Coolderry's clash with Birr the standout fixture this weekend

By Kevin Egan

As is now customary, the Offaly senior hurling championship makes for much more compelling viewing than the big ball equivalent, and there’s a lot to look forward to this weekend.

They may have only played one game so far but the combination of results have heaped the pressure on Birr, while Coolderry are right back in the middle of the pack after being edged out by St Rynagh’s.

There is a path to the quarter-finals for Coolderry if they lose this one, but they are likely to be dependent on other results going their way somewhere along the line. For Birr, this is do-or-die country, which makes for a must-see fixture in Shinrone (Friday, 7pm).

Kinnitty will have to find a lot more than they’ve shown so far to get past Rynagh’s (Saturday, Birr, 5.15), while Ballinamere have two results on the board and might lack the nervous energy that Shinrone will bring to St Brendan’s Park later that evening (7pm).

Perhaps Ballinamere can muster up a big performance purely on the back of their determination to try and deal out a hammer blow to another championship contender, but in any situation where one team is fighting for their lives and the other has no pressure on their shoulders, it’s hard to look past the group with their backs to the wall.

Finally there is the fascinating contest in Kilcormac between Belmont and Tullamore (Saturday, 3pm). Belmont will have been content but not ecstatic about their season opener, while Tullamore will feel very good about where they are right now.

For the Blues to make knockout hurling would be a sensational achievement for Shane Hand and his troops and it’s there for the taking this week in what is another fascinating 50/50 encounter.