IT’S a sign of the times when 24-year-old Karol Slattery is described as one of the senior members on the Offaly football team.

New Offaly football boss Gerry Fahey has sparked controversy by cutting loose five long serving stalwarts in a bid to return the county to the glory days.

OFFALY football captain Cathal Daly revealed yesterday that the furore over the sacking of manager Paul O’Kelly is “far from done and dusted.”

THE chairman of Croke Park’s GAC, Tony O’Keeffe, has pledged to act on a bizarre rules anomaly which again surfaced in last Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier between Roscommon and Kildare.

Offaly 4-15, London 0-10

Laois 2-10, Offaly 0-13

A Garda told a murder trial today how he realised that an alleged double murder suspect captured on video footage was a man he had spent four days taking a witness statement from.

Kildare face the winners of tomorrow's Dublin/Meath clash in the Leinster Final following a marathon replay that went into extra-time against Offaly at Nowlan Park.

The outcome of the first of the Leinster football semi-finals in Croke Park yesterday had as much to do with Dublin achieving their victory as Offaly allowed a chance of advancing to slip through their fingers.

Offaly take on Laois in the curtain raiser at Croke Park hoping to go one better than last year’s defeat of the then reigning All-Ireland champions Meath and a subsequent replay loss to eventual Leinster winners Kildare.

Offaly give championship debuts to left corner back Gerard Rafferty, midfielder Karl Slattery, right half forward Alan McNamee and left half forward Gary Comerford for their Leinster Football clash with Laois.