By John Harrington

At a time when the Leinster Football Championship was much more of a democracy than it is now, Offaly’s 1997 provincial title success was still a very unlikely story.

The Faithful county had fallen on hard times since the glory days of the ‘60s, 70s, and ‘80s, and were now perennial also-rans in their own province.

Their last provincial success had come in 1982 and their last Leinster Final appearance the following year in ’83.

By the time 1997 had swung around, Offaly football was at a very low ebb. They were mired in Division Four of the Football League and had lost to Louth by seven points in their only match of the ’96 provincial campaign.

So how did they transform themselves from no-hopers to Leinster champions in 1997?

The simply answer is that the appointment of Tommy Lyons as team manager proved transformative.

Lyons had managed Kilmacud Crokes to the 1995 All-Ireland Club Championship and was one of the brightest young managers on the block.

Offaly football was short of confidence, but Lyons was a big personality who didn’t lack for it himself and he married that positive attitude with a strong work ethic and tactical astuteness.

His enthusiasm quickly rubbed off on the players who had little option but to get themselves into the best physical shape of their lives if they wanted to be part of Lyons’ plans.

They were all put on what was known as a NuTron diet which was based on determining what food types best suited individual players depending on blood type, and Lyons cracked the whip with gusto in training to test their mental toughness as well as improve their physical fitness.

Many couldn’t hack it, and by November Lyons had whittled his training panel from 50 to 37 players who were willing to embrace his methods.

"Only for Tommy Lyons we wouldn't have a Leinster title in '97 or a National League title,” admitted Finbar Cullen who captained the team in ’97.

“He changed the whole ethos. He didn't care who you were or what you were or what your reputation was. He came in with a clean slate. I like the way he tested our mettle.

“The things he made lads do at training sessions? I know they are not doing it now. He just put us through hell. All he was doing was testing our metal to see who really wanted to play for Offaly.

“He had us training at 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning in Edenderry, for lads like (Vinny) Claffey or the Ferbane lads having to travel an hour to train, then train for an hour and a half says it all. He did it his way.”

Lyons made a big impact, but it’s also true that there was plenty of talent in the Offaly panel he inherited, even if the team as a collective had underachieved for some time.

Players like Cullen, Peter Brady, Vinny Claffey, Pádraig Kelly, Cathal Daly, and Ciarán McManus would have walked onto any county team.

Lyons got the best from them and, perhaps even more crucially, got the supporting cast to raise their game too.

Winning the Division Four title and the O’Byrne Cup meant the Faithful County brought some really good momentum into the Championship, and they started the campaign with a resounding win over Longford.

Westmeath proved more difficult opponents in the second round but Offaly eventually prevailed after a replay and then easily beat Wicklow in the quarter-final before battling past Louth in the semi-final.

They were underdogs going into the provincial final against a Meath team that had won the 1996 All-Ireland title, but the Royals weren’t quite in the full of their health.

It had taken them three tough matches to finally dispatch Kildare in the semi-final and the fall-out was considerable because Mark O’Reilly, Darren Fay, and Graham Geraghty were all suspended for the Final.

Another key player, Martin O’Connell, was a late withdrawal through injury, so it was a weakened Meath team that took to the field and Offaly were in the mood to take full advantage.

They tore into the reigning All-Ireland champions with gusto and went 1-4 to no score ahead when Roy Malone drilled home a shot from 20 yards out.

Another goal from Vinny Claffey helped make the score 2-6 to 0-2 and Offaly supporters were in dreamland.

The Meath team of that vintage were kings of the comeback though, and it was no surprise that they had reduced the deficit to five points at halftime.

When they had closed to within three early in the second-half it looked like it was only a matter of time before the Royals would reel Offaly in.

But then Peter Brady kicked a brilliant point from the sideline and Malone scored one of the goals of the year when he tore through the Meath defence before firing a rocket to the bottom corner of the net.

"He would often do that in training and score the most incredible goals, but not from that distance,” remarked Tommy Lyons.

“I saw him going and going and I couldn't believe it. And I actually thought, when he shot, he was 30 yards out."

With five minutes to go, Offaly now led by seven points. But Meath being Meath, they summoned one last charge when Jimmy McGuinness ghosted in for a goal.

Offaly’s response to that set-back summed up their mindset on the day. Vinny Claffey won possession, backed himself to run at the Meath defence, and clipped over a point that settled any jangling nerves.

The Faithful County finished with a flourish as Claffey landed two more points in quick succession and Colm Quinn kicked his fourth of the day to complete a famous victory.

"It was an unforgettable day, to come from nowhere and to do it with that bunch of lads was a special experience,” reflected Quinn.

“There were great characters and personalities on that team.”