by Acting PRO Joe Bracken
MUNSTER U21 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
The U21 season came to an unexpected and premature end from a Tipperary perspective as the team succumbed to a 2 point defeat to Limerick in last week’s Bord Gais Energy Munster U21 Hurling Championship Semi-Final in the Gaelic Grounds with Limerick edging it 3-16 to 3-14.
What was always going to be a tough encounter became all the more challenging with the large lead the Treaty men built up early in the first half. But credit to the Tipperary players who fought back to level it and who battled bravely in a nerve tangling finish.
Commiserations to all the panel and to manager TJ Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs) and his selectors Ken Dunne (Toomevara) and Niall Curran (Mullinahone) who put everything into preparations this year and who were naturally bitterly disappointed with the outcome.
ALL IRELAND FOOTBALL QUALIFIERS
Its commiserations also to the Tipperary Senior Football squad who exited this year’s championship at the hands of Tyrone in the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 3B last Saturday, going down by 19 points to 7. Well in contention at half time, unfortunately things didn’t go to plan in the second half as the greater experience of Tyrone told as they saw off the Tipperary challenge.
Thanks to all the players and management who gave tremendous commitment to the cause over the season in both league and championship as they collectively brought Tipperary football affairs to a new level.
And so to the man himself – special thanks and praise to the now retired Tipperary Senior Football Manager, Peter Creedon who as expected called time on his current managerial spell with the Blue and Gold following Saturday’s defeat to Tyrone.
The professionalism and approach Peter has brought to his management roles for Tipperary over his tenure, along with his various management teams, propelled Tipperary football onto a higher platform. It is a platform Tipperary teams deserve to be on because of his input and also because of the belief and philosophy he instilled in his teams who then used that belief to go out and compete with that same dynamism on the field of play.
Players blossomed under his stewardship as the mix of old and new moulded seamlessly to develop a new breed and brand of Tipperary football teams. Tipperary football has reached an unprecedented level of awareness in the Creedon years and combined with the excellent underage structures in place and the managerial strength at all county levels where strong signs of player and team development are evident, one is left in no doubt that the future is very rosy and bright indeed on the Tipperary football landscape.
Peter Creedon is wished every success for the future and is sincerely thanked for his marvellous contribution to Tipperary Football.
ALL IRELAND MINOR FOOTBALL
The Tipperary Minor Football panel should know their All-Ireland Quarter-Final opponents this Friday night as the Connacht Minor Final replay between Galway and Sligo takes place in Tuam Stadium at 7pm.
The All-Ireland Quarter-Final is set for the August Bank Holiday weekend on either Saturday August 1st or Monday August 3rd, and should be confirmed early next week.
TIPPERARY GAA DRAW
The Tipperary County Board Draw for July 2015 will be held in the Clonmel Óg Club House, on this Friday night, July 24th, at 10pm. Brian Gentles winner of the 1st prize in the June draw will be presented with his prize on Friday night. All are welcome; refreshments will be served on the night.
THE HOMELINESS OF TIPPERARY
The following is an extract from Tyrone GAA website in praise of their experience at Semple Stadium last Saturday, entitled ‘The Homeliness of Tipperary’.
“On Saturday Tyrone played a first-ever competitive match in Semple Stadium. It had been our good fortune for the game to be fixed there, giving many Tyrone Gaels a first-ever experience of that special place. We all know the GAA was founded in Thurles. What we now also know is that the true GAA spirit thrives there. Something very simple brought that home to us, the sheer welcomes and enthusiasm we met when virtually every one of us wanted to walk onto and see at first hand that ‘perfect pitch’ after the game. Too-often elsewhere the GAA spectator is treated as an inconvenient commodity/source of revenue. We’re to be shooed, corralled, barred, penned, prevented and exploited. We found out on Saturday that’s not ‘The Semple Way.’ Thank you Tipperary for letting us soak in that privileged place of yours (and ours!) at our ease and our leisure. Others could and should take note!”
