Tullamore still the team to catch, as Clara and Bracknagh make ground

By Kevin Egan

It’s almost as much a part of Christmas as watching the Muppets’ Christmas Carol, but unlike the 2476th repetition of the Statler and Waldorf singing ‘Marley and Marley’, there’s nothing heartwarming or comforting about what remains a stubbornly stagnant list, with very little by way of dramatic movement up or down.

Whether the new format of the Senior Football Championship in 2026 will do anything to change that remains to be seen, but for now, aside from Clara making a significant leap forward, it’s a lot more of the same in the end of year Offaly football club rankings.

1 Tullamore (no change)

An unsatisfactory finale to an otherwise satisfactory season, where it’s hard to say definitively if Tullamore thrived under the new rules, or if they merely survived. They remain very athletic and mobile in the middle third but a key part of what would have been seen as their long-term future is now in Australia, which could well see them move back into the pack a little bit.

2 Ferbane (no change)

Coming into the semi-final, some middling form against Rhode, Edenderry and Shamrocks suggested that the loss of a handful of key players was taking a toll, Leon Fox in particular. Then they brushed Edenderry aside with some sensational football in the semi-final, and with every game Conor Dunican looked more and more like an equally adept replacement for the veteran dual star who is now a Louth player. Another honourable defeat in the final is yet another chapter in a litany of near misses, but a minor championship win and reaching the U20 decider bodes well.

3 Edenderry (up 2)

A controversial call perhaps after they flopped when it mattered most, but even if it was a group game, it would be hard to rank Rhode above the Reds when we think back to what happened in July between the teams. Winning a Division One league is not nothing and their second team had a solid season as well, suggesting that they are building up the strength in depth they’ll need.

4 Rhode (down one)

Died with their boots on against Tullamore and a year where U20 and Junior titles were added to the club’s long roll of honour is hardly a disaster, but it’s still hard to see how they will take the next steps forward. By the time Cian McNamee plays adult football, stalwarts like Anton Sullivan and Brian Darby will probably have stepped back, as might Seán Hurley, who has proved to be a significant addition to the group.

5 Shamrocks (down one)

The player-driven objection against their quarter-final defeat to Ferbane was possibly not the right thing to do but understandable all the same, considering the hurt that would have resulted from their failure to capitalize on a winning position in that game.

Nigel Dunne hangs up his boots to taking over as manager and trying to wield authority over players that were his playing colleagues before now won’t be easy, nor will replacing his scoring threat on the field. However, there is talent there and with that, all things are possible.

6 Bracknagh (up 4)

Jumping up four spots on the list feels like it should be reward for a very good year, but it’s more accurate to say that there is very little between about half a dozen clubs on this list and by virtue of the fact that Bracknagh picked up the win they needed to get into the quarter-final, a game in which they were second best but still solid, they deserve this berth.

Having the bragging rights at the end of that feisty match against their parish rivals will be the main takeaway from a season where that much-sought-after breakthrough victory against an elite team never came.

7 Clara (up 5)

It wasn’t just that they finally won the Senior B championship, but they did so by playing consistently well across the whole summer and autumn. They finished strongly in both the county semi-final and final, they showed a nice bit of mettle to come through their Leinster championship quarter-final against Round Towers of Lusk and there was no shame in their defeat to a really good Sallins side. John Rouse and his players will be very happy with their year’s work.

8 Ballycommon (down 1)

Ballycommon took care of business against a disheveled Durrow team and arguably were much closer to the mark against Rhode than it might have looked on the scoreboard. They have plenty of footballers that can hold their own against the top club sides but it’s a thin panel with not a lot of options on the bench. That’s not an easy thing for any incoming manager to address.

9 Clonbullogue (down 3)

Their crushing defeat to Tullamore can be forgiven as there was absolutely nothing at stake in that game. Before that, Jack McEvoy’s suspension and Ruairí O’Neill’s injury issues, not to mention Keith O’Neill carrying injuries from the intercounty campaign into the autumn, meant they were operating a long way short of potential.

Take away a ludicrous shootout win over Durrow and the league was pretty bleak too – they’ll be eager to draw a line under this year and move on.

10 Ballinagar (up 3)

There’s still momentum there and they benefit from their experiences in this championship. With 15 minutes to go in the county final they were right there and in with a shout, but Clara showed a lot more in that final quarter to deserve their win. But in what should be a wide open Senior B race in 2026, Ballinagar are in the mix.

11 Cappincur (down 3)

It could be argued that their results in 2025 vindicated their decision not to accept the offer of promotion to the top tier. They had a lively summer with lots of good games, including two draws and a one-score win over Tubber. Like many other Senior B teams, the lack of panel depth is a problem and one or two impactful subs might have made a world of difference in stemming the late Clara tide in the semi-final.

12 Daingean (down 1)

Ballinagar were on the ropes, but Daingean couldn’t find the knockout punch and what followed in extra-time was sensational from the light blues, but calamitous when viewed through maroon-tinted glasses.

This year was probably still a year too soon, and the outlook is decent. The 3/6/11/14 axis of Adam Bolger, Cathal Ryan, Jamie Hayes and Shane Tierney is more than good enough of a foundation on which to build a championship winning team.

13 Durrow (down 4)

One can only imagine the angst that was felt in the club at the decision to concede a walkover in a senior championship game. The cracks in the walls had appeared before that, however, and if there was relegation to Senior B on the table, Durrow were the team that were in the worst shape by the time the round robin stages was done.

A lot of hard negotiation and tough concessions from both sides will be needed if there is to be any sort of workable peace between themselves and Ballinamere, so if there is one club on this list where their 2026 fortunes hinge not on players or management but on the club executive, it’s Durrow.

