1998 O'Byrne Cup

The 1998 O'Byrne Cup was a Gaelic football competition played by the county teams of Leinster GAA.

1998 O'Byrne Cup

Tournament details
Province	Leinster
Year	1998
Trophy	O'Byrne Cup
Date	4 January — 22 March
Teams	12
Winners
Champions	Offaly (6th win)
Manager	Tommy Lyons
Captain	Peter Brady
Runners-up
Runners-up	Louth
Manager	Paddy Clarke
Captain	Gareth O'Neill
Other
Matches played	12

The tournament was a straight knockout, with 12 teams. New rules were tested:

• players were cautioned for any pushing, pulling or holding of an opponent
• two referees (in some games)
• five substitutes
• picking the ball off the ground permitted, so long as the player's feet are on the ground
• "mark" or free kick for an overhead catch from a kick-out
• solo run limited to one hop or one "solo"

Offaly were the winners, scoring two late goals to defeat Louth in the final at Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda.

Results

	First round 4/10/11 January 1998					Quarter-finals 18/25 January 1998					Semi-finals 31 Jan / 8 Feb 1998					Final 22 March 1998
	Wicklow (replayed)		0-9 3-4
	Meath		0-9 0-12			Carlow		1-7
						Wicklow		2-11
											Wicklow		1-5
	Westmeath		1-21								Offaly		0-13
	Kilkenny		0-4			Offaly		0-9
						Westmeath		0-6
																Offaly		4-7
	Kildare		1-8													Louth		2-7
	Louth		1-11			Wexford		0-11
						Louth		2-6
											Louth (AET)		0-17
	Dublin		0-11								Dublin		0-14
	Longford		0-6			Laois		0-6
						Dublin		1-17

Final

Offaly v Louth

22 March 1998	Offaly	1-16 - 1-10	Louth	Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda
	C. McManus 2-1 (2 pens, 1'45), V. Claffey 0-5 (2f), K. Kellaghan, B. Mooney 1-0 each, P. Brady 0-1		C. O'Hanlon 1-1, G. O'Neill 1-0, A. Doherty 0-3, M. Farrelly 0-2, G. Curran 0-1	Referee: E. Murtagh/P. O'Toole (Longford)

GK 1 Ken Furlong (Tullamore) RCB 2 Cathal Daly (Tullamore) FB 3 Barry Malone (Rhode) LCB 4 David Foley (Ballyfore) RHB 5 John Kenny (Daingean) CHB 6 Paul Mulvihill (Killeigh/Raheen) LHB 7 James Brady (Gracefield) MF 8 Ciarán McManus (Tubber) MF 9 James Grennan (Ferbane) RHF 10 Colm Quinn (Ballycumber) CHF 11 Mark Daly (Clara) LHF 12 Ronan Mooney (Shamrocks) RCF 13 Vinny Claffey (Doon) FF 14 Barry Mooney (Shamrocks) LCF 15 Peter Brady (Edenderry) (c) Substitutes: 16 Ken Kellaghan (Rhode) for M. Daly 17 Roy Malone (Rhode) for B. Mooney

GK 1 Niall O'Donnell (Clan na Gael) RCB 2 Breen Phillips (Newtown Blues) FB 3 Gareth O'Neill (Simonstown Gaels, Meath) (c) LCB 4 Nicky Malone (Lann Léire) RHB 5 Declan O'Sullivan (St Joseph's) CHB 6 Ciarán Nash (Roche Emmets) LHB 7 Aaron Hoey (St Bride's) MF 8 Ken Reilly (Stabannon Parnells) MF 9 Gerry Curran (Clan na Gael) RHF 10 Christy Grimes (Mattock Rangers) CHF 11 Stephen Melia (St Joseph's) LHF 12 Martin Farrelly (Lann Léire) RCF 13 Alan Doherty (St Mary's) FF 14 Ollie McDonnell (St Joseph's) LCF 15 Pat Butterly (Stabannon Parnells) Substitutes: 16 Cathal O'Hanlon (Clan na Gael) for McDonnell 17 John Moroney (Oliver Plunketts) for Butterly 18 Mark Stanfield (O'Connells) for Farrelly 19 Jeffrey Finnegan (Oliver Plunketts) for Hoey 20 Martin Harvey (Dundalk Gaels) for Curran