After all these years there's still no one who gets more excited about Birr hurling than Pa Joe Whelahan. Add Kilkenny faces to the picture and the wee man is likely to start hopping. There he was then, hopping on the sideline, shouting whenever O'Loughlin Gaels got within striking distance of the Offaly champions. Pa Joe is a manager who is careful not to hide his feelings.

In the end, though, Birr would always keep their distance, finding enough pulse from some old hearts to return to yet another Leinster final. O'Loughlin Gaels weren't soft opposition, but they couldn't quite dent the Birr defence.

"It was a great victory, and we've trained hard for it," said Pa Joe, who was now hopping around the dressing-room behind Dr Cullen Park. "But we didn't overdo it either because we wanted to keep the older players fresh, and that showed today.

"We did switch a lot of players around as well, and no one in Birr even knew how we'd field the team until we came in here. And I think that upset them a little."

Indeed none of the Birr forwards started as listed. Johnny Pilkington came up to centre forward, Simon Whelahan went to full forward, and Gary Hanniffy moved out to the wing. And all three played a major role.

Simon Whelahan slotted over two frees in the early stages as the sides exchanged scores, and then flicked in the goal after 19 minutes that opened the decisive lead. Not long after that, however, he was stretchered off. His knee injury could see him miss the rest of the Leinster campaign.

Fortunately for Birr, he wasn't greatly missed and his replacement, Paul Molloy, finished off the second goal just before the break. This time Rory Hanniffy had his shot blocked by the goalkeeper, but the loose ball ended up in the net courtesy of Molloy.

That left Birr 2-6 to 0-6 in front at the turnaround. O'Loughlin's were clearly lacking some spark, and while Martin Comerford and Brian Dowling tried hard, and Andy Comerford and Seβn Dowling worked hardest, they weren't gelling.

What they needed badly was a goal. Against most other opposition they probably would have got one, but not the way the Birr full back line was playing here.

Joe Errity, the man who has reinvented himself so many times, was moving about the defence at his most transfixing best. John Paul O'Meara was equally busy and in the other corner was a tireless Gary Cahill, who also cleared one ball off the line.

Some 10 minutes from time though, Pa Joe was hopping about again. Two big points from Alan Geoghegan had brought the Kilkenny champions back to three points and their supporters sensed their chance.

Yet it was short-lived. Barry Whelahan had an even bigger point from midfield, and although Dowling quickly responded, Birr would then see out the time with four points without reply. Three of those came from Gary Hanniffy, who had begun to carry even more weight than usual up front.

A couple more late shots wide of goal summed up the afternoon for O'Loughlin's. They know they've done well to come out of Kilkenny this year - and are likely to do so again sometime soon - but when Birr get that hunger for victory then few sides can stop them. The rest of the country has been warned.

BIRR: B Mullins; G Cahill, J Errity, JP O'Meara; D Franks, Brian Whelahan, N Claffey; S Brown, Barry Whelahan (0-1); D Pilkington (0-2), J Pilkington (0-2, one sideline), G Hanniffy (0-4, two frees); R Hanniffy (0-1), S Whelahan (1-2, two frees), L Power. Subs: P Molloy (1-0) for S Whelahan (25 mins).

O'LOUGHLIN GAELS: P Cleere; B Power, M Holohan, B Murphy; J Holohan, B Hogan, S Dowling (0-3, two frees); A Comerford (0-1, a sideline), A Geoghegan (0-2); N Skehan (0-2, both frees), M Comerford (0-1), B Kelly; J Comerford, C Furlong, B Dowling (0-2). Subs: M Phelan for J Holohan (41 mins), D O'Dwyer for J Comerford (48 mins).

Referee: D Murphy (Wexford).