Offaly hurling prodigy Adam Screeney has admitted that he has no clear timeline for his return to action after being sidelined with an osteitis pubis injury, casting doubt over his participation in crucial upcoming fixtures.
The highly-rated 20-year-old forward, a key figure for both Offaly’s senior and Under-20 teams, revealed that the nature of his injury—caused by overuse of the hip and leg muscles—makes it difficult to predict his recovery.
With Offaly set to contest the Division 1B final in early April and their All-Ireland Under-20 title defence beginning against Galway shortly after, fans had been hoping to see Screeney play a major role. However, speaking at the oneills.com launch of the Under-20 Championship, he admitted that there are no guarantees.
No Clear Return Date
“I have no timeline,” Screeney said. “It’s just so hard to know because it could be different for you than it is for me. I have steps on the ladder. When I get to this step, I can go on to the next.”
The injury first emerged during Kilcormac-Killoughey’s Offaly senior hurling semi-final victory over Coolderry last October. Despite the discomfort, he continued to play, helping his club win the county title and reach the Leinster final, where they lost to Na Fianna, the eventual All-Ireland champions.
However, pushing through the pain came at a cost.
“I was taking anti-inflammatories before games just to get through, probably wasn’t the solution,” he admitted. “Constant pain in your groin, it’s a disaster. I had a nice little break there now.”
Screeney initially hoped to return in time for the Under-20 Championship opener against Galway but acknowledged that the timeline remains uncertain.
“It is and it isn’t,” he said when asked if it was a realistic target. “It could be and it mightn’t be. I could be back in two weeks. It’s hard to know yet. I won’t know until maybe a week out how I’m moving and whether it’s sore after or stuff like that.”
Offaly’s Senior Side Thriving in His Absence
While Screeney watches from the sidelines, Johnny Kelly’s senior squad has been making waves, securing promotion to Division 1A with an impressive campaign.
With nine points from a possible ten, Offaly has displayed remarkable grit and resilience. They produced a strong finish against Dublin at Croke Park and convincingly defeated Antrim in what was expected to be a tightly contested fixture.
Despite his frustration at missing out, Screeney is proud of the team’s progress.
“I don’t think anyone really expected that at the start of the year—that we’d be in a league final with a game to go and promoted. But it’s great,” he said.
“Every game we’ve turned up, we’ve played well. We’re getting victories where, in past years, when it turned into a dogfight, we mightn’t have got the win. Even against Westmeath, we struggled and got the win.”
While his return remains uncertain, Offaly’s form has provided plenty of encouragement as they prepare for a crucial period in both their senior and Under-20 campaigns.
