by PRO Joe Bracken
MUNSTER SENIOR HURLING SEMI-FINAL
With a terrific and determined display of character and work rate the Tipperary Senior Hurlers earned their rightful place in this year’s Munster Championship Final with a 3-12 to 1-16 defeat of Limerick in the semi-final in Semple Stadium last Sunday.
With a brace of goals from Michael Breen and a single from Seamus Callanan in the first half it laid the platform for Michael Ryan’s side to progress to meet Waterford in the provincial decider on July 10th.
Congratulations to the team and management on their win on Sunday as all Tipperary supporters look forward now to what we hope will be a fruitful and enjoyable month of July. Congratulations also to Cathal Barrett who was selected as Man-of-the-Match following his terrific performance, well done Cathal.
With successive championship wins under their belt this Tipperary team is building momentum nicely and yet still know there is plenty of room for improvement. But for now the focus for the next three weeks is of the huge and imminent threat Waterford pose if Tipperary is to hold onto its Munster crown and this threat will be foremost in the minds of player and management alike.
As manager Michael Ryan alluded to, Tipperary are where they want to be, in a Munster Hurling Final, which both he and the team value greatly. Though Sunday was a miserable day weather wise we could still have a very bright summer yet.
MUNSTER INTERMEDIATE HURLING SEMI-FINAL
Commiserations to the Tipperary Intermediate hurlers who went down to Limerick in their semi-final curtain raiser by 2-11 to 0-15 also last Sunday. The clear cut goal chance that Tipp craved never materialised and despite a solid team performance, William Maher’s young side had to unfortunately settle for a two point loss. There is redemption of sorts for many of the side in the upcoming U21 Munster Championship Semi-Final on July 13th against either Limerick or Cork.
MUNSTER MINOR HURLING SEMI-FINAL
The Tipperary Minor Hurlers under the watchful eye of manager Liam Cahill and his selectors will play Cork in the Munster Championship Semi-Final in Pairc Ui Rinn at 7.30pm on Thursday week next, June 30th, with the winners to meet either Waterford or Limerick on Munster Final Day, July 10th.
After a first round defeat to Waterford, the team regrouped and despatched of the Clare challenge in Ennis to set up the semi-final clash with the Rebels.
A stern test awaits Tipp however as the Cork machine, well-oiled is poised for ambush and Tipperary best beware of a wounded foe. Twice defeated at senior by the Premier County already in Munster campaigns the Cork regime will be hoping for third time lucky and arrest the current blip in the counties fortunes. An intriguing contest is in store.
MUNSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The Tipperary Senior Footballers are being put through their paces as preparations crank up a couple of notches in advance of their Munster Final appearance against Kerry on Sunday week, July 3rd at 2pm in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. This will be the first final between the counties since their last equivalent meeting in Semple Stadium back in 1998. Kerry will be overwhelming favourites going into the final and it will take a massive effort from Tipperary to cause an even bigger upset than that which they did in their semi-final defeat of Cork.
MUNSTER FOCUS
So, taking the various inter-county fixtures into account Tipperary face into a very busy 14 day period from June 30th to July 13th, where the county will contest both senior provincial finals in hurling and football as well as the minor and U21 hurling semi-finals. Should the minors prove successful in their semi-final, which of course we hope they do, they would play their Munster Final on July 10th also as indicated earlier. A lot to look forward so, ensuring there will be plenty of action for the Tipperary faithful yet this year.
TIPPERARY FIXTURES
With clubs up and down the county involved with Féile action last weekend as well as the inter-county action adult games were limited as a result. However, one game of note saw Loughmore-Castleiney defeat Ballylooby-Castlegrace in the final of the County Adult Football League Division 1, so congratulations to the Loughmore-Castleiney lads.
Divisional senior action is on the agenda for this weekend as the season continues to roll on. For a full round up of all fixtures and results across the Premier County please view the county website at https://tipperary.gaa.ie
REFEREE
Best wishes to Derek O’Mahoney (Ardfinnan) who takes charge of the Leinster Championship Football Semi-Final in Croke Park next Sunday between Westmeath and Kildare.