14 Tubber (no change)

It wouldn’t have taken a lot for their game against Daingean to play out differently, and if it had, they would have gone into the knockout stages as dangerous outsiders, particularly with more time for Donal Shirley to come back from injury.

The other perspective is that in their four games against the county semi-finalists, Tubber picked up one draw and three defeats. Consistency is all very well but some forward progress is needed too.

15 Ballycumber (up 1)

Their 0-10 to 0-5 win over Gracefield to stay up was fully merited, but it may not have worked out that way if 40-year-old Nigel Grennan didn’t come off the bench to kick three crucial points. All across the team, key positions are being manned by players the wrong side of 30 so it’s not easy to identify the path they would have to take to be six points per game better in 2026. Any less than that, and another relegation battle lies in store.

16 Gracefield (down 1)

Maybe losing senior status for the first time since their intermediate win in 1960 will be the catalyst for the club to really and truly address how far they’ve strayed from where Offaly football needs them to be. Scoring 7-61 in seven championship games under the new rules is miles off the level of scoring needed to survive, while there are no obvious signs of revival coming at underage level either.

17 St Brigid’s (no change)

It would be easy for St Brigid’s to say that a lethargic first half performance in the county final cost them a championship, but it’s not as if they were well ahead of the pack throughout the year. Their scoring difference in the group stages was boosted by a dismal effort from Raheen against them on that Thursday evening in Edenderry, they were pushed to the wire by the Reds’ second team and beaten by Ferbane’s second team in the group and only looked like a championship contenders in their rematch with the West Offaly club.

18 Raheen (no change)

It shows how little improvement we saw from clubs in the lower half of the pecking order that Raheen collapsed as spectacularly as they did and still they don’t drop in our rankings. Dylan Hyland is exceptionally talented but Raheen have become far too dependent on him to carry the scoring load.

19 Walsh Island (no change)

Some very impressive performances in the league suggested that Walsh Island were right in there with a shout of bouncing straight back up to Senior B. But to be relegated and still struggle in the a lower championship grade is far from ideal and when they came up against the better intermediate teams, Walsh Island were still a fair bit off the pace too. The flow of players through from underage remains a trickle, and there is no easy answer to that.

20 St Rynagh’s (up 3)

By no stretch of the imagination could the season be considered a success, but even allowing for a comparatively high number of players unavailable in the spring, their dire Division Three campaign suggested that it could have gone a lot worse.

Unlike a lot of clubs down at this level of the rankings, however, there are teenagers with serious potential ready to make an impact for the club at adult level in the next few years. There is hope.

21 Kilcormac-Killoughey (no change)

Unlucky to miss out on knockout football on scoring difference, but since the hurling championship was getting serious around that time, who knows what sort of team they would have been able to put out in a quarter-final. Same as it ever was.

22 Clodiagh Gaels (up 2)

Clearly getting better, but failed to haul in a trophy despite reaching finals in both league and championship. Scoring 1-7 in the county final will eat at them as they’ll feel that one was there to be won. Clint Horan has evolved into an anchor at the heart of the attack while Eoin Dunne has a world of potential in a county with a real dearth of natural midfielders, so if they can treat 2025 as a building block, they’ll feel incredibly confident about the year ahead.

23 Erin Rovers (down 3)

Not a lot between themselves and Rhode in the game that defined their season, but the Pullough men can’t say that they were robbed either. Rhode were just about the better team in the end.

Jack Buckley has quietly developed into a dangerous forward, Nathan Poland is capable of running games at this level and Calvin Fox-Kenna is also emerging as a talented player. Add in Richard Fox still looking sharp and strong and they’ll be in the mix again next season.

24 Shannonbridge (down 2)

One utterly horrendous performance against Rhode didn’t have to be fatal and they did bounce back to reach the knockout stages, but found Erin Rovers too good at that stage. No starters on the Wheery team that reached the county U20 final indicates there are a few more lean years ahead before things might turn around.

25 Doon (no change)

Still some way off winning a championship, but their quarter-final win over Clara was quite impressive and hints at a higher ceiling. They’ll learn a lot from their first half no-show against Clodiagh Gaels, and better management of those ‘back foot’ periods in games will bring them a long way.

26 Ballyfore (up 1)

Another year, another competitive defeat to the eventual Junior B champions. Ballyfore are doing a lot right and have an increasingly settled team, so it would be a surprise if they don’t win this championship in the next year or two. Winning the Junior Cup by beating a Junior A side in the final, gives them something meaningful to show for the season, even if it’s not the prize they set out to win.

27 Kilclonfert (up 1)

After a difficult league where two of their three wins came by way of walkovers, they seemed to pour everything into their clash with Doon on the August Bank Holiday. After being edged out by a point, they never really recovered.

28 Clonmore Harps (down 2)

Bounced back well from a tough championship opener against Ballyfore, but in what was effectively a knockout game against Ballinagar, they played well but just conceded too much. A total of 15 goals conceded in five group games speaks volumes.

29 Ballyskenach-Killavilla (up 1)

They might have expected things to be a bit easier at Junior B and did win one game, but a much tougher year overall for the club and there may be a temptation to ask to drop back down in order to play more regional games.

30 Kinnitty (new entry)

After a year out, the Slieve Bloom men went back into football action this year and rediscovered their groove. It wouldn’t have taken them a lot to edge past Shamrocks and secure a semi-final berth.

31 Lusmagh (down 1)

Won one game on the pitch and they continue to field some decent players. Nonetheless, conceding a walkover in a knockout championship game is not a good look, regardless of how much energy was being put into the club’s excellent hurling season.

32 Crinkill (no change)

Any club making an effort to provide games for followers of the less popular sport is to be applauded, it’s hard to be too positive about fielding in just one competitive game. Perhaps an extension of the Junior Cup would help to give a little bit of extra preparation for these Junior C sides and give them something to play for?