Offaly ready to savour Croker

ALLIANZ FL DIVISION 4 FINAL

Typical of that new breed is Offaly senior football manager Emmet McDonnell. Just 34, this is Emmet’s first year managing at this level. Last season he led St Mary’s of Edenderry – the school in which he’s a Leaving Cert honours maths teacher – to All-Ireland A colleges glory.

Going directly from there to inter-county should have been a major leap but it hasn’t turned out that way. In fact it’s been seamless.