The Offaly county hurling team represents Offaly in hurling and is governed by Offaly GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team plays in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, part of the top tier of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. At senior level, the county have won four All-Ireland championships, nine Leinster championships and one National Hurling League title.
Offaly's home grounds are Glenisk O'Connor Park, Tullamore and Grant Heating St Brendan's Park, Birr. The team's manager is Johnny Kelly.
The team last won the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in 1995, the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship in 1998 and the National Hurling League in 1991.
History After a scheme developed by the Gaelic Athletic Association in the 1970s to encourage the playing of hurling in non-traditional counties, Offaly was one of the first teams to benefit. As a result, the county won six Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) titles in the 1980s, as well as its first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) in 1981.
The county has since gone on to win three other All-Ireland SHC titles. Perhaps Offaly's most famous win came in the 1994 All-Ireland SHC final, in what has come to be remembered as the "five minute final." Limerick looked set to win a first All-Ireland SHC title since 1973 until Offaly staged one of the greatest comebacks of all time, scoring two goals and five points in the last five minutes. They defeated Limerick by 3–16 to 2–13.
In the 1998 All-Ireland SHC semi-final, Offaly defeated the reigning title holder Clare in a second replay. Offaly had lost the first replay after referee Jimmy Cooney blew for full-time too early, leading Offaly fans to blockade the pitch in protest.
Offaly conceded a walkover to Kildare in the 2020 Christy Ring Cup after an outbreak of COVID-19 forced "almost every member" of the panel into isolation due to Health Service Executive (HSE) advice that they were "close contacts". Later in the same competition, in the semi-final, Down knocked Offaly out in a first ever inter-county hurling penalty shootout.
On 8 June 2024, at Croke Park in Dublin, Offaly defeated Laois by 2–23 to 0–26 in the Joe McDonagh Cup final. This was the team's first success in the competition, and earned Offaly promotion to the 2025 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.
On 24 May 2026, Offaly qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship after finishing third in the 2026 Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. It's the first time since 2003 that Offaly have been in an All-Ireland quarter-final.
Panel
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team. RET Player has since retired from the county team. WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Management team Manager: Johnny Kelly, appointed head of the 2023 season Selectors: Barry Teehan (Coolderry) Performance coach: Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh, Tipperary) Goalkeeping coach: Colm Callanan (Kinvara, Galway) Strength and Conditioning Coach: Brian Roache Other backroom: Martin Maher (Brendan's brother)
Managerial history Offaly have a history of appointing "foreign" managers. In 2016, the former Waterford hurler Kevin Ryan became Offaly's ninth "foreign" manager in a quarter of a century.
Andy Gallagher 1976–1983
Dermot Healy 1983–1986
Georgie Leahy 1986–1988
P. J. Whelahan 1988–1989
Paudge Mulhare 1989–1990
Pádraig Horan 1990–1992
Éamonn Cregan 1992–1996
John McIntyre 1996–1997
Babs Keating 1997–1998
Michael Bond 1998–1999
Pat Fleury 1999–2000
Michael Bond (2) 2000–2001
Tom Fogarty 2001–2002
Mike McNamara 2002–2004
John McIntyre (2) 2004–2007
Joe Dooley 2007–2011
Ollie Baker 2011–2013
Brian Whelahan 2013–2015
Éamonn Kelly 2015–2016
Kevin Ryan 2016–2017
Kevin Martin 2017–2019
Joachim Kelly 2019**
Michael Fennelly 2019–2022
Johnny Kelly 2022–present
**=In a caretaker role
Players Notable players
David Franks
Captaincy
Records Most appearances
Top scorers
All Stars
Colours and crest
Kit evolution Before the beginning of the 2024 season Offaly revealed a new home jersey, which featured a crew neck with ribbing and the inscription Eslo Fidelis (Latin for "Be Faithful") on its lower back.
Team sponsorship The food company Carroll's of Tullamore sponsored Offaly since the GAA first permitted shirt sponsorship deals in 1991 until 2021. It was the sport's longest running shirt sponsor. In 2022, Glenisk became the County's Camogie, Football and Hurling sponsors, with them becoming the Ladies Football sponsors in 2023 once their current sponsorship with CMG closes.
Professional golfer Shane Lowry and Offaly announced a five-year partnership in April 2021.
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1991–2021O'NeillsCarroll's of Tullamore 2022– Glenisk
Honours National All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Winners (4): 1981, 1985, 1994, 1998 Runners-up (3): 1984, 1995, 2000 Joe McDonagh Cup Winners (1): 2024 Runners-up (1): 2023 Christy Ring Cup Winners (1): 2021 All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship Winners (2): 1923, 1929 Runners-up (1): 1915 All-Ireland Under-20 Hurling Championship Winners (1): 2024 Runners-up (4): 1989, 1991, 1992, 2023 National Hurling League Winners (1): 1991 Runners-up (2): 1980–81, 1987–88 National Hurling League Division 2 Winners (4): 1966, 1988, 2005, 2009 National Hurling League Division 2A Winners (1): 2021, 2023 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Winners (3): 1986, 1987, 1989 Runners-up (1): 2022
Provincial Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Winners (9): 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995 Runners-up (14): 1901, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1969, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004 Leinster Junior Hurling Championship Winners (7): 1915, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1929, 1938, 1953 Runners-up (4): 1908, 1912, 1937, 1959 Leinster Under-21/Under-20 Hurling Championship Winners (7): 1978, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2023, 2024 Runners-up (13): 1967, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2016 Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Winners (5): 1986, 1987, 1989, 2000, 2022 Runners-up (10): 1948, 1950, 1957, 1982, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2020 Walsh Cup Winners (5): 1977, 1981, 1990, 1993, 1994 Runners-up (5): 1966, 1974, 1987, 1995, 2008 Walsh Cup Shield Winners (2): 2011, 2012 Runners-up (1): 2009 Kehoe Cup Winners (1): 2020
References