Kieran in 1988 were managed by 24-year-old Joe Dooley (trainer), Johnny Breslin, Liam Corcoran and Mick Murphy. The Juniors (trained by John Joe Coffey) beat Daingean to retain the League Cup they had won in 1987, and Billy Kennedy the Junior captain received the Cup from Tony Murphy the Offaly Hurling Secretary. The Seniors made it a League double on Saturday 7 May, when they beat Drumcullen in the Final by 2-14 to 1-9. This was an excellent game, played at championship pace throughout. Two rounds of the 1988 Offaly SHC had been played off before the inter-county championships. Seir Kieran had won against Lusmagh by 3-13 to 1-16 but lost against St Rynagh's by 2-15 to 2-9. The black and amber had their chances in the Banagher game, but accuracy was a problem. The selectors used practice matches, such as the one against Castletowngeoghegan at Durrow, to sharpen up their side. When the domestic championship resumed on 13 August, a hard-fought 3-16 to 4-4 win over Coolderry kept the dream alive. Seir Kieran again faced St Rynagh's in the first leg of the resultant three-way play-off. On a resplendent Rath pitch, Seir Kieran reversed the previous verdict by 3-11 to 2-11 and became the first side to reach the last four. The Semi-final between Seir Kieran and Kinnitty was delayed on account of three events: an early-morning fire in The Greyhound Bar in Birr, which tragically claimed the life of the proprietor John Kennedy, a member of the Seir Kieran Club; Kinnitty's successful appeal against disqualification for not having fulfilled a fixture; and a bereavement affecting the Bergin family of Derrykeale. When the match did go ahead on 9 October, Kinnitty never really recovered from Seir Kieran's 3-1 in the opening minutes, although two goals by Paddy Corrigan and points from Mark Corrigan, Brendan Blake and Pat Delaney got them to within four points. It was the Clareen men who finished the stronger, however, to win by 5-9 to 2-10. Five Seir Kieran forwards – Mick Mulrooney, Johnny Dooley, Joe Dooley, Billy Dooley, and Noel Bergin – got on the scoreboard, as did Mick Coughlan at centre back. The Clareen goalie Liam Coughlan gave a great display, although another big tally of wides remained a cause for concern going into the County Final. Played out at St Brendan's Park, Birr, on 23 October 1988, between Seir Kieran and St