PREVIEW: Dublin v Offaly Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Image Courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan

Dublin begin their eagerly anticipated Leinster Senior Hurling Championship campaign this Saturday evening when they travel to Glenisk O’Connor Park to face Offaly (6.30pm).  

If last year’s clash between the counties is anything to go by, we’re in for a Tullamore thriller with the Dubs doing just enough to get the better of Offaly twelve months ago by virtue of their 1-25 to 2-19 Round 1 victory at Parnell Park. 

Both counties have been starved of provincial success in recent years with Dublin’s last Leinster title coming back in 2013 while Offaly’s famine goes as far back as 1995, although they managed to win an All-Ireland title three years later. 

The Dubs have contested three finals in the intervening years with Kilkenny beating them in those trio of deciders.

Both Dublin and Offaly will be hopeful of a positive start to their Leinster campaign this weekend.

The hosts may have relegated from Division 1A this spring but their cohort of young hurlers will have gained invaluable experience of competing at the highest level. 

Their ‘golden generation’ that contested successive All-Ireland Under 20 finals in 2023 and 2024, winning the second one, are maturing with each and every year and the likes of Dan Bourke and Adam Screeney can help offset the likely absence through injuries of Donal Shirley, Ciaran Burke, James Mahon, Ruari Kelly and Charlie Mitchell.  

Dublin met their primary objective of gaining promotion from NHL1B while enhancing the depth at Niall Ó Ceallacháin’s disposal with the likes of Cuala’s Conor Groarke becoming an established part of the panel. 

The league final against Clare didn’t exactly go to plan but the Dubs could take solace from their second-half performance and will hopefully take those positives into Saturday’s match.

The return to the panel of both Liam Rushe and Cian Boland is also welcome and should provide a keener edge to training as players look to cement places in the starting line-up. 

Given the tight schedule ahead of them, player rotation could be key in the coming weeks.

The match will be shown live on GAA+ as part of a double-header with Galway’s clash against Kilkenny starting the coverage at 4.30pm. 

Dublin’s Leinster SHC Fixtures:

Round 1: Saturday 18 April (6.30): Offaly v Dublin, Glenisk O’Connor Park. 

Round 2: Sunday 26 April (3.00): Dublin v Kildare, Parnell Park. 

Round 3: Saturday 9 May (4.00): Wexford v Dublin, Chadwicks Wexford Park. 

Round 4: Saturday 16 May (4.30): Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium, Salthill. 

Round 5: Sunday 23 May (2.00): Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park.