The Offaly Senior hurlers have secured promotion to the top division of the Allianz Hurling League this weekend without pucking a ball, thanks to Dublin beating Carlow 2-29 to 3-17.
This gigantic achievement shows the great strides taken by the Faithful County. Just four years ago, they were playing Christy Ring hurling, and now, in 2026, they will be among the top seven teams in the country with a game to spare.
However, if you were looking for a first-world problem, then senior manager Johnny Kelly and Under 20 boss Leo O’Connor have that issue with the Leinster U20 hurling championship, which is commencing the same weekend the Division 1B hurling final is set to take place on April 5/6.
Offaly take on Galway in the first round of their under-20 campaign, which is scheduled for Ballinasloe on the Saturday.
It isn’t 100% confirmed who the Faithful county will play in the NHL decider, but it is most likely going to be Waterford, on either the Saturday or the Sunday.
The sides will play each other in their final group game on Saturday, March 22nd, in Fraher Field, Dungarvan.
1 June 2024; Adam Screeney of Offaly in action against Podge O’Dwyer of Tipperary during the oneills.com GAA Hurling All-Ireland U20 Championship final match between Offaly and Tipperary at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
With Donal Shirley, Dan Ravenhill, and Daniel Bourke playing pivotal roles in remaining unbeaten so far, the key for both managers will be to manage the loads, as shown by the injury picked up by talisman Adam Screeney, which resulted in him missing the league and Fitzgibbon Cup win with UL due to a groin injury.
It goes without saying that the most hyped team in 2025 will be the Offaly U-20 hurlers, who will start the year as one of the front runners for All-Ireland honours but will face strong opposition in the form of Tipperary, Galway and Cork in getting their hands back on the title.
If you’re an Offaly fan, what do you take winning another All-Ireland at U20 or securing Liam McCarthy status for 2026 and potentially pushing for a top-three spot by giving the likes of Dublin and Wexford problems to think about?
One thing is for sure: it's certainly a good problem to have for the Faithful county.
