Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship
| Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2023 Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Iomána Sinsearach B Uibh Fháilí |
| Code | Hurling |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Region |  Offaly (GAA) |
| Trophy | Michael Verney Cup |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Title holders |  Kilcormac–Killoughey (1st title) |
| Sponsors | Molloy Environmental Systems |
| Official website | Offaly GAA |
The Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Molloy Environmental Systems Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Offaly SBHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 2018 for the second tier senior hurling teams in the county of Offaly in Ireland.
In its current format, the Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship begins with a group stage. The six participating teams play each other in a round-robin system. The four top-ranking teams proceed to the knockout phase that culminates with the final match at Glenisk O'Connor Park. The winner of the Offaly Senior B Championship qualifies for the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Championship.
Kilcormac–Killoughey are the title holders after defeating Clodiagh Gaels by 0–12 to 0–08 in the 2023 final.[1]
History[edit]
The Offaly Intermediate Championship was founded in 1929 in an effort to bridge the standard of play between the Offaly Senior Championship and the Offaly Junior Championship. For almost 90 years, the Offaly Intermediate Championship was effectively the second tier championship in the Offaly hurling championship system.
A review of Offaly's hurling structures in 2017 proposed that the Offaly SHC and Offaly IHC be reduced from 12 to eight teams. This resulted in the creation of a new eight-team Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship. The inaugural championship in 2018 featured four regraded teams from the 2017 Offaly SHC: Clodiagh Gaels, Lusmagh, Shamrocks and Tullamore. The remaining four teams were the 2017 Offaly IHC semi-finalists: Ballinamere, Brosna Gaels, Carrig-Riverstown and Drumcullen.[2]
The very first match in the inaugural championship took place on 1 April 2018, with Tullamore beating Clodiagh Gaels by 3–17 to 2–11. Ballinamere won the inaugural championship after beating Shamrocks in the final. Brosna Gaels were the first team to suffer relegation after losing a playoff to Carrig-Riverstown.[3]
Format[edit]
Group stage[edit]
Six clubs start in the group stage. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed five group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top four teams qualify for the knockout stage
Knockout stage[edit]
Semi-finals: The top four teams from the group stage contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Relegation[edit]
The fifth and sixth-placed teams from the group stage take part in a relegation playoff to determine who drops to the Offaly Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Teams[edit]
2023 Teams[edit]
The 6 teams competing in the 2023 Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship are:
| Team | Location | Colours | Championship titles | Last championship title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Birr
|
Birr | Green and red | 0 | — |
| Clara | Clara | White and black | 0 | — |
 Clodiagh Gaels
|
Killeigh | Blue and white | 1 | 2021 |
| Kilcormac–Killoughey
|
Kilcormac and Killoughey | Green and yellow | 1 | 2023 |
 Lusmagh
|
Lusmagh | Red and white | 0 | — |
| Shamrocks | Mucklagh | Blue, red and green | 0 | — |
Qualification for subsequent competitions[edit]
At the end of the championship, the winning team qualify to the subsequent Leinster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship, the winner of which progresses to the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship.
List of finals[edit]
| Year | Winners | Runners-up | Venue | # | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Score | Club | Score | |||
| 2018 | Ballinamere | 2-16 | Shamrocks | 3-10 | Bord na Móna O'Connor Park | [4] |
| 2019 | Seir Kieran | 1-20 | Clodiagh Gaels | 0-14 | St Brendan's Park | [5] |
| 2020 | Kinnitty | 0-16 | Drumcullen | 1-10 | Bord na Móna O'Connor Park | [6] |
| 2021 | Clodiagh Gaels | 2-10 | Tullamore | 1-12 | St Brendan's Park | [7] |
| 2022 | Tullamore | 3-09 | Clara | 0-09 | Glenisk O'Connor Park | [8] |
| 2023 | Kilcormac–Killoughey | 0-12 | Clodiagh Gaels | 0-08 | Glenisk O'Connor Park | |
Roll of honour[edit]
| # | Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clodiagh Gaels | 1 | 2 | 2021 | 2019, 2023 |
| Tullamore | 1 | 1 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| Ballinamere | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — | |
| Seir Kieran | 1 | 0 | 2019 | — | |
| Kinnitty | 1 | 0 | 2020 | — | |
| Kilcormac–Killoughey | 1 | 0 | 2023 | — | |
| 7 | Shamrocks | 0 | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Drumcullen | 0 | 1 | — | 2020 | |
| Clara | 0 | 1 | — | 2022 |
See also[edit]
- Offaly Senior Hurling Championship
- Offaly Intermediate Hurling Championship
- Offaly Junior A Hurling Championship
References[edit]
- ^ Corrigan, Kevin (30 September 2022). "Superior Kilcormac-Killoughey knock resistance out of suspension hit Clodiagh Gaels". Offaly Live. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Offaly Senior B Hurling Championship results and final tables". Offaly Live. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Ballycumber Club Notes". Hogan Stand. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Shamrocks on the glory trail". GAA website. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Clodiagh Gaels club notes". Hogan Stand. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Corrigan, Kevin (22 August 2021). "Kinnitty pushed hard by Drumcullen but claim deserved win in Senior B Hurling Final". Offaly Live. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ Corrigan, Kevin (20 November 2021). "Dramatic finish as Offaly Senior B Hurling final settled with brilliant late point". Offaly Live. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "Goals the difference as Tullamore overcome Clara in Senior B Hurling Final". Offaly Live. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
