Offaly Minor Hurling Championship 2026: Round 2

What to Expect

Minor hurling in Offaly is where the county’s reputation is built and defended. The LOETB Minor Hurling Championship carries the county’s under-17 clubs and amalgamations, and Round 2 puts two games on across the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. SBK, the Shinrone and Ballyskenagh-Killavilla combination, host Pairc de Grás of Gracefield at Shinrone under lights, and Kilcormac-Killoughey meet Na Fianna at Kilcormac on the Saturday.

These fixtures are played in front of families and club members rather than large crowds, but they are worth watching for anyone tracking where the next Offaly senior panel comes from. The pace of minor hurling has risen sharply in the last decade, and the standard in a county like Offaly, where hurling is concentrated in the south and west, is often higher than the attendance suggests. Both grounds are traditional hurling venues with sod worn into shape by generations of the same families.

Good to Know

• Friday 14 August: SBK v Pairc de Grás Gracefield, Shinrone, throw-in 6:45pm.
• Saturday 15 August: Kilcormac-Killoughey v Na Fianna, Kilcormac, throw-in 4:30pm.
• SBK is the Shinrone and Ballyskenagh-Killavilla amalgamation, one of several combined minor teams in the county.
• Admission is taken at the gate where a gate is operated at underage games.
• The county board confirms minor fixtures weekly and they are frequently moved, so check offaly.gaa.ie the day before.

Getting There

Shinrone sits between Birr and Roscrea in south Offaly, roughly 15 minutes from Birr and close to the Tipperary border. Take the N52 or M7 to Roscrea and follow the R491 north. Kilcormac is on the N52 midway between Birr and Tullamore, about 20 minutes from either. Both clubs have parking at the ground, and both villages have a shop and a pub within a short walk of the pitch if you arrive early. Neither has a useful bus service for evening or Saturday fixtures, so driving is the practical option.