Pat Fleury
Encyclopedia
Pat Fleury is a retired Irish
hurling
manager
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Drumcullen and with the Offaly
senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1986. Fleury captained Offaly to the All-Ireland
title in 1985. He later served as manager of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2000.
in 1956. He was educated at the local national school and later attended the Presentation School in Birr
. Here Fleury’s skills were first developed as he came under the influence of hurling enthusiasts Brother Denis, Brother Cronin and Michael Queally. Under their tutelage he enjoyed a lot of underage success before winning an All-Ireland ‘B’ Colleges title in 1973. Fleury later studied at University College Galway (UCG) where he played on the college hurling team. Here he won a Fitzgibbon Cup
title in 1977 as UCG defeated Maynooth in the final. Fleury’s team mates on that UCG panel included Conor Hayes
, Joe Connolly
Cyril Farrell
and Joe McDonagh
, three of whom would later captain All-Ireland winning teams in the 1980s. Fleury now works as a secondary school teacher at St. Michael’s CBS
in Limerick
where another former All Ireland champion Willie Moore also teaches.
Fleury has also turned his hand to media work. He frequently works as a hurling pundit and co-commentator for furling games on TG4
. He also trained the ‘Underdogs’ team for the TG4 reality programme of the same name.
at both minor and under-21 levels, however, he had little success in either of these grades.
Fleury made his senior debut for his native-county in a Walsh Cuyp
game against Kilkenny
in 1975. At the time Offaly had to play second fiddle to both Wexford
and Kilkenny in the Leinster championship. Towards the late 1970s Offaly gained promotion to Division 1 of the National Hurling League
before later making great strides in the provincial championship.
Everything changed for Offaly and for Fleury in 1980 with the appointment of Dermot Healy
as coach of the senior inter-county team. He placed great emphasis on returning to the simple skills of the game, something which became a trademark of Offaly’s hurling style. That year Fleury lined out in his first Leinster final. It was only Offaly’s sixth appearance in the provincial decider; however, the Offaly supporters and the hurling world at large expected yet another win for reigning All-Ireland champions Kilkenny. Fleury’s side were well prepared for the game and at half-time they only trailed by 3-6 to 1-10. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by the incredible score line of 3-17 to 5-10. Not only was it Fleury’s first Leinster
title but it was also Offaly’s first provincial triumph. The victory was tinged with sadness, however, as Tommy Horan, father of Offaly star Pádraig Horan
, died at his home while listening to the match. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Offaly take on Galway
, however, it was apparent that in winning the Leinster final the Offaly team had reached the peak of their ambition. Victory went to Galway on that occasion by 4-9 to 3-10.
In spite of defeat in the All-Ireland series in 1980 Offaly bounced back and reached the Leinster final for the second consecutive year in 1981. Wexford provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Fleury’s side were very much on the up at the time. A narrow 3-12 to 2-13 victory gave Offaly the win and gave Fleury a second consecutive Leinster winner’s medal. Furthermore, this victory allowed Offaly to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Galway
, the reigning champions, were the opponents. An exciting game developed between these two breakthrough hurling teams with both sides exchanging tit-for-tat scores. After fourteen minutes Pat Carroll
scored the opening goal of the game for Offaly, however, neither side built up a strong lead. Straight after the interval goalkeeper Damien Martin
was doing great work when he batted out an almost certain Galway goal. With just over twenty minutes left in the game Galway led by six points, however, the team failed to score for the rest of the match. Offaly, on the other hand, ate into this lead. Johnny Flaherty
’s hand-passed goal with three minutes was the deciding score of the game. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by 2-12 to 0-15. There were great scenes of joy at Croke Park
as Offaly and Fleury celebrated their very first All-Ireland
title....
Offaly were outclassed by Kilkenny in back-to-back Leinster finals in 1982 and 1983, however, the men from the ‘faithful county’ were back in 1984 with Fleury as captain. That year he guided his team to a fifth consecutive appearance in the provincial final. Wexford provided the opposition on that occasion and another close game developed. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by 1-15 to 2-11. A single point victory gave Fleury his third Leinster winners’ medal. A subsequent 4-15 to 1-10 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Offaly to advance to the centenary All-Ireland final at Semple Stadium
in Thurles
. On the day, however, Cork were far too strong for Fleury’s team. Although far from being a classic game Offaly were defeated by 3-16 to 1-12.
