the venue for the fourth round match against St Rynagh's, in which Johnny Dooley scored ten points to match his exploits in the drawn Final of 1998. Paudie Mulhare equalized for the Banagher side (0-15 apiece). In the last group game, Seir Kieran succumbed to an ominous 3-17 to 1-12 defeat by Birr. Although a hard-fought, touch-and-go victory (1-13 to 2-9) over Lusmagh in the Quarter-final steadied the Clareen ship, they still had come up with no answers for Birr by the time of the Semi-final. The defending champions were eliminated on the score-line Birr 3-22, Seir Kieran 1-7. It was the first time in six years that the black and amber had failed to contest the Offaly Senior Hurling Final. On the other hand, they reached the Offaly Junior 'A' Hurling Final on 25 September 1999 – the first time Seir Kieran had done so in 30 years. They narrowly lost the Final to Kilcormac/ Killoughey (1-12 to 2-6). Meanwhile, John Coughlan the club's president and his wife Mary received a Sean Gael award at a function in Tullamore. When the 1999 inter-county championships got going, Seir Kieran again had four representatives on Michael Bond's panel. In addition, Damien Murphy, James Coakley and Joe Guinan were called up to the Offaly Intermediate panel, coached by Paddy Scales (St Rynagh's) with selectors Seamus Coakley (Seir Kieran) and Joe Cleary (Shinrone). The Intermediates were beaten by Kilkenny in June. In the Leinster Senior Hurling Semi-final on 20 June 1999, Offaly saw off Wexford by 3-17 to 0-15. Joe, Billy and Johnny Dooley pitched in for a combined 1-13, and Kevin Kinahan also played a stormer. In the Leinster Final on 11 July, however, the reigning Leinster Champions, now coached by Brian Cody felled the reigning All Ireland Champions (Kilkenny 5-14, Offaly 1-16). Kilkenny's goals were scored by DJ Carey (2), Henry Shefflin, Charlie Carter and Brian McEvoy. With their pride severely stung, the Faithful County regrouped admirably. Antrim hit them with everything in the All Ireland Quarter-Final, but Offaly still won by 4-22 to 0-12. The All Ireland Semi-final on 8 August 1999 was only the second-ever meeting between Cork and Offaly in the Senior Hurling Championship, and Joe Dooley was the only player to span the fifteen years since the Centenary Final. Notwithstanding the wet and greasy conditions, the game became an instant classic of wet-day hurling, and the caliber