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Irish Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Offaly manager coins new word in emotional interview as Louth march halted
A new word has entered the GAA lexicon following Offaly's thrilling Leinster minor football final win over Louth. Offalyness. The team's manager Roger Ryan blurted out the word in an emotional post-match interview with TG4's Micheál Ó Domhnaill but it was a phrase that had framed the team and management's approach all year as they hunted down a first provincial title at this grade since 1989. It was very much an against-the-odds triumph as Offaly suffered defeats in the group stage to both Dublin and Louth but regrouped to beat Laois, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare before turning the tables on the Wee County, who were chasing an unprecedented Leinster clean sweep having already taken the senior and under-20 titles. Having trailed by four points after Cillian McQuillan netted a 52nd minute penalty, Offaly stormed back to win by three with each of their last three scores two-point efforts from midfielder Eamon Maher along with two frees from distance from goalkeeper Jack Ryan, as the manager hailed the grit that chimed with the county's fighting spirit of old. 'It's unbelievable, it's unbelievable,' said Roger Ryan. 'I said to you before the game if we took this to 10 minutes to go, we'd win and I knew, even when Louth got the penalty, I knew these boys have character and Offalyness that you can't buy. 'I'm so proud of them. So proud of every one of them. I'm so proud of their parents, their clubs. This is a massive day for Offaly - '89. Two players out on the field's dads played the last time. 'I'm emotional now, I'm ecstatic for every football person in our county. We soldiered long without winning a whole lot. I'm on a rant now but it's just so great.' Ó Domhnaill then picked up on the popular Shannonbridge man introducing 'a new word to the English language', to which Ryan replied: 'Offalyness is a word. It's one that's in our dressingroom. It's wrote down on a piece of paper at the start of the year. 'We met as a management team the first of September and I wrote a word called Offalyness on it and the boys looked at me and they knew what it meant and that's what we want to try and instil in these young men and I think we've done alright at that this evening. I'm just so happy.' Offaly now go on to meet Connacht runners-up Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final next month as they bid to reach a first semi-final since 2005. Their only All-Ireland minor football title was in 1964, with eight of that side featuring as they made the senior breakthrough seven years later. All is not lost for a talented Louth side either, as they will face Connacht champions Roscommon in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Irish Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Offaly manager's emotional interview after Leinster win as he creates new word
Offaly denied Louth an unprecedented clean sweep of Leinster titles at senior, U20 and minor level as they defeated the Wee County in the Monday's minor decider. The Faithful County trailed by four points with three minutes of normal time to play, but ran out winners by 2-20 to 3-14 in the end after an incredible final few minutes as goalkeeper Jack Ryan converted two long-range stoppage time frees. Offaly manager Roger Ryan hailed his side's 'Offalyness' as he gave an emotional interview to TG4 after the game. He said: "It's unbelievable. I said to you before the game, if we took this to ten minutes to go, we'd win. And I knew, even when Louth got the penalty, I knew these boys have character and Offalyness you can't buy. "I'm so proud of them, so proud of every one of them. I'm so proud of their parents, their clubs. It's a massive day for Offaly. "89 (the last time Offaly won a Leinster minor title). Two players out in the field dad's played the last time. "I'm emotional now, I'm just, I'm ecstatic for every football person in our county. We soldiered on without winning a whole lot. I'm on a rant now, but it's just so, so great. "The last time we won something in football was under 20. It was during Covid. There wasn't excitement because of the restricted crowds and all that. "People are busting themselves day in, day out for Offaly football. For them out there tonight, it's just unbelievable." Expanding on his use of the term 'Offalyness', Ryan added: "Offalyness is a word. It's one that's in our dressing room. It was wrote down on a piece of paper at the start of the year. We met as a management team, 1st of September and I wrote a word called Offalyness on it. "The boys looked at me and they knew what it meant and that's what we want to try and instil in these young men."
Irish Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Late two-pointers lead Offaly to first Leinster minor football title in 36 years
Leinster MFC final: Offaly 2-20 Louth 3-14 After losing their opening two Leinster Minor Football Championship games this season, it looked as if Offaly were destined to exit the competition with a whimper. Now, remarkably, they are provincial champions at the grade for the first time since 1989, goalkeeper Jack Ryan proving the unlikely match-winner with two stoppage time two-point scores to seal the landmark win. The Faithful were considerable underdogs beforehand and trailed by four points with three minutes of normal time remaining in Newbridge. It looked at that stage like Louth would secure all three of Leinster football's flagship titles having already taken the senior and under-20 crowns. READ MORE But Offaly, who Louth had beaten by nine points in their group last month, refused to relent and produced a thrilling final few minutes to prevail. Offaly celebrate with the Fr Larry Murray Trophy. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Offaly outscored Louth by 0-8 to 0-1 in the closing minutes with Ryan's first two-pointer, in the 62nd minute, putting them a point ahead before his second, in the 65th minute, stretched the gap to three. Ryan fired over four two-pointers in total, all from long-range frees, as Roger Ryan's side impressively finished the game with three two-pointers in a row. Eamon Maher scored Louth's other late two-pointer as they dominated the possession in the concluding minutes. Free-taker Tony Furey topped the scoring for Offaly with 1-6, while Dylan Dunne blasted the early goal that kept them in the game despite a strong first half from Louth. Johnny Clerkin's Louth led by 0-11 to 1-6 at half-time, 0-8 of which came from star forward Connell Kelly. Kelly finished with 0-9 but still ended up on the losing side despite three second-half goals from Oisin Reidy, Jack Martin and Cillian McQuillan. Offaly's Patrick Duffy celebrates after the final whistle. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Martin's 37th-minute goal left Louth five ahead and they were still four clear when McQuillan hit the net from a penalty in the 52nd minute, 3-13 to 2-12. But it was all downhill from there for Louth, who only added one more point and lost substitute Conal Mannion to a 64th-minute red card. OFFALY: J Ryan (0-4-0, 4tpf); C Farrell, T Carroll, C O Beirne; P Duffy, T Kelly, E Rouse; E Maher (0-1-0), C Duffy; C Weldon, D Dunne (1-0-1), A Daly; T Furey (1-0-6, 5f), C McNamee (0-0-2), R Woods. Subs: D Stewart (0-0-1) for Weldon (39 mins); C Duffy for Daly (43). LOUTH: S Connolly; R Hickey, F McEneaney, C Titley; M McGlew (0-0-2), T Devaney, C Marron; T Maguire, C McQuillan (1-0-2, 1-0 pen); O Reidy (1-0-1), A O'Reilly, C Kelly (0-3-3, 3tpf, 2f); N McCreesh, J Martin (1-0-0), C Rooney. Subs: C Mannion for McCreesh (54 mins); S Hoey for Rooney (57). Ref: J Foley (Carlow).
