Brian Carroll announced his retirement from Offaly hurling this week. Son of two-time All-Ireland medal-winner Pat, he was a member of the last Offaly team to capture the Leinster minor crown (2000) and played in the provincial senior hurling final back in 2004.

New Offaly hurling manager Eamonn Kelly will have to plan without experienced wing-back Cathal Parlon for 2016.

Limerick hurling legend Joe Quaid has confirmed his interest in managing Offaly, though former boss Joe Dooley has emerged as a surprise contender to return to the role.

2010 All-Ireland-winning manager Liam Sheedy is to spearhead the search for the new Offaly senior hurling manager.

Brian Whelahan has stepped down as Offaly senior hurling manager after two seasons in charge, the board’s executive informed club delegates in Tullamore last night.

After exiting the hurling championship with a 20-point reversal, Offaly manager Brian Whelahan insisted he wants to remain in charge for another year, but conceded it will be down to the Offaly County Board to make that call.

He spent the 1990s plotting against Brian Whelahan and the early 2000s conspiring alongside him, all of which has convinced Mike McNamara that the Birr man will turn things around in Offaly.

Brian Whelahan has shown remarkable faith in his Offaly team for tomorrow’s crunch All-Ireland hurling qualifier with Clare in Ennis.

THURLES, but not as we know it.

Laois 0-29 Offaly 0-20: A little over a week ago, Laois hurling was at a crossroads, with the significant progress made in the past three years on the brink of being washed away in one fell swoop.

Allianz HL Division 1 quarter-final

The first time I ran into Henry Shefflin was in 1999. Clare played Kilkenny in a challenge in Johnstown and this young fella arrived onto my patch as a second-half sub.

Offaly 0-12 Wexford 2-15: One of hurling’s longest unbeaten runs came crashing down yesterday afternoon in O’Connor Park as Wexford overcame dismal conditions and some incredibly errant shooting to record a 2-15 to 0-12 win over Offaly and move to the top of the Division 1B table.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B: Laois 0-23 Offaly 1-24: Offaly manager Brian Whelahan sent out a defiant message to his team’s detractors after their win over Laois in O’Moore Park on Saturday night.

Two of Offaly hurling’s most experienced campaigners will miss the majority of the league. 

Cillian Kiely (Offaly)

Galway 2-22 Offaly 1-13: Walsh Cup: A nasty finger injury to Joe Canning overshadowed Galway’s drubbing of Offaly in Tullamore yesterday.

Gary Keegan may have been talking about Irish Olympic sport in these pages a few days ago but what he said could apply to all of Irish sport.

The best place to begin any appraisal of Tommy Walsh’s career is not with the All-Ireland medals, not with the All Stars but on a Sunday afternoon at Walsh Park in the summer of 1997.

The departure of Tommy Walsh from the inter-county stage means we won’t see that red helmet blaze through a thicket having won a puck-out.

Offaly manager Brian Whelahan has revealed how Rory Hanniffy played through 2014 with three knee fractures and lined out against Tipperary in the Championship ‘against all medical advice’.

What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago, both Kilkenny and Tipperary failed to get a GPA/GAA All Star between them. This year they dominate the selection.

Former Offaly All-Ireland winning captain Martin Hanamy believes it would be a "great bonus" if the county’s hurlers stay within 10 points of Tipperary in Saturday’s qualifier.

LEINSTER SHC QUARTER-FINAL:

The sky didn’t fall in. And nobody drowned, except Offaly. You couldn’t pin that on the lifeguard in charge.

Sky Sports today begin construction on their camera scaffolding at Nowlan Park for their live GAA debut on Saturday — but in the wake of more embarrassing onscreen mistakes.

Offaly SFC: Reigning Offaly senior hurling and intermediate football champions Kilcormac-Killoughey caused quite a stir last week when they refused to field a team in their SFC clash with St Rynaghs on Thursday.

Waterford 6-23 Offaly 0-14

Offaly football manager Emmet McDonnell has called for a two-tier format to resolve the Leinster championship’s lopsided nature.

Brian Whelahan is no stranger to making history.

They haven’t come up with a term for it yet. Maybe they’ve developed an aversion for such things in Kilkenny since the ‘Drive for Five’ didn’t work out as they wanted.

Offaly 3-19 Kerry 0-14

Offaly v Kerry, HL Division 1B

Antrim 1-18 Offaly 1-14

Offaly 5-27 Antrim 4-9

Cork selector Johnny Crowley made no bones about the management’s level of disappointment with the display of the side in the second half.

Wexford 2-19 Offaly 2-13

Offaly 2-14 Laois 1-19

New Offaly senior hurling boss Brian Whelahan has named John Troy and Ger Coughlan in his backroom team.

Offaly GAA great Brian Whelahan is set to take over from Ollie Baker as the county's senior hurling manager, on recommendation of the selection committee.