Not one point, ten points.
Carlow are a hurling county on the rise, there’s no doubt about that. A hammering at the hands of Limerick last weekend undoubtedly halted their momentum but the Joe McDonagh cup they won the week previous shows the progress these lads are making.
With James Doyle and Chris Nolan up front, they’ve firepower in attack and in Richard Coady and Paul Doyle, they’ve a sturdy defence.
That victory over Westmeath ensured that Colm Bonner’s side will be competing in the group stages of the Leinster championship proper for next season, the team they replace of course being the relegated Offaly.
Offaly hurling has been in the doldrums for a while now but this relegation from the Leinster championship just hammered home how far adrift they’ve fallen.
The glory days of the late 90s are now well and truly in the vapours and while a large portion of the Faithful county’s following still class themselves as one of the traditional hurling powerhouses, they have only been relegated to hurling’s second tier by merit.
Comprehensive pummellings in the senior championship were quickly followed by a soul-destroying 15 point loss to Galway at under-21 level.
Just as it must be a touchy subject for Offaly to be operating a level below neighbours Carlow next year, it must be a great source of pride for the Barrowsiders.
Former Carlow hurling captain James Hickey went and rubbed salt in those Offaly wounds when he was talking to KCLR in the aftermath of that loss to Limerick.
“Carlow are 10 points better than Offaly and I have no problem in saying that,” he said confidently.
“I think it’s very encouraging times for Carlow and I would hate to paper over the great year, because it’s a magnificent time,” he said.
The Mount Leinster Rangers club man’s assertions that Carlow are ten points the better team than Offaly will surely go down like a tonne of bricks in he midlands.
They’re not just the better team, they’re much the better team, according to Hickey.
Indeed, confidence has never seemed to be a problem for Him. The former Carlow hurling captain became one of the most well-known faces in the GAA for a while for his passionate part in AIB GAA’s ad on his club’s march to the All-Ireland club hurling final against Portumna in March 2013.
Offaly folk won’t take that lightly, but Carlow are dead right to be confident.
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