Big injury setback ends season for Offaly senior football star
Ferbane man has to get new shoulder operation as Furlong and Dunican continue recovery
A BIG setback in his recovery from an operation has ended the season for one of the best footballers in Offaly.
2025 Offaly senior footballer of the year, Cathal Flynn has to get a new operation on his injured shoulder in the coming weeks and it means that he won't play any football in this season. It will be the second operation on his shoulder as his initial one was not successful and did not mend as expected – there is a possibility that he will go abroad for the new operation.
While Offaly senior footballers knew they would be without his services for the campaign from an early stage, the news is a devastating blow to his club Ferbane, who are desperate to win a Senior Football Championship title.
They have lost the last three finals to Tullamore and have been agonisingly close to adding to the title they won in 2019, when they bridged a 25 year gap. A vastly understrength Ferbane side had an encouraging 2-13 to 1-10 win over Rhode in the Division 1 Football League semi-final on Sunday evening and will renew acquaintances with Tullamore in the final.
Ferbane have welcomed back long serving defensive stalwart Leon Fox, who transferred to a club in Louth last year but decided to give football and hurling another go in his home parish – the Belmont man is a former Offaly senior hurler.
Flynn's absence greatly diminishes Ferbane's senior football prospects though they remain possibly the biggest threat to Tullamore's four in a row ambitions. Outstanding as Offaly won the All-Ireland U20 football title in 2021, he is a breathtakingly brilliant play maker at centre half forward, a truly exciting footballer.
The news on Offaly's other injured players remains uncertain. Both Paddy Dunican and John Furlong have missed the entire county season and won't be back for the Tailteann Cup. Their target is the club championship and their recovery has not gone entirely to plan. Goalkeeper Dunican had a cruciate operation last year while Furlong has been out with a knee injury.
Dunican will be targeting the final round of group games for his club Shamrocks for his comeback but it is not certain he will make this – he will play out field for Shamrocks with Offaly sub goalkeeper Sean O'Toole between the posts for them.
Furlong has done a lot of gym work on his knee and body strength but has been unable to run on grass since getting injured for Tullamore in the Leinster club championship late last year and it remains to be seen when he can return to competitive football.