In 1985 Fleury was appointed captain of the team once again. That year he steered his team into a sixth consecutive provincial decider. Surprisingly, Laois
provided the opposition on that occasion. Offaly justified their favourites tag for that game and won easily by 5-15 to 0-17. The ability to get goals at crucial times gave Fleury a fourth Leinster medal and the honour of lifting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup for the second consecutive year. A fourteen-point trouncing of Antrim
in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Fleury’s men to advance to the All-Ireland final. Galway were the opponents on that occasion and another tense game ensued. Once again it was Offaly’s goal-scoring ability that proved crucial. Pat Cleary scored the first of the day after twenty-five minutes of play and got his second less than half a minute after the restart. Joe Dooley
had a goal disallowed half-way through the second-half while a long Joe Cooney
effort, which seemed to cross the goal line, was not given. P.J. Molloy
was Galway’s goal scorers, however, the day belonged to Offaly. A 2-11 to 1-12 victory gave Fleury his second All-Ireland medal and the honour of becoming the second Offaly man to lift the Liam McCarthy Cup
.
In 1986 Offaly lined out in an impressive seventh Leinster decider in-a-row. Kilkenny were the opponents on that occasion, however, Offaly were now a team in decline. A 4-10 to 1-11 score line gave victory to ‘the Cats’ and knocked Offaly out of the championship. Fleury retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first came to prominence with his province in 1981 as Leinster took on Munster
in the Railway Cup final. A ten-point defeat was Fleury’s lot on that occasion. Fleury was picked on the Leinster team again in 1982. Connacht
provided the opposition in the final that year and, once again, Fleury ended up on the losing side. Two years later in 1984 he was the left corner-back on the Leinster team that faced Munster in the final again. Unfortunately, Fleury’s side faced a 1-18 to 2-9 defeat once again.
final in 1984; however, the team was defeated by St. Finbarr’s of Cork in a replay. Success was slow in coming, however, Fleury was persistent. In 1993 his side triumphed and won the Harty Cup title for the first time since 1967 and for the tenth time in all. St. Michael’s were later defeated by Gort in the All-Ireland semi-final.
as manager of the Offaly senior hurling team. After a solid provincial campaign Offaly later qualified for the Leinster final. Kilkenny provided the opposition on that occasion and something of a rout ensued. ‘The Cats’ won that game by 2-21 to 1-13. This defeat did not mark the end of Offaly’s campaign as the ‘back-door system’ gave Fleury’s side a second chance to capture the All-Ireland title. A narrow defeat of Derry
in the All-Ireland quarter-final set up an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Cork. ‘The Rebels’ were the red-hot favourites going into the game, however, Fleury’s side pulled off a huge shock and won the game by four points. This victory set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. The championship decider, however, turned out to be one of the most one-sided finals in decades. A goal-scoring spree by the Kilkenny forwards resulted in a 5-15 to 1-14 defeat for Offaly. Fleury subsequently resigned as manager.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played hurling with his local club Drumcullen and with the Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1986. Fleury captained Offaly to the All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title in 1985. He later served as manager of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1999 until 2000.
Biography
Pat Fleury was born in the parish of Drumcullen, County OffalyCounty Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
in 1956. He was educated at the local national school and later attended the Presentation School in Birr
Birr
Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
. Here Fleury’s skills were first developed as he came under the influence of hurling enthusiasts Brother Denis, Brother Cronin and Michael Queally. Under their tutelage he enjoyed a lot of underage success before winning an All-Ireland ‘B’ Colleges title in 1973. Fleury later studied at University College Galway (UCG) where he played on the college hurling team. Here he won a Fitzgibbon Cup
Fitzgibbon Cup
The Fitzgibbon Cup the championship for top division of university hurling in Ireland. It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
title in 1977 as UCG defeated Maynooth in the final. Fleury’s team mates on that UCG panel included Conor Hayes
Conor Hayes
Conor Hayes is an Irish retired sportsperson and manager. He played hurling with his local club Kiltormer and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team from 1979 until 1989. Hayes captained Galway to back-to-back All-Ireland titles.-Club:Hayes played his club hurling with his local club...
, Joe Connolly
Joe Connolly (hurler)
Joe Connolly is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Castlegar and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team from 1976 until 1984. Connolly captained Galway to the All-Ireland title in 1980.-Biography:Joe Connolly was born in Castlegar, County Galway in...
Cyril Farrell
Cyril Farrell
Cyril Farrell is a former Irish sportsperson. He was the manager of the Galway senior hurling team in the 1980s and 1990s. He led Galway to four consecutive All Ireland finals appearances from 1985 through 1988. He comes from the Tommy Larkins hurling club in Woodford/Ballinakill...
and Joe McDonagh
Joe McDonagh
Joe McDonagh is a retired Irish sportsman and former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association. He played hurling with his local club Ballinderren and with the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.During his presidency, he'd set in motion the removal of the ban on security...
, three of whom would later captain All-Ireland winning teams in the 1980s. Fleury now works as a secondary school teacher at St. Michael’s CBS
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
in Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
where another former All Ireland champion Willie Moore also teaches.
