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St Rynagh's return as a force in Offaly

St Rynaghs won the Offaly SHC in 2016.

St Rynaghs won the Offaly SHC in 2016.

By Cian O'Connell


For 23 years St Rynagh’s watched, waited, and wondered. That is why last year’s Offaly SHC triumph mattered so deeply.

Rynagh’s were the best team in the Faithful county again. For a club with such a deep tradition, Rynagh’s were simply satisfied to be back on the summit on Offaly. Now the challenge is to stay there.

“Absolutely, when you get back to the top you are the target for everybody, but you want to stay up there, it is the place to be,” St Rynagh’s Chairman Paddy Scales says.

Having lost finals in 2012, 2014, and 2015, Rynagh's have been serious competitors at this level in recent campaigns. “It has been a very encouraging time, it has come through underage success from minor and up the line into senior,” Scales admits. “It is great to be in a County Final again as defending champions. Hopefully we can retain it, that is the big goal now.”

Between 1993 and 2016 Rynagh’s didn’t sample senior glory, but hard work was being carried out in the juvenile ranks. Under 21 titles were won in 2004, 2005, and 2012; minor crowns collected in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010. Those triumphs followed several Under 12, 14, and 16 successes.

“Absolutely, that is key,” Scales remarks about what happened in those grades. “The oldest in the group would be from a group that started in around 2000, they'd be around the 30 mark. We had three minor championships wins in 2005, 2007, and 2009, it was building from then. If you don't put the foundation in place the chances of getting it at the other end are slim to nil.”

Former Offaly players are dotted around the club occupying different roles, trying to put Rynagh’s back on the road to respectability. It has been achieved with Sunday’s Offaly SHC decider against Kilcormac/Killoughey the next challenge.

St Rynaghs reclaimed the Offaly SHC title in 2016.

St Rynaghs reclaimed the Offaly SHC title in 2016.

“There was a will to get it back to this,” Scales remarks. “When they weren't reaching Semi-Finals and knockout stages it was a bit of a step back for a club that had a strong tradition of being in County Finals, winning them and going forward, winning Leinsters and having a strong representation on Offaly teams.

“The work went in and we are where we are now because of that. It is a full club, you can't pinpoint it to any one individual, everybody did their own bit. That is what gets you to where you are.”

Rynagh’s have made interesting managerial appointments. Francis Forde, the current Galway selector, taught in St Rynagh’s Community College, and steered them to the Offaly Championship last year. Fintan O’Connor, the Kerry manager, is in charge in 2017.

“Francis was here in the school with us for 17 years,” Principal Scales adds. “It is a good thing for the club to have people like this involved, but for successful clubs that is it.

“That is the standard, that is what you need. Players expect that. Club players should have access to the same support as the county players have because they are putting in so much time now.

“The day of the club player just doing a few weeks or months training, then playing in a County Final and going back on the beer. That day is gone.”

Rynagh’s have prepared diligently for the past two decades. Remaining as a force in Offaly is the mission.