2024 review: A year when Offaly punched above its weight again

Over the years Offaly as a GAA entity has punched well above its weight on several occasions.

Perhaps one could pinpoint Offaly’s first Leinster senior football title in 1960 as the time when the county emerged as a seriously competitive force on the GAA landscape. Others might point to earlier teams who came close to similar success.

In any case, the Leinster triumph of 1960, when Offaly defeated Louth in the provincial final, led to some famous battles against Down - that year’s All-Ireland semi-final which required a replay to decide, and the storied 1961 final which drew a record attendance to Croke Park.

All-Ireland success came a decade later when Offaly overcame Galway to lift the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time. The first time champions followed up by retaining the title in 1972, defeating Kerry in a replay, having been denied by the same opponents in the 1969 final.

In hurling, a major breakthrough came in 1980 when Offaly won their first Leinster senior title. A year later, Offaly contested both All-Ireland senior finals with the hurlers defeating Galway to claim the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

And it a took a splendid goal from Kerry maestro Jack O’Shea in the closing stages of the football final to end Offaly’s hopes of double glory. In GAA history, only Cork have achieved the All-Ireland senior double and the disparity in population between the Munster county and Offaly requires little elaboration.

For a county with its population base, Offaly’s achievement of winning seven All-Ireland senior titles across hurling and football is truly marvellous. Indeed last year a ‘Magnificent Seven’ fundraising function was held, with all of Offaly’s All-Ireland winning senior captains in attendance - Willie Bryan (1971), Tony McTague (1971), Pádraig Horan (1981), Richie Connor (1981), Pat Fleury (1985), Martin Hanamy (1994) and Hubert Rigney (1998) .

In 1982, Offaly won their third All-Ireland senior football crown, famously denying Kerry a five-in-a-row as Seamus Darby’s late winning goal entered GAA folklore. Three years later, the Faithful County’s hurlers claimed the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the second time, again defeating Galway in the decider.

In the 1990s, a supremely talented Offaly hurling team emerged and claimed All-Ireland titles in 1994 and 1998. It was a hugely memorable decade for hurling with numerous counties contending for the sport’s biggest prizes.

Offaly have endured some lean times since but there has been a major renaissance in recent years. This included Offaly winning the All-Ireland U20 football championship in 2021.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Offaly U20 hurlers went all the way to All-Ireland success. On a hugely memorable occasion at Nowlan Park, Offaly defeated Tipperary in the All-Ireland decider as Ballinamere's Dan Bourke lifted the trophy amid delirious scenes.

Two years previously, many of the same Offaly players had fallen to an agonising defeat to Tipp in the All-Ireland minor decider. From their days as minors, Offaly supporters had taken Leo O’Connor’s group of players to their hearts and this was reflected by the hordes of supporters that followed them on the journey to All-Ireland glory in 2024.

Far less Offaly supporters were in attendance at the Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois a week later - an understandable state of affairs considering the emotional and financial resources committed to following the U20 hurlers.

Yet it was still a significant win as Offaly earned their return to the Leinster SHC for the first time in seven years, with Shinrone's Jason Sampson lifting the McDonagh Cup at Croke Park.

In football, Offaly had a very disappointing year, the nadir of which was a heavy home defeat to London in the Tailteann Cup. But the appointment of Tyrone legend Mickey Harte as joint senior manager has stirred fresh optimism about Offaly’s prospects for 2025 and beyond.

In club hurling, Kilcormac-Killoughey retained the Sean Robbins Cup in 2024, also winning the senior ‘B’ title for the second year in a row, which showed their quality and remarkable strength in depth. The men from Kilcormac and Mountbolus went on to reach the Leinster final where they were denied by a Na Fianna outfit now preparing for the All-Ireland decider.

Although Ballinamere lost out to K-K in last year's county final, the fact that the club reached their first premier decider since 1908 is a major source of encouragement for the club and for other contenders.

In club football, Tullamore won back-to-back senior championships for the first time since 1927 - a remarkable statistic for a club with 30 titles. The Blues went close to reaching the Leinster final, losing out in a semi-final against Dublin champions Cuala, who are now getting ready for the All-Ireland final.