Hurling is coming home in Offaly.
Today will see the county senior final take place at St Brendan's Park in Birr for the first time since 2006. A move that would seem to be welcomed by GAA folk in the Faithful County. It's coming home alright, with Offaly chairperson Michael Duignan to the fore in ensuring that the showpiece event is played out once again in the county's hurling heartland.
A capacity crowd of around 8,000 is expected to watch holders Shinrone take on Kilcormac/Killoughey in what is a repeat of last year's decider.
For Shinrone, their 2022 success brought them a maiden Offaly title in what was only their second appearance in the final. Up to that point, they, along with Rahan, were the only parishes in the county not to have claimed a senior championship.
That unwanted distinction was no more after Shinrone's second-half surge was too much for the favourites to handle last October. Cue the celebrations when county star Jason Sampson became the first player from the area to lift the Sean Robbins Cup.
Jason's brother Killian, Dara Maher and Eamonn Cleary are other Shinrone players who played for the Offaly seniors this year - members of a side that gained promotion to Division 1 in the Allianz League and then lost narrowly to Carlow in the Joe McDonagh final. Kilcormac/Killoughey boast the likes of Adam Screeney, Colin Spain and Charlie Mitchell - a trio that were to the fore as the Faithful's underage emergence continued in 2023 with an All-Ireland under-20 final appearance.
All set then for a cracking finale in the cauldron of St Brendan's Park. Supporters have been advised to get there early in advance of the 3.00pm throw-in, with local artist Mundy providing some of the pre-match entertainment.
Advice for supporters attending the Offaly SHC final this Sunday in Grant Heating St Brendan's Park.
— Birr GAA (@BirrCLG) October 11, 2023
● Come early and enjoy the atmosphere, and entertainment.
● Stiles are open from 12.30 pm.
● Have your ticket downloaded in advance.
Roll on Sunday🙌💚❤️ pic.twitter.com/1pfH6Zh2uH
Shinrone is a village nestled in the southernmost part of Offaly, close to the border with Tipperary. Indeed, a small portion of the parish is situated in the Premier County, that is where neighbouring club Knockshegowna play out of.
Hurling is the dominant religion within the confines of Shinrone GAA. Its only previous appearance in a county final prior to last year was in 1960. A one-point-loss to Drumcullen in a game where the seven minutes of injury time played proved contentious.
There was much criticism of match referee, the late John Dowling, who would go on to officiate All-Ireland football hurling and football finals and also become GAA president. Over six decades would pass before Shinrone would contest another final.
In between there was some success in the junior grades and at U21. Something was starting to stir in the latter grade in the last decade, as pointed out by Shinrone chairperson Sean Ormond, when speaking to RTÉ Sport.
"We won three Under-21s in the last decade, so something was beginning to click," he said.
"Then we won an intermediate title [2020]. The team has been building, we could never get past a quarter-final, when we did we then we got stuck at the semi-final stage. Last year it clicked and we won the county final, perhaps against the head.
"Some people will say we got a little luck last year. But look back at the final, they got off to a good start, we came back and took control of the game. We don't want to be a one-year hit. We want to back it up, being back in the final proves we have backed it up. Just got to take the last step again."
As for playing Sunday's finale in Birr, well it's a home from home for the defending champions, with Ormond adding: "We played a lot of our matches in Birr. Tullamore is a fine facility but Birr is like a home field to us. We played our four group games in Birr this year."
The man overseeing Shinrone's rise is Tipp man Trevor Fletcher. He has a foot firmly in both camps as he formerly played for Kilcormac/Killoughey, yet his roots are in Tipperary.
Outlining his hurling journey, Fletcher told RTÉ Sport: "I was born in Roscrea and would have hurled with Tipp up to minor and was on the side that won a Munster [in 1997]. Then I spent a few years in the New York and that's where I met my wife Gemma. Came back to Ireland and settled in Kilcormac but I still played with Roscrea for a couple of seasons before transferring to Kilcormac."
A transfer that coincided with a golden period for K-K: three consecutive Offaly titles from 2012 to '14 and an All-Ireland final appearance in 2013.
"It was a great time to be a Kilcormac-Killoughey player back then, we were winning so many matches and it gave the whole parish a great lift," he added.
"And then to get to Croke on All-Ireland final day [against St Thomas' from Galway]. We were a little disappointed with our performance on the day, didn't hit the heights of previous games, I scored a goal, but it's something of a regret that it was our worst showing of that season. In the end we only lost by two points."
After spells managing Silvermines in Tipperary and then Belmont, Fletcher was then handed the keys to Shinrone. Their eventual breakthrough in 2022 finally put to bed that notion of 'the nearly team'.
"They put in their best performance under me against Kilcormac," Fletcher said of that final triumph.
"Kilcormac were red-hot favourites going into the game but we grew and grew as the game progressed. We scored six unanswered points in the second half and that gave us a platform to see it home.
"It was great for that bunch of players because it would have been perceived that they couldn't win big matches. Delighted for them to get over the line on the biggest day of their careers. The celebrations went on for a week and one of the players told me he was crying milking the cows on the Monday."
And now just one game away from securing back-to-back titles.
For Fletcher, getting to a consecutive decider should also be recognised.
"It was important for the Shinrone players to get back into the final, so that it wasn't a one-hit wonder. All the talk that we were lucky to win the semi-final and then the final last year; Kilcormac having an off-day.
"We're no one-hit wonders, there is plenty of resilience and character in our team. We're ready for the battle and are looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere in Birr.
"I have never been involved in a final in Birr. It's going to have that cauldron effect; the supporters will be on top of you. When the players cross the white line they won't be able to hear me shouting at them. We must remember we are there to play the match not the occasion."
Raising the stakes further chairperson Ormond added: "We're probably a better team this year and they also have got better. It's a case who has improved the most."
