Leo O’Connor: Offaly hurling is a mad rollercoaster, you can see the hunger for success

Offaly manager Leo O'Connor during the Leinster U-20 hurling championship final against Wexford last month. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Michael Verney

Offaly inflicted the most heart-breaking defeat of Leo O’Connor’s playing career when stunning Limerick in the five-minute All-Ireland SHC final of 1994, so he would have been forgiven for taking that grudge with him to his grave.

With his club-mates Eamonn Cregan (manager) and Derry O’Donovan (trainer) in charge of Offaly, “Claughaun was wrapped all over that final” but little did O’Connor know that he too would end up at the helm in the Faithful.