Thanks to our Tyrone colleagues for that kind and heart-warming appreciation.
MONTHLY AWARD
Congratulations to John O’Dwyer (Killenaule) who was named the GAA/GPA Opel Player of the Month for June in hurling last week following his performance in the Munster Semi Final victory over Limerick.
REFEREE
Johnny Ryan (Boherlahan Dualla) takes charge of the Waterford v Dublin tie in Semple Stadium on Sunday. Johnny is no stranger to the big occasion and is wished the very best of luck for the day.
ALL IRELAND HURLING & FOOTBALL QUALIFIERS
It will be another busy weekend in Semple Stadium with GAA Football All Ireland Senior Championship 2015 Round 4A qualifier on Saturday evening between Cork and Kildare at 7pm, followed up on Sunday with the two GAA Hurling All Ireland Senior Championship 2015 Quarter Finals at 2pm and 4pm as well as an All-Ireland Hurling Minor Quarter Final between Limerick and Galway at 12pm which gets the day’s proceedings under way.
All Tipperary eyes on Sunday will be focused on Waterford v Dublin in the first senior quarter-final and Galway v Cork in the second, as the results of both of these games will determine Tipperary’s opponents in the All-Ireland semi-final on August 16th.
Once again the extremely willing and capable hands and bodies of the Semple Stadium staff will be called into action over the weekend as they set to task to ensure everything will be in top class condition for player and spectator alike for all the matches.
COUNTY FIXTURES
Congratulations to Holycross Ballycahill who retained their senior status following their win over Cappawhite in the second County Senior Hurling Relegation decider in Dundrum last Friday night. Cappawhite join Boherlahan Dualla in the intermediate championship next season.
Elsewhere, play resumes in the Clean Ireland Recycling County Senior Football and Intermediate Hurling Championships this week. At divisional level it is another busy weekend with senior hurling and football games headlining fixtures across all grades and levels. Please check fixtures section for all current information on dates, times and venues across the Premier County.
FRIENDS FOOTBALL LOTTO
The Friends of Tipperary Football exciting new Lotto is well up and running now where the jackpot continues to grow, so show your support for Tipperary Football from as little as €2 per week, play online now at http://bit.ly/TipperaryFootball
TIPPERARY SUPPORTERS CLUB MEMBERSHIP 2015
With the Tipperary Senior and Minor Hurlers through to All Ireland Semi Finals it is now as important as ever to take up Membership of the Tipperary Supporters Club for 2015.
Membership is €30 per person, unchanged since 2006. We are delighted to announce that the member’s gift in 2015 is a Gold Plated Tiobraid Ãrann Crossed Hurley, 19.5mm x 20.0 mm, lapel pin specially designed and produced in the traditional Blue & Gold colours of Tipperary. Each member will also receive a Tipperary Supporters Club car sticker and a 2015 Membership Card.
Supporters can join on line on www.tippsupportersclub.com by credit card or debit/laser card. Also on the website details are available of the direct debit facility; as the Club is run on a completely voluntary basis it would be a great help if members could join by direct debit. Membership is also available in the following premises, Moynihan’s in Gladstone Street, Clonmel, O’Donoghue’s in Cashel, Noel Ryan’s in Parnell Street, Thurles and from Jackie Shanahan and Carroll’s in Roscrea. If joining by post please send a cheque or postal order payable to Tipperary Supporters Club to Jim Reidy,13 Castleknock Close, Dublin 15 (086-3580718, email:info@tippsupportersclub.com
TIPPERARY GAA SCENE
Information concerning all areas in the GAA will appear in this section in the future. If you wish to include any item of interest in future articles, please e-mail at pro.tipperary@gaa.ie on or before 3.00pm on Monday. Visit the Tipperary GAA web site at https://tipperary.gaa.ie to keep up to date with all the latest news in Tipperary GAA circles.
