Offaly SHC: all OK for KK

Kilcormac-Killoughey's Conor Slevin and Cathal Kelly lift the Sean Robbins Cup. ©INPHO/Ashley Cahill.

Holders Kilcormac–Killoughey have recovered from a first-round loss to progress to the semi-final stage of the 2026 Offaly senior hurling championship.

The reigning champions were beaten at home by Coolderry in their Group One opener on July 12th but bounced back with victories over Kinnitty and St Rynagh’s.

This set up a must-win fourth-round clash with Birr at Banagher on Saturday, where KK ominously delivered their best performance of the year to date, roaring to an emphatic 2-24 to 0-14 victory to claim top place on the final group table and advance directly to the semi-final stage.

Birr were already safely through to the business end irrespective of the outcome yesterday but Kilcormac–Killoughey knew they would more than likely be eliminated if they lost. Daniel Hand and Colin Spain contributed a combined ten points for the four-in-a-row-chasing Sean Robbins Cup holders, while Peter Geraghty and substitute Oisin Mahon fired the goals late on, with eleven players getting their names on the scoresheet.

Their first-round conquerors Coolderry, meanwhile, eased past Kinnitty at Rath, 3-21 to 1-14 – Eoin Burke (1-13), Eoghan Parlon and Cian Burke with the goals - to keep themselves in contention for a possible quarter-final appearance. However, they needed Birr to beat Kilcormac–Killoughey if they were to remain in the hunt, which never really looked like happening as the champions of 2023, ’24 and ’25 marched menacingly on.