Fleury has also turned his hand to media work. He frequently works as a hurling pundit and co-commentator for furling games on TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....
. He also trained the ‘Underdogs’ team for the TG4 reality programme of the same name.
Inter-county
Fleury first came to prominence on the inter-county scene while still attending university in the 1970s. He played for OffalyOffaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
at both minor and under-21 levels, however, he had little success in either of these grades.
Fleury made his senior debut for his native-county in a Walsh Cuyp
Walsh Cup (hurling)
The Walsh Cup is an annual hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1954 for the top inter-county and third-level hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The cup was named after Tom Walsh , Chairman of the Leinster Council...
game against Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
in 1975. At the time Offaly had to play second fiddle to both Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
and Kilkenny in the Leinster championship. Towards the late 1970s Offaly gained promotion to Division 1 of the National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
before later making great strides in the provincial championship.
Everything changed for Offaly and for Fleury in 1980 with the appointment of Dermot Healy
Dermot Healy
Dermot Healy is an Irish novelist, playwright, and poet. He has won the Hennessy Award , the Tom Gallon Award , and the Encore Award...
as coach of the senior inter-county team. He placed great emphasis on returning to the simple skills of the game, something which became a trademark of Offaly’s hurling style. That year Fleury lined out in his first Leinster final. It was only Offaly’s sixth appearance in the provincial decider; however, the Offaly supporters and the hurling world at large expected yet another win for reigning All-Ireland champions Kilkenny. Fleury’s side were well prepared for the game and at half-time they only trailed by 3-6 to 1-10. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by the incredible score line of 3-17 to 5-10. Not only was it Fleury’s first Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
title but it was also Offaly’s first provincial triumph. The victory was tinged with sadness, however, as Tommy Horan, father of Offaly star Pádraig Horan
Pádraig Horan
Pádraig Horan is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh’s and with the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1970 until 1986. Horan later served as manager of both the Offaly and Laois senior inter-county teams.-Club:Horan played his...
, died at his home while listening to the match. The subsequent All-Ireland semi-final saw Offaly take on Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
, however, it was apparent that in winning the Leinster final the Offaly team had reached the peak of their ambition. Victory went to Galway on that occasion by 4-9 to 3-10.
In spite of defeat in the All-Ireland series in 1980 Offaly bounced back and reached the Leinster final for the second consecutive year in 1981. Wexford provided the opposition on that occasion, however, Fleury’s side were very much on the up at the time. A narrow 3-12 to 2-13 victory gave Offaly the win and gave Fleury a second consecutive Leinster winner’s medal. Furthermore, this victory allowed Offaly to advance directly to the All-Ireland final where Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
, the reigning champions, were the opponents. An exciting game developed between these two breakthrough hurling teams with both sides exchanging tit-for-tat scores. After fourteen minutes Pat Carroll
Pat Carroll (hurler)
Pat Carroll was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Coolderry and with the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1977 until 1985.-Early & private life:...
scored the opening goal of the game for Offaly, however, neither side built up a strong lead. Straight after the interval goalkeeper Damien Martin
Damien Martin
Damien Martin is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club St. Rynagh's and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from the 1960s until the 1980s. Martin has the distinction of being presented with the very first All-Star award...
was doing great work when he batted out an almost certain Galway goal. With just over twenty minutes left in the game Galway led by six points, however, the team failed to score for the rest of the match. Offaly, on the other hand, ate into this lead. Johnny Flaherty
Johnny Flaherty
Johnny Flaherty is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Kinnitty and with the Offaly senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s.-Club:...
’s hand-passed goal with three minutes was the deciding score of the game. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by 2-12 to 0-15. There were great scenes of joy at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
as Offaly and Fleury celebrated their very first All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
title....
Offaly were outclassed by Kilkenny in back-to-back Leinster finals in 1982 and 1983, however, the men from the ‘faithful county’ were back in 1984 with Fleury as captain. That year he guided his team to a fifth consecutive appearance in the provincial final. Wexford provided the opposition on that occasion and another close game developed. At the full-time whistle Offaly were the winners by 1-15 to 2-11. A single point victory gave Fleury his third Leinster winners’ medal. A subsequent 4-15 to 1-10 defeat of Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Offaly to advance to the centenary All-Ireland final at Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium
Semple Stadium, located in Thurles, North Tipperary, Ireland, is the home of hurling for Tipperary GAA and for the province of Munster. It is the second largest stadium in Ireland with a capacity of 53,500....
in Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
. On the day, however, Cork were far too strong for Fleury’s team. Although far from being a classic game Offaly were defeated by 3-16 to 1-12.
