Offaly Senior Hurling Championship


The Offaly Senior Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1896 for the top hurling teams in the county of Offaly in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the spring, summer and autumn months with the county final currently being played at O'Connor Park in October. The prize for the winning team is the Seán Robbins Cup. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently features a group stage followed by a knock-out stage.
The Offaly County Championship is an integral part of the wider Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship. The winners of the Offaly county final join the champions of the other hurling counties to contest the provincial championship.
Sixteen teams currently participate in the Offaly County Championship. The title has been won at least once by 12 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Coolderry, who have won a total of 30 titles.
Kilcormac/Killoughey are the title-holders after defeating St. Rynagh's by 2-16 to 1-16 in the 2017 championship final.

History

Team dominance

Since the beginning, the championship has been dominated by Coolderry, Birr, Drumcullen and St. Rynagh’s. They have won a combined total of 86 of the 119 championship titles. Coolderry dominated the first twenty years of the championship, winning eleven titles between 1889 and 1917. After this initial golden age, Coolderry regularly claimed championship titles in each of the following decades. After making their own breakthrough in 1908, Drumcullen went on to become the team of the decade during the 1920s after winning eight titles between 1918 and 1933. Tullamore and Birr subsequently came to the fore, winning eleven titles between them between 1932 and 1948.
Drumcullen enjoyed their most successful decade when they won seven championships between 1950 and 1960. This would be their last championship title. St. Rynagh’s inscribed their name on the roll of honour for the first time in 1965. They became the preeminent team of the next three decades and won 16 championship titles between 1965 and 1993. By this stage Birr had begun their own golden era. After winning their first championship in twenty years in 1991, the club went on to claim eleven more titles between then and 2008.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

The Offaly Senior Hurling Championship winners qualify for the subsequent Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship. This place is reserved for club teams only as divisional and amalgamated teams are not allowed in the provincial championship.

Managers

in the Offaly Championship are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and sourcing of players. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the individual club committees. The manager is assisted by a team of two or three selectors and a backroom team consisting of various coaches.
ManagerTeamWinsWinning years
Pad Joe WhelehanBirr81997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008
Danny OwensKilcormac/Killoughey32012, 2013, 2014
Ken HoganCoolderry
St. Rynagh's		32010, 2011, 2019
John GoodeBirr22005, 2006
Kevin MartinTullamore12009
Johnny KellyCoolderry12015
Francis FordeSt. Rynagh's12016
Stephen ByrneKilcormac/Killoughey12017
Joachim KellyCoolderry12018

Trophy

The winning team is presented with the Seán Robbins Cup. A native of Birr, Robbins served two terms as county chairman and served as Leinster Council chairman. He was also a president of the county board and was also a prominent referee at All-Ireland AND Leinster levels. The cup was first presented in 1960.

Top winners

TeamWinnerWinning YearsRunners-upYears Runners-up
1Coolderry311899, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1916, 1917, 1926, 1931, 1939, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1977, 1980, 1986, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018171920, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1979, 2005, 2006,
2Birr221912, 1913, 1915, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1971, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008141928, 1941, 1942, 1951, 1974, 1975, 1990, 1993, 2004, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019
3St. Rynagh's181965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2016, 2019151964, 1971, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
4Drumcullen171908, 1918, 1919, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1960111909, 1931, 1934, 1949, 1955, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1973
5Tullamore101909, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1955, 1959, 1964, 200991902, 1904, 1917, 1926, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 2010
6Kinnitty91920, 1923, 1930, 1967, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985111897, 1925, 1933, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 2008
7Seir Kieran41988, 1995, 1996, 199871952, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000
7Kilcormac/Killoughey42012, 2013, 2014, 201761903, 1905, 1907, 2007, 2008, 2018
8Killoughey31896, 1897, 190751898, 1901, 1910, 1912, 1914
9Cadamstown21900, 19020
10Lusmagh1198921982, 1992
10Fortal1189821899, 1900
11Rahan071896, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1936, 1953
11Clara041923, 1924, 1927, 1935
11Moneygall011906
11Clareen011939
11Shannon Rovers011957
11Shinrone011960

