Johnny Pilkington optimistic Offaly can return to hurling's top table

“All it does take is maybe one or two exceptional hurlers to bring on the rest of them, and there’s no reason that can’t be there in five, ten, fifteen years’ time.” 

Johnny Pilkington with his Offaly 1994 All-Ireland-winning team-mates as the team were honoured in 2019.

Offaly legend Johnny Pilkington is an “optimist” about his county’s hurling future.

Pilkington figured on Offaly’s All-Ireland-winning sides of the ‘90s and is the focus of Laochra Gael this Thursday. Asked if he sees the county contending for All-Irelands in his lifetime he says: “It’s hard to say — why not be an optimist and say why not?