In 1985 Fleury was appointed captain of the team once again. That year he steered his team into a sixth consecutive provincial decider. Surprisingly, Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
provided the opposition on that occasion. Offaly justified their favourites tag for that game and won easily by 5-15 to 0-17. The ability to get goals at crucial times gave Fleury a fourth Leinster medal and the honour of lifting the Bob O’Keeffe Cup for the second consecutive year. A fourteen-point trouncing of Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in the All-Ireland semi-final allowed Fleury’s men to advance to the All-Ireland final. Galway were the opponents on that occasion and another tense game ensued. Once again it was Offaly’s goal-scoring ability that proved crucial. Pat Cleary scored the first of the day after twenty-five minutes of play and got his second less than half a minute after the restart. Joe Dooley
Joe Dooley
Joe Dooley is an Irish former hurlers and manager.Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Dooley enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Seir Kieran and remains the only Offaly player to have won three All-Ireland titles...
had a goal disallowed half-way through the second-half while a long Joe Cooney
Joe Cooney
Joe Cooney is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Sarsfield's and with the Galway senior inter-county team from 1985 until 2000. Cooney is regarded as one of Galway’s greatest-ever players.-Early life:...
effort, which seemed to cross the goal line, was not given. P.J. Molloy
P.J. Molloy
P. J. Molloy is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Athenry and was a member of the Galway senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
was Galway’s goal scorers, however, the day belonged to Offaly. A 2-11 to 1-12 victory gave Fleury his second All-Ireland medal and the honour of becoming the second Offaly man to lift the Liam McCarthy Cup
Liam McCarthy Cup
The MacCarthy Perpetual Challenge Cup is a trophy awarded annually by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the hurling team that wins the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.-The trophy:...
.
In 1986 Offaly lined out in an impressive seventh Leinster decider in-a-row. Kilkenny were the opponents on that occasion, however, Offaly were now a team in decline. A 4-10 to 1-11 score line gave victory to ‘the Cats’ and knocked Offaly out of the championship. Fleury retired from inter-county hurling following this defeat.
Provincial
Fleury also lined out with LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first came to prominence with his province in 1981 as Leinster took on Munster
Munster GAA
The Munster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Munster.-Constituent counties:*Cork*Clare*Kerry*Limerick*Tipperary*Waterford-Honours:...
in the Railway Cup final. A ten-point defeat was Fleury’s lot on that occasion. Fleury was picked on the Leinster team again in 1982. Connacht
Connacht GAA
The Connacht Council are a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Connacht.-Constituent counties:*Galway*Leitrim*Mayo*Roscommon*Sligo-Special counties:...
provided the opposition in the final that year and, once again, Fleury ended up on the losing side. Two years later in 1984 he was the left corner-back on the Leinster team that faced Munster in the final again. Unfortunately, Fleury’s side faced a 1-18 to 2-9 defeat once again.
Managerial career
All through his life Fleury has been dedicated to the coaching and training of various hurling teams. His first stint as a coach began when he was in second year in University College Galway. Fleury coached the first-year hurling team to both league and championship successes in the mid-1970s. As a teacher Fleury also took charge of various teams at St. Michael’s CBS in Limerick. He guided the school to the Dr. Harty CupDr. Harty Cup
The Dr. Harty Cup is a hurling competition for schools in the province of Munster in Ireland. The cup is presented to the winners of the Munster Colleges Senior "A" Hurling Championship. Players have to be under the age of 19 to compete. The winning team represents Munster in the Dr. Croke Cup...
final in 1984; however, the team was defeated by St. Finbarr’s of Cork in a replay. Success was slow in coming, however, Fleury was persistent. In 1993 his side triumphed and won the Harty Cup title for the first time since 1967 and for the tenth time in all. St. Michael’s were later defeated by Gort in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Offaly
In late 1999 Fleury succeeded Michael BondMichael Bond (hurling manager)
Michael Bond is a retired Ireland hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ardrahan...
as manager of the Offaly senior hurling team. After a solid provincial campaign Offaly later qualified for the Leinster final. Kilkenny provided the opposition on that occasion and something of a rout ensued. ‘The Cats’ won that game by 2-21 to 1-13. This defeat did not mark the end of Offaly’s campaign as the ‘back-door system’ gave Fleury’s side a second chance to capture the All-Ireland title. A narrow defeat of Derry
Derry GAA
The Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
in the All-Ireland quarter-final set up an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Cork. ‘The Rebels’ were the red-hot favourites going into the game, however, Fleury’s side pulled off a huge shock and won the game by four points. This victory set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Kilkenny. The championship decider, however, turned out to be one of the most one-sided finals in decades. A goal-scoring spree by the Kilkenny forwards resulted in a 5-15 to 1-14 defeat for Offaly. Fleury subsequently resigned as manager.
Quotes
- "What happened us last year has finally been buried and thanks be to God." - Fleury's speech after accepting the Liam McCarthy Cup in 1985.