The decline in Offaly hurling was perhaps best exemplified last weekend by their 14 point defeat to Westmeath in the opening round of their Leinster SHC qualifier group.
Speaking on tonight's Off The Ball, Daithi Regan attempted to explain the malaise in Offaly hurling and claims that the his forewarnings over the decline of the sport in the county were ignored.
"I was lambasted three years ago for suggesting that in three year's time, we would be a Christy Ring side. A columnist actually contacted me on Twitter to tell me that my comments didn't appear as outlandish now.
"My comments three years ago weren't outlandish then and are not outlandish now. The point about it three years ago is that there's too many people with their heads up their a**, because the view was pretty from their perspective.
"They couldn't see what was happening in our county, where our county was going. The inadequacies at school level, from primary to our principle secondary schools.
Regan laid the blame squarely at the door of the administrators of Offaly GAA and claimed that they didn't want to know
"The current county board are not the core problem in relation to the yields of Offaly hurling at the moment. That began, for me, in the early to mid-nineties, with the types of coaching that was lost.
"What I will say in relation to the county board that are there now is that they've absolutely buried their head in the sand for the last couple of years. Why can I say this? Because I know enough of them and I've had enough dealings with enough of them.
"I've attacked and questioned the county board chairman and when I stated that we would become a Christy Ring side he went on a public forum to question my contribution to Offaly over 12 or 13 years."
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