▁when ▁the ▁panel ▁was ▁fres hen ed ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁lik es ▁of ▁Gary ▁Hann iff y ▁and ▁Gary ▁C ah ill ▁( B ir r ), ▁Ger ▁Oak ley ▁( C arr ig ▁& ▁River st own ), ▁C ill ian ▁Far rell ▁( Ed ender ry ), ▁Pa ud ie ▁Mul h are ▁( St ▁R yn agh ' s ) ▁and ▁Col m ▁Cass id y ▁( K il c orm ac / ▁Kill oug he y ). ▁However , ▁the ▁play m akers ▁still ▁compr ised ▁the ▁" Old ▁Guard " ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁Le in ster ▁Championship ▁in ▁M ull ing ar , ▁Off aly ▁saw ▁off ▁Me ath ▁much ▁more ▁hand ily ▁than ▁they ▁had ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁( 3 - 2 0 ▁to ▁ 0 - 8 ), ▁but ▁were ▁very ▁nearly ▁caught ▁out ▁by ▁La ois ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁round ▁( Off aly ▁ 1 - 1 1 , ▁La ois ▁ 2 - 7 ). ▁It ▁was ▁back ▁to ▁Cro ke ▁Park ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁when ▁Off aly ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁All ▁Ireland ▁Champions ▁in ▁the ▁Le in ster ▁Senior ▁Hur ling ▁Sem i - final . ▁As ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Off aly ▁and ▁W ex ford ▁served ▁up ▁an ▁ent hr alling ▁game ; ▁and ▁Off aly ▁came ▁off ▁second - best ▁in ▁the ▁end . ▁W ex ford ▁raised