By acting County PRO Ed Donnelly
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE FINAL
Next Sunday will see the curtain fall on another Allianz Hurling League campaign when Tipperary take on Kilkenny in the Division 1 Final at 3:30pm in Semple Stadium Thurles. The curtain-raiser at 1:30pm will see Clare playing Kilkenny in the Irish Daily Star National Camogie League Division 1 Final.
Sunday’s meeting will see Tipperary and Kilkenny clash in a Hurling League Final for the 10th time. Tipperary won 5 of the first 6 finals between the counties, winning in 1950, 1954, 1957, 1965 and 1968. In each of these 5 successful finals Tipperary scored 3 goals. Kilkenny won the 1966 home final by 0-9 to 0-7 while the Cats have won the last three League finals between the teams (2003 – 5-14 to 5-13, 2009 – 2-26 to 4-17 AET, 2013 – 2-17 to 0-20).
Following successive victories over the 2013 Leinster champions Dublin & 2013 All-Ireland finalists Cork and Clare in recent weeks, the Tipperary team are progressing well ahead of the eagerly awaited Munster championship clash with Limerick on June 1st. We look forward to a sizeable home support for Sunday’s game as we look to win our 20th Hurling League title and first since 2008. Adult tickets if bought in advance will cost €20. Match day ticket prices for adults will be €25, Juveniles €5 and Students / OAPs €20. Seating is unreserved but Stand specific so a ticket can be purchased for either the O Coinneain or O Riain stand and the correct ticket must be used for each stand on the day. Access for Season Ticket Holders will be in the O Coinneain (Old) Stand only with the only requirement being the production of the Season Ticket card to gain admission. Tickets are available this week online via gaa.ie/tickets as well as selected Supervalu & Centra outlets nationwide.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4 FINAL
Congratulations to the Tipperary Senior Football panel, their management and backroom team following their 1-16 to 1-15 victory over Clare in last Saturday’s Allianz Football League Division 4 Final at Croke Park. Afterwards, Tipperary captain Paddy Codd (Killenaule) accepted the Division 4 trophy on behalf of the successful Tipperary team while Ballyporeen’s Conor Sweeney accepted the man of the match award. Sweeney’s tally of 1-8 ensured that he finished on top of the highest scorer list across all the divisions having accounted for 6 goals and 49 points, an aggregate total of 67 points which was 17 points clear of Derry’s Mark Lynch who scored 2-44. Aherlow’s Barry Grogan finished joint third in the overall League top scorers list with 5-26. All focus for the Tipperary Senior Footballers now turns to the Munster Championship meeting with Limerick on Saturday May 31st at 7:00pm in the Gaelic Grounds Limerick.
MUNSTER MINOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Tipperary will play Clare in the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship second playoff on this Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in Cusack Park Ennis. Clare lost narrowly to the defending All-Ireland champions Waterford in the first round at Cusack Park and the winner of this playoff will go to meet Waterford again for a place in the Munster Final. On the last two occasions Tipperary have lost in the first round of the Minor Hurling Championship, they have subsequently lost out to Clare to end their interest in the competition – losing in the 2011 Munster Semi-Final by 3-13 to 1-13 at Thurles and going down by 0-17 to 1-13 a year earlier in Cusack Park Ennis. From the 2010 meeting, Tony Kelly, Colm Galvin and Podge Collins have graduated to the Clare Senior Hurling team helping Clare to win last year’s All-Ireland with each picking up All-Star awards. On the other side, Cathal Barrett, Jason Forde, Niall O’Meara and Liam McGrath are all currently involved with the Tipperary Senior Hurling panel. Best wishes to the Tipperary players led by captain Brian Hogan (Lorrha) and the management team led by Liam Cahill (Ballingarry) as we look to improve on our first round performance where we lost out to a strong Limerick team.
UNDER 21 HURLING CHALLENGE
The rescheduled official opening of Micheal Hogan Community Sportsfield Grangemockler will take place on Sunday May 11th with an Under 21 Inter-County Hurling challenge between Tipperary and Kilkenny at 6:30pm. Admission is 5 euro with all Under 16s free.
COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Clean Ireland Recycling County Senior Hurling Championship continued last weekend with 12 games down for decision. There were two draws while another two games finished with just a score between the teams. The rate of runaway victories in Roinn 2 continued with winning margins of 38, 32 and 19 points being recorded. The remaining round 2 and round 3 games will be very competitive as everything is up for grabs at both the top and bottom of each of the 8 groups as clubs strive to progress in the competition or merely avoid relegation.
COUNTY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The first round of the Clean Ireland Recycling County Senior Football Championship will take place this weekend with four matches down for decision. On Saturday in Fethard at 7:15pm, Ardfinnan will play the 2013 Mid champions JK Brackens. Meanwhile there are three intriguing games on the Bank Holiday Monday, all with 7:15pm throw-in times. 2013 South champions Clonmel Commercials play 2013 West champions Arravale Rovers in Leahy Park Cashel, 2013 County finalists Aherlow Gaels will take on Kilsheelan-Kilcash while the defending County Senior Football champions Loughmore-Castleiney travel to Moneygall to play Thomas MacDonaghs. A further four games in this competition are fixed for Wednesday May 7th – check the fixtures for more details in the coming week.
