Flashback: Dublin v Offaly - Leinster Championship 2018

Niall Ó Ceallacháin's Dublin begin their 2026 championship adventure this Saturday as they take on Offaly, looking to build on their success in 2025.

Ahead of our meeting with our Leinster neighbours, Conor Martin looks back at our 2-24 to 0-13 win over the Faithful County back in 2018.

Dublin shook off a sluggish start at Parnell Park and powered past Offaly to book their spot in the 2019 Leinster SHC.

Only two points separated the sides after 30 minutes, but Dublin took control from there, sealing a 17-point win and sending Offaly down to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Goals from Paul Ryan just before the break and Fergal Whitely after it killed the contest.

Dublin’s captain Chris Crummey and Shane Barrett were outstanding in the half-back line, while goalkeeper Alan Nolan saved a second-half Joe Bergin penalty to keep a clean sheet.

Conal Keaney marked his return from injury with a lively display and two points.

Offaly came in with their backs to the wall—and mixed news. Ronan Hughes was cleared after his red card against Wexford but started on the bench, alongside the surprise omission of talisman Shane Dooley, who was only introduced after the break.

Joe Bergin took over frees but misfired, three from six in the first half and a missed penalty compounded a frustrating outing.

Thanks to Dublin’s early wastefulness, 13 wides in total meant Offaly stayed within touching distance for 30 minutes, trailing just 0-07 to 0-05.

But with only two points from play in the opening half, both from Dan Currams, they were always fighting an uphill battle.

Dublin finally found their range before the break, firing 1-03 without reply to blow the game open.

The turning point came on the 30-minute mark, Crummey split the posts just after Sean Ryan’s penalty appeal was waved away at the other end.

From there, Dublin exploded. A late first-half blitz of 1-02 sent them in commanding a 1-10 to 0-05 lead.

Crummey sparked the goal, his long delivery breaking for Fergal Whitely, who teed up Paul Ryan to spin and finish to the net.

Whitely struck himself early in the second half, latching onto another Crummey ball via Liam Rushe to bury Dublin’s second.

Points from Rushe, Jake Malone, Fiontan MacGib and Shane Barrett piled on the pain, stretching the gap to a dominant 2-14 to 0-06.

Shane Dooley’s arrival sharpened Offaly’s attack, but they desperately needed goals and never found one.

Their best chance came on 50 minutes, but Bergin’s penalty was superbly swatted away by Nolan in the Dubs’ net.

Dublin kept the scoreboard ticking, with flying wing-backs Shane Barrett and Chris Crummey combining for 0-08, while sub Cian Boland added two sharp late points to cap a fine performance, ensuring their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship status for 2019 while condemning Offaly to relegation.

Dublin: Alan Nolan; Paddy Smyth, Cian O'Callaghan, Eoghan O'Donnell; Chris Crummey (0-04), Sean Moran, Shane Barrett (0-04); Rian McBride (0-01), Jake Malone (0-2); Fiontan MacGib (0-01), Conal Keaney (0-02), Danny Sutcliffe; Fergal Whitely (1-01), Liam Rushe (0-02), Paul Ryan (1-05, 0-04f)

Subs: Cian Boland (0-02) for Whitely (51), Tomas Connolly for McBride (55), David Treacy for Keaney (57), Johnny McCaffrey for MacGib (63), Paul Winters for Rushe (64)

Offaly: Eoghan Cahill (0-01, 0-01f); David O'Toole Greene, Ben Conneely, Tom Spain; Dermot Shortt, Pat Camon, David King; Dan Currams (0-2), Damien Egan; Shane Kinsella, Colin Egan, Tommy Geraghty; Sean Ryan, Conor Mahon, Joe Bergin (0-4, 0-04f)

Subs: Shane Dooley (0-02, 0-02f) for Ryan (42), Kevin Dunne (0-01) for Kinsella (48), Ronan Hughes for C Egan (48), Paddy Murphy (0-02) for D Egan (48), James Gorman (0-01) for Bergin (55)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)