01 March 2012
Tomorrow night in Tullamore a play will be staged which looks back – 30 years back – to the All-Ireland Final of 1982 when Seamus Darby famously stole Kerry’s coveted ‘5 in a row’ from under their noses, with a late, late goal (and push?) to win Offaly’s last All Ireland football title.
GAA legend has it that Kerry supporters were snapping up T shirts bearing the ‘5 in a row’ strapline. Except it’s not legend, as I remember seeing it, albeit from the vantage point of my father’s shoulders. What a day that was.
It’s no wonder Offaly Gaels switch on the nostalgia tap every now and then. Lately, and especially when it comes to football, they haven’t had a whole lot to get excited about. But, while some people will head to the play and bid for an aforementioned T shirt with Darby’s autograph, some others in the county are looking forward.
This week the Offaly U21 footballers upset the odds by beating Meath in the Leinster U21 championship. It has created quite a buzz in the county, and along with the return of formerly exiled panellists, has given long suffering fans of the faithful something to be faithful about. They will travel to Casement on Saturday looking to get their season back on track, and why wouldn’t they?
It was this weekend four years ago, on a Saturday night under floodlights, that Antrim and Offaly played out a draw, and it was Offaly who finished the happier having scored the last 2 points of the game. It was a result which went some way to de railing our push for promotion from Division 4 which had to wait a year. Two years later and a one point defeat to Offaly in Tullamore threatened to postpone another promotion, but that time Bradley’s men held their nerve and got their reward. Baker and his management team would not be happy with either outcome this time round. The Saffrons will be looking for the win.
The team is unchanged from that which beat Tipperary in Semple stadium three weekends ago. In that win Antrim blitzed the home side either side of the short whistle and if the team play with kind of intensity for a sustained period on Saturday night, then Antrim fans should once again leave Casement with a smile on their faces.
This Saturday sees a run of three weekends in a row for our footballers and by the evening of the 18th March we will know if we stand on the cusp of a return to Division 2 football next season.
There are stiff tests to come in achieving that aim – but with 2 successive wins already who is to say we cannot dream of our own ‘5 in a row’?
Club Aontroma volunteers will be selling ballots before the game for the half time draw, £2 each of 3 for £5, and match programmes will be £2 / €2 each.
Brendan Mulgrew
PRO