Offaly name team for season opener as 2024 captain chosen
The Offaly senior football team has been named for the Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup clash with neighbours Laois tomorrow night (Wednesday).
The game will now be played in Stradbally (throw-in 7.30pm), having been moved from its original venue of Portarlington.
It will be Declan Kelly's first competitive game as Offaly senior manager.
The Kilclonfert native was appointed as Offaly manager last year, having led the county to All-Ireland U-20 success in 2021. Kelly also has considerable experience in club management.
The winners of the Laois vs Offaly match will be at home to All-Ireland champions Dublin in the quarter-finals of the O'Byrne Cup this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Edenderry's Lee Pearson has been appointed as Offaly senior football captain for the 2024 season.
Pearson was on the aforementioned All-Ireland winning team of 2021, and six other players from that team are included in the starting selection against Laois, namely Rory Egan, John Furlong, Morgan Tynan, Cathal Flynn, Cormac Egan and Jack Bryant.
Offaly team (v Laois):
1. Ian Duffy (Walsh Island)
2. David Dempsey (Ballycommon)
3. Diarmuid Finneran (Ballinagar)
4. Lee Pearson (Edenderry, captain)
5. Rory Egan (Edenderry)
6. John Furlong (Tullamore)
7. Jack O'Brien (Durrow)
8. Jordan Hayes (Edenderry)
9. Morgan Tynan (Ballinagar)
10. Eoin Carroll (Cappincur)
11. Cathal Flynn (Ferbane)
12. Dylan Hyland (Raheen)
13. Cormac Egan (Tullamore)
14. Jack Bryant (Shamrocks)
15. Anton Sullivan (Rhode).
Subs:
Mikey Cunningham (Bracknagh)
Daire McDaid (Tullamore)
Jordan Quinn (Kilcormac/Killoughey)
Cathal Donohoe (Oughterard, Galway)
Jack McEvoy (Clonbullogue)
Declan Hogan (Tullamore)
Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks)
Nathan Poland (Erin Rovers)
Kevin McDermott (Durrow)
Dan Wyer (Durrow)
Ruairi McNamee (Rhode).