COUNTY UNDER 21 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
The finals of the Clean Ireland Recycling County Under 21 Football Championship will both take place on Saturday next. In the “A” Final, Clonmel Commercials will take on Aherlow Gaels at 5:00pm in Leahy Park Cashel while in the “B” Final, Cahir will play Lorrha at 6:45pm in Borrisoleigh.
SCOR SINSIR ALL-IRELAND
The Royal Theatre Castlebar was the venue for the All-Ireland Finals of Scór Sinsir 2014 on Saturday last April 26th. As was expected the standard in all competitions was extremely high and what was very pleasing and remarkable was the number of younger Scór participants in all categories. Craobh na hÉireann den scoth a bhí ann gan dabht.
Ar maidin G.M. I. T. hosted the inaugural Tráth na gCeist or Table Quiz. Tipperary were ably represented by County Champions Seán Treacy’s – John and Sheila Carey, Geraldine Carey and Noel McMahon. Ten rounds of ten questions were asked of the competitors and in what was a very close encounter Kerry emerged victorious on the day. Sean Treacy’s can be justifiably proud of their achievement representing their native county at national level. Maith sibh.
Later in the afternoon the Newport musicians Ruairí de Flóid, Áine Ní Mháille, Brian Mac Amhlaoibh, Niamh De Flóid agus Sarah Nic Amhlaoibh took to the stage in the Ceol Úirlise competition. Bhí siad thar barr and excelled in their performance. Hopes were high that they would emerge as champions. However it was not to be as Mountmellick (Laois) were announced winners. Doubtlessly disappointed these young people gracefully accepted the judge’s decision and entertained family, friends and supporters long into the night. Maith sibh Ruairí, Áine, Sarah, Brian and Niamh. Dhein sibh éacht. Seosaimhín Ní Chathail Cathaoirleach of Scór thanked all the competitors for their hard work and dedication over the last year of competition and expressed her appreciation to all the clubs that take part in Scór activities ó cheann ceann na bliana.
As the Scór year draws to a close we would like to say Míle Buíochas to all those involved in promoting Scór activities throughout the county. We welcome the clubs that participated for the first time in competitions and hope that more clubs will consider entering some disciplines next season. Look out for a special programme on Down Your Way which will celebrate all that is best in Scór Tipperary.
AHERLOW GAA CLUB NEWSLETTER
Aherlow GAA club is planning to launch an E-newsletter in the near future. Would you be interested in receiving it? What would you like to see in it? Send your thoughts and suggestions to aherlowgaa@gmail.com.
TIPPERARY ASSOCIATION DUBLIN AWARDS FUNCTION
The Annual Tipperary Association Dublin awards will be presented at the Awards Dinner and Function on Saturday next May 3rd from 7:00pm in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Newlands Cross, Naas Road, Dublin. The Hall of Fame award will be presented to Michael Berkery (Former General Secretary, IFA and Chairman FBD). However, from a GAA perspective all eyes will be on the Tipperary Person of the Year award which will be presented to long serving Tipperary hurling goalkeeper Brendan Cummins. Any supporter interested in attending on the night to celebrate Brendan’s deserved award should book tickets now (priced at €40 each) by calling 087 6376663.
FLOR COFFEY
The death has taken place former Tipperary All-Ireland winner Flor Coffey at the age of 93. A native of Boherlahan, Flor graduated to the Tipperary Senior Hurling panel in 1943 having played inter-county hurling at Minor (1937 & 1938) and Junior (1939 & 1940) level. Flor won 2 All-Ireland Senior Hurling medals, lining out at left corner-back in the 1945 success versus Kilkenny while he played at centre-back on the 1949 team which defeated Laois in the final. At club level, Flor won a County Senior Hurling medal with Boherlahan in 1941 before transferring to Thurles Sarsfields later in his career, helping them to win the 1952 County Senior Hurling title.
WILLIAM LONERGAN
The death has also taken place of William Lonergan, vice-president of the Carrick Swan GAA club. William represented Tipperary at Minor and Intermediate Hurling level, winning Munster and All-Ireland medals in 1959 (Minor) and 1966 (Intermediate). William also won three South Senior Hurling medals with his club in 1959, 1974 (as captain) and 1978. William was a worthy recipient of a Sean Gael award last year. On behalf of the Tipperary GAA County Board, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Coffey and Lonergan families at this difficult time.
THANKS
My term as acting PRO will end following Sunday’s League Final in Thurles, hopefully with a victory. Thanks to the numerous people who have supplied content for this column over the last three months during my caretaker reign. There are many positive initiatives going on in Tipperary GAA circles and through the medium of this column, I have been pleased to articulate them to the public in this forum. All good things come to an end and I wish everyone involved with Tipperary GAA every success for the rest of 2014. Contact County Secretary Tim Floyd at secretary.tipperary@gaa.ie with any items for inclusion in this column until a full-time County PRO is elected. Visit the Tipperary GAA web site at www.tipperary.gaa.ie keep up to date with all the latest news in Tipperary GAA circles.
