Replying To yew_tree:  "Well Fintan O Toole wrote a big piece about the need to save Dublin City Centre post Covid....he must not have been outside the capital much the past 10 years because my local town has dozens of empty store fronts and boarded up buildings going back to the economic crash as do the vast majority of Irish towns.

The de population of rural Ireland is a major issue and effects gaa too. I even see it here in Mayo...the bigger town teams are getting stronger while rural country clubs are struggling."

Replying To yew_tree:  "Saw a programme recently on the peat stations closures in the midlands. I think Offaly had 5 of the winning 1982 team who worked in power stations and peatlands. In one estate (can't remember the tow) there were families living there from 20 different counties. The narrated said without this industry Offaly would not have won those All Ireland's.

It brought people in and kept Offaly people at home."

Replying To yew_tree:  "Well Fintan O Toole wrote a big piece about the need to save Dublin City Centre post Covid....he must not have been outside the capital much the past 10 years because my local town has dozens of empty store fronts and boarded up buildings going back to the economic crash as do the vast majority of Irish towns.

The de population of rural Ireland is a major issue and effects gaa too. I even see it here in Mayo...the bigger town teams are getting stronger while rural country clubs are struggling."

Replying To endgame:  "Offaly won 2 senior All Ireland hurling titles in the 1980s and 2 more in the 1990s. Will they ever win another is a reasonable question to ask.Doubtful i'd say."

Replying To Fairplayalways:  "that is a very good question, and no doubt the analysts will look at the footballers All Ireland win in 1982, 39 years ago this year, and we only got to one semi final since in 1997 and that was closer to the year 1982 than current 2021. We all (in Offaly felt) after 82 that we would be around as a force in some way for a while, but Leinster final defeat to Dublin in 83, a semi final defeat to Dublin in 84, we only scored 0-05 I think to Dublins 0-13 in that game, Matt Connor had his accident Christmas day 1984 and that seems to have been the end of that particular era and squad, we slid down the Divisions there after, won an U21 in 88, which was the seeds of the 1997 senior Leinster and NFL win the following Spring of 1998...we had a fairly decent team up until around 2001 and ran a good Kildare/Meath teams but never quiet got over the line, thats 20 years ago imagine...

THe hurlers are now well in the midst of their "football fall" to use the comparision...people say we have the hurlers, we have good hurlers but I compare them going by intercounty and club games on TG4 during the leagues and some of our club players in Offaly wouldnt make the Ballygunners, Sixmilebridges. Thurles Sarsfields/ Na Piarsaighs/Cuala's etc...yes we have 2 or 3 maybe that would but the others, while not bad hurlers do not compare to some of the club hurlers I have seen with these and other clubs, and to take it a step further, some of these clubs good players dont make the county squad or at least the team, yet ours are "county players"...no disresepect or knocking them, fair dues to them for their committment to Offaly hurling and giving their time, but I honestly think we have slipped a long way down the ladder, and while our club championship is fairly competitive, bar one or two years since Birrs great teams, we get bowled over at first or second fence in Leinster.."

Replying To ONdeDITCH:  "So whats the answer to Offaly's freefall? a county we all delighted to see performing and winning against the best!Do Offaly people want to continue with the status quo or play in a tiered competition?I don't believe its realistic to expect Offaly to return to the top ever with the current structure and giving them more cash won't do it either.Young players in Offaly and in all counties deserve an opportunity to play at elite level,its only right and fair,otherwise they may see their future in other sports outside of GAA."