2025 review: Camogie and minor glory lit up the year

Last year when the Offaly Independent reviewed the Offaly GAA scene from 2024, the glorious All-Ireland triumph of the U20 hurlers obviously took centre stage.

Yet there was plenty to celebrate in 2025, too. The county’s camogie team won the All-Ireland intermediate title, defeating Kerry in a closely contested final at Croke Park. This followed a hugely exciting semi-final victory over Antrim in Newbridge.

Offaly also won the Division 2A league title earlier in the year, getting the better of Derry in the final.

Grace Teehan was chosen as the Intermediate Player of the Year, having played a starring role in the county’s All-Ireland success. The Naomh Bríd player was one of six from Offaly selected on the Soaring Stars team, the others being Sharon Shanahan (Shinrone), Amy Byrne (Shinrone), team captain Orlagh Phelan (Naomh Bríd), Clodagh Leahy (Drumcullen) and Mairéad Teehan (Moneygall).

NIn 2026, the Offaly camogie team will compete at senior level and undoubtedly the air will be thinner as the team moves up to the top grade. But now under new manager Jack Maher, who takes over from the successful David Sullivan, Offaly are entitled to approach the challenge with confidence.

Offaly’s march to Leinster minor football glory - the county’s first title at this grade since 1989 - also generated a huge sense of joy and pride. In a memorable Leinster decider against Louth, played in Newbridge and shown live on TG4, Offaly triumphed in a tense finish. The win saw Offaly deny Louth a Leinster treble for 2025, with the long range freetaking prowess of goalkeeper Jack Ryan again coming to the fore.

Amid joyous scenes, Offaly captain Cian McNamee (Rhode) lifted the Larry Murray Cup and Clara’s Dylan Dunne was chosen as player of the match.

Their victory was a tribute to the resilience and spirit of Roger Ryan’s charges. After all, Offaly had lost to Dublin and Louth earlier in the campaign, but they bounced back in impressive fashion to defeat Laois, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare, setting up that aforementioned final against Louth.

The Offaly senior footballers also lifted silverware in 2025. Mickey Harte’s arrival as joint manager alongside Declan Kelly caused ripples of excitement to course through Offaly football circles in 2024. The Tyrone legend’s influence reaped dividends in the 2025 Allianz Football League which saw Offaly secure promotion from Division 3. It was a league campaign in which Offaly defeated Kildare twice, with the second victory at Croke Park in the final.

Despite a very promising first-half display in Navan, Offaly’s Leinster championship hopes were ended by a Meath side who went on to end Dublin’s incredibly long unbeaten run in the province.

And although Offaly’s Tailteann Cup ambitions were ended by Kildare, in another meeting between the neighbouring counties, promotion in the league meant it was a year of progress and Offaly will compete in Division 2 in 2026.

In hurling, Offaly retained their place in the Leinster SHC and the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Having won the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2024, this was Offaly’s prime aim for the year. Johnny Kelly’s side also achieved promotion from Division 1B of the NHL, along with Waterford, and will compete in Division 1A next year.

At club level, Kilcormac-Killoughey hurlers and Tullamore footballers both made it three senior titles in a row. Though the Leinster hopes of K-K and Tullamore were thwarted by Ballyhale Shamrocks and Ballyboden St Enda's respectively, both clubs can reflect on those treble successes with a sense of great satisfaction.

Overall, there was plenty for Offaly supporters to reflect on with pride, and plenty to look forward to with anticipation in 2026.