Offaly Senior “B” Football Championship preview

THE Senior “B” Football Championship has provided some of the most entertaining, enjoyable fare in the Offaly club scene in recent years and that is likely to be the case once again.

With so many teams fairly evenly matched, it provides some great games and there have been plenty of strange results in it in recent years.

This year's format has all six teams in the one group with the top four teams qualifying for two semi-finals and the bottom two meeting in a relegation play off.

Ballinagar, Ballycumber, Cappincur, Daingean, Tubber and Tullamore make up the six teams and while every team will be dreaming of glory, it can probably be divided into two tiers.

Ballinagar, Daingean and Tullamore are in the top tier with Cappincur just in their slipstream while Ballycumber and Tubber are the two outsiders.

With no relegation from senior last year, there is a great opportunity for all clubs this year and once again, it will make for intriguing viewing.

An emerging Ballinagar were beaten by Clara in last year's final and under normal criteria, they would be the favourites this year. They have some excellent young talent at the right age and they have the players to go into the top flight. They have made a sensational climb up the Offaly ranks, winning junior in 2022, intermediate in 2024 and making the senior B final last year.

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They won the Leinster Junior Football Championship in 2024 and their emergence has been one of the great Offaly GAA stories in the modern era. They deserve massive credit for what they have done but their progression into senior football is far from set in stone and they are beatable.

In any event, we have to steer clear of making them favourites at the moment and that is purely because of the presence of Tullamore. They finally won the Intermediate Football Championship in 2025 after years of flattering to deceive and they have an abundance of talent coming up from underage ranks.

They have players on every county football team, outstanding minors and U20s and some of these will play senior B this year – some of them would make any other senior team in the county and it all means that Tullamore are the big conundrum in this grade.

Tullamore reached the Division 1 Football League final, losing out to Ferbane, with a predominantly senior B team and a lot depends of the policy of senior management and whether they start to blend in some of those to their senior team or leave them for a year at the lower grade. There will be players bitterly disappointed at not featuring in senior and there are others who probably need to be given their head at this stage.

Players such as Jack Maher, Jay Sheerin and Patrick Kenna would play senior football with any other club in Offaly and we will just have to wait and see what way senior manager Paul McConway and his extensive backroom team are thinking on them. They probably won't all play senior and if all three are playing senior B and left there, then Tullamore will be very difficult to beat.

As it is, we have to make Tullamore marginal favourites with Ballinagar and Daingean just behind them and Cappincur also in the equation.

Ballycumber survived a relegation play off last year but the early indications are of improvement as they went well in the Division 2 Football League and had plenty of chances to beat Cappincur in the semi-finals. The emergence of a couple of young players is helping them and they will challenge all teams but at the moment, they have to be classed as outsiders.

Tubber are also in that category. They have been very close in this grade for several years but look to be entering a transitional phase and the possibility of a return to intermediate ranks is on the table for them.

Daingean are contenders. They have a lot going for them, plenty of good players and they will have a say in it. Their first round game at home to Tullamore is a massive one, the pick of them, and we will learn a lot from it.

Cappincur provide a bit of a dilemma when assessing the outcome. They are full of heart and character and they could beat any team on any given day but they jury is out on them and it remains to be seen how well they can get through a seven game championship.

This grade is always great to watch as it is a high level of football and the teams are so evenly matched. It is a big year for Ballinagar and two months ago, one would have had very little hesitation in labelling them as favourites but the goalposts have moved and Tullamore's presence makes it all very cloudy. A hard championship to call but it will be a surprise if the winners come from outside Tullamore, Ballinagar and Daingean – though Cappincur are capable of springing a surprise.

Verdict – Tullamore.

First round games (first named at home)

Tuesday, June 30

Cappincur v Ballycumber 7.30pm

Verdict – Cappincur.

Saturday, July 4

Ballinagar v Tubber 5pm

Verdict – Ballinagar.

Sunday, July 5

Daingean v Tullamore 12 noon

Verdict – Tullamore.