Disputed ‘65 sees spoils shared in O’Connor Park
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Leinster GAA Senior Hurling Championship 2026
Offaly 0-24 Kilkenny 1-21
Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore
Another day, another disappointing result for Kilkenny in their bid to defend the Bob O’Keefe Cup. Patchy is one word that could be used to describe the Cats performance in Tullamore, while results like this will do little to instill believe in players or supporters that things are moving in the right direction as the Noresiders seek to compete at the top end of intercounty hurling. Once again, Cian Kenny was the standout performer for Derek Lyng’s misfiring side, The James Stephens man covered every blade of grass and finished the game with 0-7 to his name as he continues his quest to drag the Cats to better days. Indeed, it was The Village man that edged his side ahead in injury time, but a debatable ‘65 from Eoghan Cahill with the last puck of the game ensure that The Faithful County secured a share of the spoils in O’Connor Park.
The home side got the scoreboard moving through Durrow’s Dan Bourke, but Cian Kenny replied moments later for the visitors. Another of the Durrow clubmen, Brian Duignan got the second score for the hosts, which sparked a lovely reply from Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan. The travelling side built on The Sash man’s score with quality efforts from Conahy’s Tom Phelan and a brace of scores from Shamrocks Ballyhale stars, Darragh Corcoran and TJ Reid; the latter had a day to forget, certainly from the placed ball. With Kilkenny 3 points to the good it appeared that perhaps they were going to show their quality and pull away from Johnny Kelly ‘s side, but that wasn’t to be as The Faithful County dug in and showed their mettle. Eoghan Cahill, who started the game in place of the talented Adam Screeney, notched the first of his 15-point haul and one of thirteen placed ball efforts from the Birr player. A second point of the afternoon followed for Dan Bourke while Kilcormac-Killoughey’s Charlie Mitchell got his only score of the game in the 11th minute to deadlock matters, something that would happen some fourteen times across the 76 minutes of action in Tullamore.
Offaly took the lead thanks to a free from Eoghan Cahill, but a rare successful placed ball from TJ restored parity on 14 minutes. Treaty County whistler Johnny Murphy then recorded the names of TJ and Paddy Deegan in quick succession, just ahead of another white flag raised, thanks to the accuracy of Birr’s Cahill. The hard-working Cian Kenny split the home sides posts, but Dan Bourke’s third and final point of the round three clash nudged his side ahead in the 24th minute. Then came the game’s only goal. The Dynamic Mikey Carey powered up field and dispatched a shot that took a wicked deflection off the hurl of Durrow’s Ciaran Bourke and evaded netminder Liam Hoare’s attempt to prevent the sliotar from crossing the line for The Young Ireland man’s first goal in championship hurling while wearing the black and amber.
Kilkenny built on the green flag raiser with a fine point from Mossy Keoghan to give Lyng’s side a 3-point lead with less than ten minutes of first half action remaining. Another couple of bookings followed for Charlie Mitchell and Mikey Butler before Eoghan Cahill converted another placed ball effort for the hosts. The impressive Cian Kenny rifled over his third point of the provincial clash, but the last two scores of the opening period came from Johnny Kelly’s charges, courtesy of Clara’s Conor Doyle and Cahill’s fifth of the game, to leave the Cats leading by one at the short whistle, despite racking up a dozen wide’s during the first half.
When the action resumed, Conahy’s Tom Phelan notched his second point with a tidy effort, but it would be the home side that started the second period with more energy. Eoghan Cahill who was having a cracking afternoon registered three of his sides first five points of the second period, St Rynagh’s Shane Rigney the other marksman as The Faithful County went two clear. Shamrocks Ballyhale’s Eoin Cody struck over a lovely point for his only score of the round 3 encounter while Village star Cian Kenny raised another white flag as matters were deadlocked once more in Tullamore. Vice-captain Darragh Corcoran became the latest player to share his name with referee Murphy just ahead of Eoghan Cahill converting the free awarded. Derek Lyng then made his first change of the afternoon, Thomastown’s Stephen Donnelly replacing the out of sorts TJ Reid.