POC FADA 2016
Following three very successful years on the Galtee Mountains the County Long Puck Finals will revert to a North Tipperary venue for 2016. The finals will take place this Saturday, June 25th at Fairy Mount Farm, on the site of Bike Park Ireland in Knockshegowna, by kind cooperation of the owners, (details, map etc. can be found on Bike Farm Ireland Website).
Assembly will be at the venue at 10.30 sharp for transportation to the start point.
The U16 finalists are already decided at divisional level, while senior participants are invited to register for participation by contacting Dinny Maher, County Games Manager or Tim Floyd, County Secretary at either of the following email address dinny.maher.gda.tipperary@gaa.ie or secretary.tipperary@gaa.ie
Senior applications will have to fill out an application form and once completed it should be returned to Dinny or Tim on or before this Wednesday 22nd June. Participation is open to any player registered with a club in Tipperary. A County Final winner’s medal will be presented to winners of both the U16 and senior competitions. The senior winners will progress to represent Tipperary in the All-Ireland Poc Fada on the Cooley Mountains.
Intending participants are asked to bring one person with them to assist with marking and scoring. A two and a half kilometre trail has been marked out and will be a good test for all. Refreshments will be provided for participants and markers following the event on the site. For travelling supporter’s food facilities are also available on site.
We would like to thank Graham and his staff at Bike Park Ireland for facilitating us with the venue and urge patrons to check out their website at info@bikeparkireland.ie
JOHN WEST FÉILE NA NGAEL
What a weekend of action it was in the John West National Féile na nGael which got underway last Friday evening in venues across Tipperary and Waterford. The supreme effort put in by all the clubs in preparation for Féile was exemplary. Club rooms were painted, facilities upgraded either with new scoreboards, netting etc. in a wonderful act of club, community and parish pride. The generosity that was given by so many to help out their club in preparation has been widely praised and commented on and the people of Tipperary and Waterford can take pride in their contribution to the magnificent success of Feile na nGael 2016. Thanks also to all individual club sponsors who contributed outside of their normal remit in ensuring their club was presented in the best possible fashion for Féíle.
But where would we be without the club teams and especially the children themselves. It is hard to play one match in a day but to row two and three together it highlights how important Gaelic games are in their lives and how far they will go to take part, long may it continue. To team mentors, congratulations to you too for ensuring your juvenile members had the opportunity to be part of this wonderful festival of hurling, camogie and handball.
Lastly, mile buiochas to all host clubs and families for taking in visiting players for the weekend, the experiences and friendships gained will no doubt last a lifetime. So in the hurling, while we had no Tipperary winners the following teams made cup or shield finals as indicated; Div. 2 Cup Final – JK Brackens; Div. 4 Cup – Silvermines; Div. 4 Shield – Moyle Rovers; Div. 6 Cup – Rockwell-Rosegreen; Div. 10 Cup – Fethard.
While in Camogie the Div. 1 Shield produced a Tipperary winner as Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams defeated Éire Óg Annacarty Donohill in the final. Other winners were as follows; Div. 4 Shield was won by Burgess and the Div. 5 Cup was won by Templemore Camogie Club. Elsewhere, final appearances were made in Div. 2 Cup – Ballina and Div. 3 Shield – Fethard. Congratulations to all winners and finalists.
HANDBALL
There was Féile Gold for Lahorna Boys – James Loughnane, Jack Mulcahy, Cormac Doheny and Rory Grace in 60×30 Féile na Gael as they beat Clogh from Kilkenny in the final 42-9. Rory Grace won silver in the Skills & Cormac Doheny won Bronze in the Skills. There was Féile Silver for Ballina Girls – Siobhan Prentice, Grainne O’Brien, Amy Mc Keogh and Isobel Farnan. Congratulations to all the boys and girls on your Féile achievements, please check handball website for all updates http://handball.tipperary.gaa.ie/
TIPPERARY SUPPORTERS CLUB
The Tipperary Supporters Club for 2016 is available and at €30 per person it is unchanged again this year. The Tipperary Supporters Club member’s gift in 2016 will be a trolley coin keyring, 43 mm x 33 mm, featuring The Tipperary Supporters Club Official Logo.
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. If joining by post please send a cheque or postal order payable to Tipperary Supporters Club to Jim Reidy, 13 Castleknock Close, Dublin 15 or 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.
