evenly balanced competition.

The championship features the second team of six senior clubs: Coolderry, Seir Kieran, Birr, St Rynagh's, Belmont and Kinnitty while the only intermediate only clubs are Shamrocks and Carrig and Riverstown.

In football, you would expect the standalone intermediate clubs to be the outstanding contenders but it tends to be a different story in hurling where a second team from a senior club often wins this.

In 2020 for example, the final was contested between Shinrone and Coolderrry with Shinrone winning a delayed shootout a couple of weeks ago.

Coolderry will be strong again and Birr and St Rynagh's should also be good. Birr can struggle at times at this grade but when they get their act together, they are very potent opposition. Kinnitty won the 2020 junior hurling and will be outsiders but they will hold their own. Seir Kieran were in this final a couple of years ago and again, they will be expecting to be competitive.

Shamrocks should be the favourites but after losing to Coolderry in the semi-final last year, you just don't know with them. Shamrocks were a strong senior “B” side just a couple of years ago and they will be determined to get up to that higher level. Football, however, will be their priority this year – having drawn with Tullamore last weekend and with three members of the Offal;y All-Ireland U-20 football champions (Sean O'Toole, Kieran Dolan and Jack Bryant) in their ranks, they will be excited about the large ball game.

Games will come thick and fast for them and this can be problematic for a dual club. While St Rynagh's will have some hurlers playing football, Shamrocks are the only true dual club in this grade.

It will be interesting to see how Carrig and Rivertsown perform. They have some excellent hurlers and command respect. Time will tell on what they are like.

The groups are evenly matched. Coolderry, Shamrocks, Seir Kieran and Birr are in group 1 while group 2 consists of Carrig and Riverstown, St Rynagh's, Belmont and Kinniutty.

With three teams coming out of each group, there is plenty of margin for error and it will be after the second round when definite form lines can be drawn. Shamrocks have a great chance of winning but their progression back to senior “B” is far from assured and there are a few teams who can beat them.

Verdict - Shamrocks

Clodiagh Gaels slight favourites in very competitive Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship

St Rynagh's the target in Offaly Senior Hurling Championship with a difference