advanced to the Leinster Final on 8 July 1990, and claimed the Bob O'Keeffe Cup (by 1-19 to Dublin's 2-11) for a magnificent three-in-a-row, and seven out of the last eleven Leinster Titles. As in 1988 and 1989, however, Offaly bowed out at the All Ireland Semi-final stage. On 5 August 1990, Galway won by 1-16 to 2-7. At a Garda match in Portlaoise a couple of weeks previously, Joachim Kelly had been stretchered off with severed ligaments to the knee. Kelly's dynamism was sorely missed against a still-powerful Galway combination. Hopper McGrath and a rampant Joe Cooney hit 0-12 between them. Owing to their opponents' collapse at half back and midfield, this was enough to overwhelm what turned out to have been a "last stand" for the Offaly team of the 1980s. Although players such as Jim Troy, Joachim Kelly, Paddy and Mark Corrigan, and especially Joe Dooley would soldier on for the Faithful County, Paudge Mulhare grasped that the Galway defeat signified the turning of the page: "You played it hard and clean and before the game we said that if we won we would come back into this dressing room together. We lost and we came in together. You went down like men, and be as proud leaving Croke Park today as you were the last day." Victory in the NHL, disappointment in U-21 and Leinster SHC, 1991 to 1993 Although the Galway game was Eugene Coughlan's last appearance in the Championship, the Seir Kieran great again answered the call during Offaly's victorious National Hurling League campaign of 1990-91. Johnny Dooley's marksmanship was another key feature of the campaign. Padraig Horan had taken over as Offaly manager at this stage, and he said the aim was simply to win promotion from League Division 2. A good start was made on 28 October 1990 against Antrim in Casement Park (3-7 to 0-11), before Offaly came home to Birr to defeat Laois by 0-19 to 2-8. Danny Owens (Killoughey) got seven of his nine points from frees, while five of Johnny Dooley's six points were from open play. Wins over Meath (0-13 to 0-9) and Derry (5-9 to 0-7) followed in November. The Derry game took place in a miserably wet Slaughtneil, where Seir Kieran's brilliant goalie Liam Coughlan stood in for Jim Troy. Resuming at Salthill on 17 February 1991, Offaly lost to Galway by 1-11 to 0-9,