Birr set to reach 11th final in a row as K/K face Coolderry

KEVIN EGAN previews this weekend's senior hurling championship semi-finals, where he expects a comfortable victory for Birr over Tullamore, but finds predicting a winner in the other semi-final between K/K and Coolderry a much harder task. He also looks ahead to the IHC final, in which Brosna Gaels will attempt to pull off a famous victory. Despite the welcome return of top class hurling to St Brendan's field in Birr last weekend, it's back to O'Connor Park this week as three of the biggest domestic hurling fixtures of the year are down for decision. The meeting of Birr and Tullamore on Saturday afternoon is perhaps the fixture with the least neutral interest, since it will be widely anticipated that Birr should win this one by as much as they would like. While it would be lovely to disagree with this notion and pretend that spectators are in for a rip-roaring ride where either team could win, the simple fact of the matter is that no such roller coaster is likely, or even possible. Birr will win this game, they will win by a margin commensurate with the level of focus and effort that they apply, and they will advance to their eleventh consecutive county final with the minimum of fuss. Punters pointing to Kinnitty's strong performance last weekend would do well to note how well Birr responded to each Kinnitty goal. When the Slieve Bloom men came into focus in Birr's rear view mirrors, the accelerator was tapped and Birr sped out of sight again, and so it will be tomorrow evening. Birr's opponents in the county final will be the winners of Sunday's semi-final meeting between Kilcormac/Killoughey and Coolderry, and predicting this result is an altogether trickier matter. Coolderry have been the closest thing to rivals that the county has been able to provide for Birr for most of this decade, but they come into this tie under as little expectation as these players have ever known, due to their somewhat subdued performances in 2009. Twice this season they played against good competitive teams that would be ranked in the top five in Offaly, and twice they were well beaten, against Birr and Seir Kieran. They did of course comfortably despatch several more moderate opponents en route to this semi-final, but Coolderry are past the point where heavy wins over teams like Lusmagh, Belmont, Tullamore and Shinrone are of any consequence. We know that this team can cut loose and win by large margins against weaker teams, what we don't know is whether or not they can meet a similarly well-armed opponent and either hold their defensive line or else come out on top in a free flowing shoot-out. In fact saying we don't know is being kind - the evidence is there to suggest that they can't, particularly in 2008 and 2009. Kilcormac/Killoughey did not win too many admirers with some very mediocre hurling in the earlier part of this season, but a combination of time together and some gentle opposition to allow them to find their stride has resulted in the club returning to previous, better form. By the end of extra time against Seir Kieran, they looked much more like the club that had been pushing to make the breakthrough in recent seasons. They've wobbled in the face of meeting Birr more than a few times with this current generation of players, but they'll have no fear against Coolderry and if they can take advantage of a new look Coolderry half-back line which has still failed to impress many observers, they might raise a few eyebrows on Sunday evening. The third big game of the weekend is the Intermediate decider between Brosna Gaels and Birr, and the very presence of Brosna Gaels in this match will have raised eyebrows already, irrespective of the result. The amalgamation of Doon, Erin Rovers, Ballycumber and Tubber is a relatively recent creation and their progression in a relatively short time has been remarkable. Junior Champions in 2007, the club now stands at a point where their underage teams are among the front runners at "B" level in many grades and their adult club is knocking on the door of senior status. At the risk of spoiling the party too early, it's probably not unfair to say that while they may knock this weekend, the door is unlikely to be answered just yet. Birr's strength in depth means that they have some very capable hurlers at intermediate level and they come into this final, having stood up to some very strong teams along the way. Their first round draw against Drumcullen was a great achievement bearing in mind that the Drumcullen players were flying at that point, having secured some great results in the league, while a two-point win over Kilcormac/Killoughey was also a very solid performance. Kinnitty offered little resistance before a win over St Rynagh's secured their place in this decider. Brosna Gaels have also beaten Kilcormac/Killoughey this year, coming out on top in what was a very entertaining quarter-final, but their lack of experience and nous may yet tell a tale. The Gaels have some of the fastest and fittest players in the game, but most of these Birr players have seen it all at this level, and they may also be better placed to take advantage of Martin Kirwan's tendency to referee leniently and from a distance. However, while Birr are the more likely winners, upsets can happen, and a win for Brosna Gaels would force serious questions to be asked about how the dual player issue is to be handled in the county. If Brosna Gaels were to advance to senior ranks, every "traditional" football club west of Clara would have a smattering of players playing senior championship hurling. The approach so far has been to play for alternating weeks, but as anyone involved in Shamrocks, Tullamore, Ferbane/Belmont or St Rynagh's would tell you, this is not ideal. Of course an ideal world is never going to happen and clubs and administrators alike must dwell in the realms of the possible rather than the ideal. However it does not suit Offaly's aims in either code for a large swathe of the county to struggle to compete at two codes but to be handicapped from doing so effectively at either. There have been no shortage of committees in recent years charged with the duty of addressing the issue of successfully administering the club championships, but something other than tinkering may yet be called for. Too many dual clubs are looking longingly at Rhode and Birr and the unfettered access to their players that these kingpins enjoy, and feeling that the playing field is simply not level. This leads to clubs either grudgingly accommodating both codes, or else treating one as the second class sport. Either the Offaly county board must resolve this, or else if no resolution is to be found, then it's time to stop dangling the carrot that things will be better in the future. If the policy is that the championships must co-exist at the same time, then it behoves the county board to state explicitly that things are how they are, and that nothing can or will be done. Clubs can then plot their own future armed with the full facts.