Club sandwich as multiple games get underway in Tipperary
By Noel Dundon
“I’ll be really rigorously going through the club championships this year and definitely freshening up the panel for next year.”
The words of Tipperary senior hurling Manager Liam Cahill seem like the perfect way to kick off the club season in the Premier County. The gauntlet is very definitely being thrown down to any prospective wearer of the blue and gold jersey – show us what you can do, and you will get your chance.
Most young hurlers, camogie players or ladies footballers dream of wearing the Tipperary jersey, just as most young fellas dream of playing for Manchester United, Liverpool, Barcelona or whoever happens to take their fancy. But, few enough actually get to realise their dream. So, it’s very reassuring and comforting to hear Liam Cahill being so open about his desire to scour the Premier County to identify potential hurlers for the county team. He is saying to anyone who plays in the championship at senior, premier intermediate, or intermediate level – if you are performing at your best, you will be watched and your services may be required with the Tipperary senior hurling squad.
For many years the expectation was that players would progress from development squads, through to minor, U20 and eventually senior. That was more-or-less the accepted pathway to becoming an inter-county senior player. However, just like the CAO is not the only avenue to securing a third level education, there are other routes on the journey to being a Tipperary hurler. And, the club championship is definitely one of them.
So, it’s with great excitement that we now look forward to the club action, some of which has already commenced, but the majority of which kicks off this coming weekend. The inter-county scene is behind us, but there is much to be enjoyed in the coming months as the split season allows the clubs their time in the sun. And, players who make an impression, whether they have already worn the blue and gold jersey or not, will get their chance, if they are showing up well in their club colours.
Perhaps the one drawback with the club scene is that many matches are played at the same time and getting to see a number of clashes can be a problem. Without a doubt, patrons are spoiled for choice and the weekends could well we taken up with moving from one venue to the next watching the action, both hurling and football. You would have to commend the divisional and county boards for their innovative ways of encouraging patrons to go along with attractive annual tickets, weekend packages and other means helping to nudge supporters through the gates for the games. Good attendances at the matches certainly help with the atmosphere and that generally makes for better viewing.
FBD Semple Stadium will be used for many of the club games this season and while every player wants to show their stuff on the sacred sod, the venue does not actually do all that much for the club scene – apart from at the real business end of the championship when attendances will be well up. The vastness of the stadium means that club games are often lost there and the place can be void of atmosphere. A small attendance in Semple could make for a fine crowd in other grounds and would therefore lend a hand to the overall game experience. It’s not as though there aren’t enough quality grounds around – in Tipperary, thanks to tremendous investment by clubs and parishes, we are awash with wonderful facilities which are capable of hosting top games each weekend.
The matches will come thick and fast now, but you still expect the usual suspects to be in the running when the wheat and chaff have been separated. Champions Kilruane MacDonagh will do exceptionally well to hold onto their Dan Breen crown at the very top level of the hurling scene you’d imagine, while in contrast Clonmel Commercials would be highly fancied to retain their silverware. But, the beauty of sport is that anything can happen – unfancied Kilruane MacDonagh got on a run last year and came from well down the field to cross the finish line with their noses in front. What an achievement that was for them – they have shown the way for other clubs to follow and you can be sure that many will endeavour to do so.
Similarly, Upperchurch Drombane got on an almighty dual run in 2022 and while they didn’t win the ultimate crown in either code, they certainly pelted a pebble into the lake and create a massive ripple of excitement. They will want to build on that this year and drive on. Can they? Let’s see. JK Brackens too have had a foot in both codes with varying degrees of success and they have big designs on silverware in the coming campaigns.
While a lot of emphasis tends to be placed on the adult grades, some of the best games we saw in 2022 were at U19 and U17 level. Holycross Ballycahill won both hurling championships in the A grade and will have a good shot at retaining their crowns. But, the chasing pack are drawing in and there will be plenty of pretenders waiting to unperch the mid standard bearers.
It’s the same type of scenario in the football code with a number of clubs eyeing up potential titles – even Thurles Sarsfields, not a club renowned for the big ball, had a fair crack off capturing a county title last time out. The possibilities are plentiful and that’s a great way to have any championship. Foregone conclusions do not make for exciting fare.
So why not be part of the excitement – get along to the games and help generate the kind of buzz we need in Tipperary to help create and develop top class players for Liam Cahill and his management team to run the rule over. Without doubt the talent is there – it’s all about identifying who can help make the difference.
By Jonathan Cullen Thu 6th Jul
