Strong links with teams from 2023 under 20 hurling final
All-Ireland SHC final preview: Offaly v Cork
THREE years ago Offaly and Cork met in the All-Ireland Under 20 hurling final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, and when they return there next Sunday to meet in the All-Ireland senior quarter final there will be strong links with that 2023 final, particularly on the Offaly side.
Cork won that final by 2-22 to 3-13 to end a youthful Offaly's side's dreams of glory but the Faithful County bounced back a year later and won the title on a memorable June night in Kilkenny.
With a more established senior team, including a number of players who have backboned their team for a number of years, Cork have fewer graduates to senior level from that side than Offaly, who are embarking on a new journey, spurred on by the success of those recent underage teams.
The Cork side that day in 2023 was managed by Ben O'Connor, who himself faced Offaly in two All-Ireland senior semi-finals in 1999 and 2000, and he is now the Cork senior manager having taken over the role this year.
Of the Cork side that started three years ago, Eoin Downey, Diarmuid Healy and William Buckley started the Munster final defeat to Limerick, Micheal Mullins, who played much of the league, was on the bench while Brian Keating, who came on as a sub in 2023 was one of their standby players.
Remarkably of the 15 players who started for Offaly in 2023, 14 of them have seen action with the senior hurlers this year. The lone exception has also featured regularly in an Offaly jersey this season but with the footballers – Cormac Egan.
Goalkeeper Mark Troy has been back up to Liam Hoare this season, while Patrick Taaffe has cemented his place at corner back. The other members of the full back line that day, Kilcormac/Killoughey duo James Mahon and Brecon Kavanagh have both been hampered by injury this season.
From the half back line Luke Watkins saw action during the league, while Sam Bourke has also featured in both league and championship and Ter Guinan has become a regular since recovering from injury himself.
The midfield pairing that day Colin Spain and Cathal King have both featured with regularity during the campaign while half forwards Dan Bourke and Conor Doyle have been regulars in the starting line up. They flanked Cormac Egan that day in Thurles.
The full forward line featured Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell and Adam Screeney, who all played large parts in Offaly's campaign to date. Unfortunately Charlie Mitchell, after missing out of the league campaign, is now an absentee again for medical reasons.
Of the subs who came in that day, Shane Rigney has been a championship regular and Ruairi Kelly and Leigh Kavanagh have also been part of the panel.
Ben Miller missed the 2023 final through injury but is now part of the senior panel and in a cruel twist of fate, Donal Shirley, who also missed out through injury in 2023, is once again on the injured list and misses out again.
To see so many of that 2023 panel being part of the senior set up so quickly is quite remarkable, but it also emphasises how young this Offaly side is competing at senior level. They do have experience in the likes of Ben Conneely, Eoghan Cahill and Brian Duignan but the bulk of the panel is quite young.
To achieve what they have achieved by qualifying from the Leinster Championship for the All-Ireland quarter final is a great feat and certainly augurs well for the future of Offaly hurling.
2023 All-Ireland U-20 Hurling Championship final
Cork end Offaly fairytale as brave heroes go down fighting
CORK 2-22
OFFALY 3-13
OFFALY'S dreams of a historic All-Ireland U-20 hurling title may have gone up in smoke in a blistering, bubbling Thurles but they went down fighting, as a group of fiercely hungry young players allowed a county to dream once again – and showed that big success is possible.
Behind by two points at half time, 1-11 to 1-9, a victory looked very possible for Offaly, especially as they had the wind to come. The favourites, however, had begun to show an edge in physicality and power running coming up to half time as they got five of the closing six points. It was enough to set the alarm bells ringing among the more realistic of the huge Offaly crowd there and their anxiety proved to be very justified as Cork powered home in the second half.
1-6 without reply in the eight minutes after the restart handed Cork a 2-17 to 1-9 lead and it really was all over for Offaly. A brilliant Conor Doyle goal ignited hope but in reality, it was a forlorn one at that stage and Cork were assured of victory from a long way out.
Offaly, however, can be extremely proud of the way they performed here and all year. Starting with six of the team pipped by Tipperary in the All-Ireland minor final the year before, they thrilled and excited hurling supporters much further afield than Offaly. Their pace, skill, exuberance and obvious joy in hurling struck a bond with supporters and one defeat does not change that.
There was always a strong possibility that this final would be a bridge too far for Offaly, that Cork would have too much power and strength, and that it was a year too early for a young team. And this was the way it went in the second half but not before Offaly had asked serious questions of them.
It all ended in an anti-climax and this game really needed Offaly in contention late on. Instead, their support was quietened as acceptance began to dawn that it would not be their day. Cork supporters were well outnumbered and even with victory in sight, they didn't get in any way excited. The win would have meant so much more to Offaly but it wasn't to be Offaly went down fighting and can be so proud of the way they performed all year and here. They have brought so much pride to their county. Offaly were beaten by a better team and overall, their performance was not quite good enough. It may have been as good as it possibly could have been but there were things that went wrong, some players didn't play as well as they had been and it just didn't happen for them in the second half.
Ultimately Offaly's attack didn't perform as needed and this is shown by the fact that Cork had eight scorers, double Offaly's four. Only two Offaly players scored points and only three of those came from play. That type of return couldn't win an All-Ireland.Scorers: Cork: Ben Cunningham (0-9, 0-5 frees), William Buckley and Jack Leahy (0-4 each), Diarmuid Healy and Michael Mullins (1-1 each), Tadgh O'Connell, David Cremin and Adam O'Sullivan (0-1 each).
Offaly: Adam Screeney (0-9, 0-7 frees), Dan Ravenhill (1-4, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 '65', 0-2 frees), Conor Doyle and Shane Rigney (1-0 each). OFFALY: Mark Troy; Patrick Taaffe, James Mahon, Brecon Kavanagh; Luke Watkins, Sam Bourke, Ter Guinan; Colin Spain, Cathal King; Dan Bourke, Cormac Egan, Conor Doyle; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Adam Screeney. Subs. Shane Rigney (for Egan, half time), Barry Egan (for Mitchell, 39 mins), Ruari Kelly (for Taaffe, 39 mins), Joe Hoctor (for King, 45 mins), Ailbe Watkins (for Spain, 52 mins),
CORK: Brion Sanderson; Mark Howell, Shane Kingston, Darragh O'Sullivan; James Dwyer, Ben O'Connor, Eoin Downey; Tadgh O'Connell, Michael Mullins; William Buckley, Ben Cunningham, Diarmuid Healy; Ross O'Sullivan, David Cremin, Jack Leahy. Subs. Eoin O'Leary (for O'Sullivan, 45 mins), Adam O'Sullivan for Cremin, 47 mins), Colin Walsh (for Leahy, 55 mins), Ciaran Doolin (for Dwyer, 57 mins), Brian Keating (for O'Connell, 57 mins),
REFEREE: Chris Mooney (Dublin).