Birr clubman Cahill continued his impressive accuracy, dispatching another couple of placed balls to leave Offaly three to the good with less than twenty minutes remaining in O’Connor Park. Kilkenny needed something, and they got a brace of quickfire scores, thanks to points from Stephen Donnelly and Liam Moore. That would be the Dicksboro man’s last contribution as he was replaced moments later by O’Loughlin Gaels Fionan Mackessy. The home side made a double change also and one of the players introduced, Carrig-Riverstown’s Cathal King became the latest recipient of the colour yellow from Limerick whistler Murphy. Cian Kenny popped over the resulting free to level matters on 55 minutes. Emerald’s Killian Doyle then rifled over a lovely score but again, Birr’s Cahill replied from a placed ball. The towering Brian Duignan then struck a cracking point as his side regained the lead, and their supporters were starting to believe that a shock result could be on the cards in Tullamore. Dicksboro’s Timmy Clifford then entered the fray in place of Tom Phelan as the Cats looked for more energy in the attacking third. Offaly went two clear, thanks to yer man Cahill again who showed that the loss of Adam Screeney wasn’t hampering the hosts.
Kilkenny were huffing and puffing, and not looking like a side whose continued dominance in Leinster was under threat. O’Loughlin’s Fionan Mackessy reduced the visitors’ arrears to the bare minimum and moments later; Tullaroan’s Mossy Keoghan squared matters with another lovely point. Both sides made another change, Oisin Kelly coming in for Johnny Kelly’s outfit while the experienced Richie Reid replaced Jordan Molloy. A fourteenth score of the game from Eoghan Cahill followed, but once again it was Cian Kenny that replied for the men in black and amber. The game now in injury time. Kilcormac-Killoughey’s flying machine, Ter Guinan then struck a lovely point, advantage Offaly. Emeralds Killian Doyle fired over his second of the afternoon to bring his side level, but there was still time for a placed ball effort from Cian Kenny to give Kilkenny the lead and possibly maximum points, but Dan Bourke’s testing sideline cut into the danger zone was met by the hurl of Oisin Kelly, but the sliotar went out over the endline and signaled wide by the umpire. Offaly players believed wide was not the correct decision and made their protests known. Eoin Muphy was convinced the umpires were correct. Referee Murphy called both umpires and after some discussion, the original decision of wide was overturned and a ‘65 was awarded. Step forward Eoin Cahill, point number 15 registered and a deserved share of the spoils secured for his side. Final score: Offaly 0-24 Kilkenny 1-21.
KILKENNY SCORERS: Cian Kenny (0-7, 2f); Mikey Carey (1-0); Martin Keoghan (0-3); TJ Reid (0-2, 1f); Killian Doyle, Tom Phelan (0-2 each); Darragh Corcoran, Liam Moore, Eoin Cody, Fionan Mackessy, Stephen Donnelly (0-1 each)
OFFALY SCORERS: Eoghan Cahill (0-15, 12f and 1 ’65); Daniel Bourke (0-3); Brian Duignan (0-2); Ter Guinan, Conor Doyle, Shane Rigney, Charlie Mitchell (0-1 each)
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Mikey Carey, Ivan Bolger; David Blanchfield, Darragh Corcoran, Paddy Deegan; Killian Doyle, Jordan Molloy; Liam Moore, Cian Kenny, Tom Phelan; Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.
Subs: Stephen Donnelly for Reid (49 mins); Fionan Mackessy for Moore (53 mins); Timmy Clifford for Phelan (59 mins); Richie Reid for Molloy (68 mins).
OFFALY: Liam Hoare; Ciaran Burke, Ben Conneely, Patrick Taaffe; Ross Ravenhill, Killian Sampson, Ter Guinan; Colin Spain, Luke Watkins; Daniel Bourke, Conor Doyle, Shane Rigney; Eoghan Cahill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan.
Subs: Cathal King for Watkins (53 mins) Dan Ravenhill for Spain (53 mins); Oisin Kelly for Doyle (66 mins).
REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
