Offaly U16 Talent Academy Playoffs at Faithful Fields

What to Expect

Faithful Fields at Kilcormac is Offaly GAA’s Centre of Excellence and the base for the county’s development squads. On Saturday 15 August it hosts two MUSCO Lighting U16 Talent Academy A Plate playoff games involving Offaly, one against Clare Saffron and one against Laois. The Talent Academy series is the inter-county development structure below minor, and it is where county selectors first put a squad together from the best under-16 players across every club in Offaly.

Playing both games at the county’s own facility means the pitches, dressing rooms and gym that Offaly clubs fundraised for are being used exactly as intended. Throw-in times for the two playoffs are listed as to be confirmed on the county fixture sheet, so anyone planning to go should check on the Friday. Development squad games are open, low-key affairs, played in front of parents, club coaches and county scouts rather than a paying crowd, and they are one of the best places to see where the next Offaly minor and under-20 panels will come from.

Good to Know

• Saturday 15 August: Offaly v Clare Saffron, MUSCO Lighting U16 Talent Academy A Plate playoff, Faithful Fields.
• Saturday 15 August: Laois v Offaly, MUSCO Lighting U16 Talent Academy A Plate playoff, Faithful Fields.
• Throw-in times were listed as to be confirmed. Check offaly.gaa.ie on the Friday before.
• Faithful Fields is Offaly GAA’s Centre of Excellence and hosts county development squad activity through the year.
• Development squad games are informal, with no reserved seating and limited catering on site.

Getting There

Faithful Fields is at Kilcormac, on the N52 midway between Birr and Tullamore, about 20 minutes from either town and roughly 90 minutes from Dublin by way of the M7 and the N52 or the M6 and Tullamore. The complex is signposted from the village and has a large car park on site, so parking is not the problem it can be at club grounds. There is no useful bus service, so plan to drive. Kilcormac village itself has shops and pubs a couple of minutes away if you want food before or after.