Roll of honour

YearWinnerRunner-Up
2019St. Rynagh's 0-16Birr 1-12
2018Coolderry 2-17Kilcormac/Killoughey 0-17
2017Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-16St. Rynagh's 1-16
2016St. Rynagh's 2-16Birr 1-15
2015Coolderry 2-15St. Rynagh's 1-16
2014Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-18St. Rynagh's 1-09
2013Kilcormac/Killoughey 1-21Birr 1-14
2012Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-16St. Rynagh's 2-12
2011Coolderry 2-14Birr 0-16
2010Coolderry 3-15Tullamore 1-12
2009Tullamore 2-12Kilcormac/Killoughey 0-11
2008Birr 1-15Kinnitty 0-15
2007Birr 0-15Kilcormac/Killoughey 0-10
2006Birr 0-11, 2-09Coolderry 1-08, 1-11
2005Birr 0-20Coolderry 0-05
2004Coolderry 3-10Birr 2-11
2003Birr 1-18Ballyskenagh 1-11
2002Birr 3-11Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-07
2001Birr 0-11St. Rynagh's 0-10
2000Birr 3-21Seir Kieran 1-09
1999Birr 3-15St. Rynagh's 1-11
1998Seir Kieran 1-10, 1-11St. Rynagh's 0-13, 0-09
1997Birr 0-14Seir Kieran 2-04
1996Seir Kieran 0-13St. Rynagh's 1-08
1995Seir Kieran 1-13, 0-10 St. Rynagh's 1-13, 0-09
1994Birr 0-08Seir Kieran 0-07
1993St. Rynagh's 1-16Birr 1-14
1992St. Rynagh's 0-10Lusmagh 0-09
1991Birr 1-12Seir Kieran 1-11
1990St. Rynagh's 2-06Birr 1-07
1989Lusmagh 1-11Seir Kieran 1-10
1988Seir Kieran 3-13St. Rynagh's 4-06
1987St. Rynagh's 0-11Seir Kieran 0-09
1986Coolderry 3-08St. Rynagh's 1-10
1985Kinnitty 3-18Seir Kieran 2-08
1984Kinnitty 1-12St. Rynagh's 1-06
1983Kinnitty 0-20St. Rynagh's 2-06
1982St. Rynagh's 2-09Lusmagh 0-11
1981St. Rynagh's 1-10Kinnitty 1-07
1980Coolderry 3-03Kinnitty 1-05
1979Kinnitty 5-08Coolderry 1-11
1978Kinnitty 1-08St. Rynagh's 0-06
1977Coolderry 1-07Kinnitty 1-06
1976St. Rynagh's 3-11Kinnitty 0-05
1975St. Rynagh's 0-05, 0-14 Birr 0-05, 0-08
1974St. Rynagh's 1-11Birr 2-03
1973St. Rynagh's 0-12Drumcullen 1-07
1972St. Rynagh's 4-10Kinnitty 1-06
1971Birr 2-10St. Rynagh's 2-09
1970St. Rynagh's 1-12Kinnitty 2-08
1969St. Rynagh's 4-07Kinnitty 1-09
1968St. Rynagh's 1-12Coolderry 3-04
1967KinnittyCoolderry
1966St. Rynagh's 6-10Drumcullen 4-05
1965St. Rynagh's 2-12Coolderry 1-09
1964Tullamore 1-11St. Rynagh's 3-01
1963CoolderryDrumcullen
1962CoolderryDrumcullen
1961CoolderryDrumcullen
1960DrumcullenShinrone
1959TullamoreCoolderry
1958DrumcullenCoolderry
1957Drumcullen 10-07Shannon Rovers 1-03
1956CoolderryDrumcullen
1955TullamoreDrumcullen
1954DrumcullenCoolderry
1953CoolderryRahan
1952DrumcullenSeir Kieran
1951DrumcullenBirr
1950DrumcullenCoolderry
1949CoolderryDrumcullen
1948BirrCoolderry
1947CoolderryBirr
1946BirrTullamore
1945CoolderryTullamore
1944BirrTullamore
1943BirrTullamore
1942CoolderryBirr
1941DrumcullenBirr
1940BirrEdenderry
1939CoolderryClareen
1938BirrCoolderry
1937TullamoreCoolderry
1936TullamoreRahan
1935TullamoreClara
1934TullamoreDrumcullen
1933DrumcullenKinnitty
1932TullamoreCoolderry
1931CoolderryDrumcullen
1930KinnittyCoolderry
1929DrumcullenCoolderry
1928DrumcullenBirr
1927DrumcullenClara
1926CoolderryTullamore
1925DrumcullenKinnitty
1924DrumcullenClara
1923KinnittyClara
1922Not Played
1921Not Played
1920KinnittyCoolderry
1919DrumcullenRahan
1918DrumcullenRahan
1917CoolderryTullamore
1916CoolderryRahan
1915BirrRahan
1914CoolderryKilloughy
1913BirrEdenderry
1912BirrKilloughy
1911CoolderryEdenderry
1910CoolderryKilloughy
1909TullamoreDrumcullen
1908DrumcullenBallinamere
1907KillougheyKilcormac
1906CoolderryMoneygall
1905CoolderryKilcormac
1904CoolderryTullamore
1903CoolderryKilcormac
1902CadamstownTullamore
1901CoolderryKilloughey
1900CadamstownFortal
1899CoolderryFortal
1898FortalKilloughey
1897KilougheyKinnitty
1896KilougheyRahan

Current Senior Teams

The 8 teams competing in the 2019 Offaly Senior Hurling Championship are:
Ballinamere
Belmont
Birr
Coolderry
Kilcormac/Killoughey
Kinnitty
St Rynagh's
Shinrone

Records and statistics

Teams

By decade

The most successful team of each decade, judged by the number of Offaly Senior Hurling Championship titles, is as follows:
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:

By year

YearTop scorerTeamScoreTotal
2008Shane DooleyTullamore5-3247
2009Joe BerginSeir Kieran5-6378
2010Shane DooleyTullamore7-6182
2011Damien MurrayCoolderry2-4046
2012Ciarán SlevinKilcormac/Killoughey2-5561
2013Ciarán SlevinKilcormac/Killoughey1-7578
2014Brian CarrollCoolderry4-6375
2015Damien MurrayCoolderry4-6375
2016Colm CoughlanKinnitty1-6871
2017Joe BerginSeir Kieran7-5475
2018Aidan TreacySt. Rynagh's1-8285
2019Eoghan CahillBirr2-8389