lan , ▁and ▁T J ▁Do ole y . ▁ ▁Tri umph , ▁then ▁disappoint ment ▁– ▁Off aly ▁Hur ling ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Having ▁turned ▁the ▁t ide ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁All ▁Ireland ▁Final , ▁Off aly ▁looked ▁set ▁to ▁bl oss om ▁into ▁the ▁dominant ▁team ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁moment , ▁however , ▁L imer ick , ▁Cla re ▁and ▁W ex ford ▁were ▁sur ging ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁ranks ▁of ▁hur ling ▁count ies , ▁while ▁Kil ken ny ▁and ▁other ▁" trad itional " ▁powers ▁remained ▁a ▁threat . ▁In ▁response , ▁Off aly ▁u pped ▁their ▁own ▁performance ▁levels ▁even ▁further ; ▁but ▁their ▁lack ▁of ▁options ▁on ▁the ▁ben ch ▁began ▁to ▁tell ▁against ▁them . ▁The ▁Bir r ▁cont ing ent ▁won ▁their ▁first ▁All ▁Ireland ▁Club ▁Title ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁so ▁they ▁were ▁un available ▁to ▁É am onn ▁C reg an ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁N HL ▁campaign ▁( d uring ▁which ▁Johnny ▁Do ole y ▁am ass ed ▁ 1 - 5 8 ). ▁The ▁Fa ith ful ▁County ▁still ▁managed ▁to ▁reg ain ▁Division ▁ 1 ▁status ▁and ▁had ▁ple asing ▁wins ▁over ▁Li am ▁Griff in ' s ▁W ex ford ▁( 0 - 1 6 ▁to ▁ 0 - 1 4 ) ▁and ▁over ▁C ork ▁in ▁the ▁Qu arter - final ▁(