THE SPOTLIGHT FELL on Offaly hurling again yesterday as their woes continued with relegation confirmed to the third tier of the league next season.
After defeating Carlow in the regular Division 1B series last week, they lost out in the critical re-match between the two counties yesterday in Tullamore.
The relegation play-off determined who would drop to Division 2A next year with Carlow claiming a 2-14 to 1-16 victory after they came back from 11 points down to triumph.
The topic cropped up on RTÉ’s Allianz League Sunday last night with Cork All-Ireland winner Donal Óg Cusack outlining his view that Offaly’s golden period was an exception rather than the norm in the county’s hurling history.
He also pointed out the small pool of players they have to pick from is a barrier to success in Offaly, contrasting that with his own county where the eastern division Imokilly, last year’s Cork senior hurling winners, have a bigger selection.
And Cusack also feels Offaly have been hampered by ‘some influential voices’ within the county.
“It could be argued that Offaly are gone back to their mean and what has been their tradition over the last 100 years.
“Some of the loudest voices and what you’d consider biggest influencers from Offaly over the last number of years always strike me, that be it innovation in the game or progression in the association, they always seem to be the voice of regression or carrying the béal bocht.
“I think some influential voices have not been helping the Offaly cause to stay with the trends and stay with the times.
Dónal Óg Cusack questions the hurling tradition in Offaly and has a go at some "voices of regression" within the county #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/tvXi7D5PI9
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) March 10, 2019
What do you think are the reasons behind Offaly’s demise? Let us know in the comment section.
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