by PRO Joe Bracken
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE
Its game number three for the Tipperary hurling panel as they cross the halfway stage of the league when they line out to meet Waterford next Sunday, March 6th in Semple Stadium at 2.30pm in the Allianz Hurling League.
The last meeting between the sides in the league was the semi-final in Nowlan Park last April which gave Waterford a narrow one point win and a boost in the head to head contest. Of the 43 matches played in the league Tipperary are well ahead with 32 wins, Waterford have 8 and there have been 3 draws. The first meeting was at Kilsheelan on 24/2/1929 with Tipperary winning 4-4 to 2-3.
Sunday’s outing is another tough test as Michael Ryan’s developing squad set out for their second home win in the league. Having last played Waterford in their great Munster Championship Final success last year it has all the hallmarks of a fascinating contest on Sunday. Best wishes to Brendan, Mick and all the team and we look forward to tremendous Tipp support on Sunday. Supporters are asked to get your tickets early in the week to avail of discount prices which will close at midnight on Saturday night.
Ticket prices as follows; Pre-Purchase Price: Adult: €10 (Pre-Purchase discount ends midnight on the day before the fixture). Match-Day Price: Adult: €15, juveniles under 16: free of charge
TIPPERARY SUPPORTERS CLUB MASCOT
Gary Quirke aged 11 is a 5th class pupil in Mount Bruis N.S. and plays U12 and U14 with his club Lattin-Cullen/Aherlow. A bit of an all-rounder Gary plays at midfield and full-forward in hurling while in football he plays at half-back and also midfield taking the frees in both codes.
His club Lattin-Cullen/Aherlow hold a memorial blitz each year in memory of his late brother Alan and this year Lattin Cullen/Aherlow won the blitz with Gary captaining his side.
Some of his favourite Tipperary players include John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, Pádraic Maher and Séamus Callanan and Gary is delighted that he has been chosen as the Tipperary Supporters Club Mascot on Sunday. Congratulation Gary on being the Tipperary mascot and we hope you and your family have a great day.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The Tipperary Senior footballers continued their unbeaten run in round 3 of the Allianz Football League as they were held to a draw by Westmeath in Cusack Park, Mullingar on Sunday last. The final score read Tipperary 1-8 Westmeath 0-11, with Robbie Kiely netting the all-important goal in the first half.
With Tipperary remaining strongly in contention for promotion to division 2 next up for Liam Kearns’ side is a home fixture against Offaly in Semple Stadium on Sunday next as part of a double bill with the throw in at 12.45pm.
Tipperary are one of seven teams in all divisions that remain unbeaten and will face tough opposition in Offaly who have settled in well to division 3 following last year’s promotion. With both sides on 4 points, two behind league leaders Kildare, a home victory would be an enormous boost to Tipperary as they continue to stay in touch with the Lilywhites and that desired promotion spot.
Again we send best wishes to our Tipp footballers and ask all supporters to make their way to the ground early in support of the side.
MUNSTER U21 FOOTBALL
With a hard act to follow from last year’s adventures, the Tipperary U21 footballers start the defence of their Munster title with a difficult assignment away to Kerry in the EirGrid GAA Football Munster Quarter-Final in Austin Stack Park, Tralee next Wednesday, March 9th at 7.30pm. Best wishes to the side led by their captain Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule) and manager Tommy Toomey.
MINOR FOOTBALL
The Tipperary minor football panel lost their Leinster Minor Football League tie away to Wicklow last Sunday, February 28th in round 3 by 1-16 to 1-9. That ends their participation in the league and gives management much encouragement to work with ahead of their Munster Quarter Final clash with Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn on Wednesday April 13th.
REFEREE
Best wishes to John O’Brien (Arravale Rovers) who takes charge of the Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1B game between Kerry and Wexford next Sunday.
COUNTY FIXTURES
This weekend sees the commencement of the County Senior Hurling Challenge Cup and the County Intermediate Hurling Leagues, please check fixtures on the county website for full updates at https://tipperary.gaa.ie/tipperary-club-hurling-competitions/
TIPPERARY GAA DRAW
The March Draw will be held in Seymours Bar Portroe this Friday March 4th from 10pm. The main winners of February’s draw Ashlawn Nursing Home Syndicate, Limerick Road, Nenagh will collect their prize on the night.
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR B HURLING
Commiserations to Éire Óg Annacarty Donohill who’s run in the All-Ireland Junior B came to a halt following their loss to Tynagh/AbbeyDuniry in the semi-final with the result reading Tynagh Abbey-Duniry 3-15 Éire Óg 1-8 on Sunday last.
CROKE CUP
Best wishes to Our Lady’s Templemore who take on Gort Community School in the All-Ireland Quarter-Final on Saturday next March 5th at 2pm in Kilmallock.
CORN UÍ MHUIRI
Commiserations to High School Clonmel who were defeated by St. Brendan’s Killarney in the Munster GAA Post Primary Schools Corn Ui Mhuiri (Senior A Football) Final last Saturday, February 27th, by 5-21 to 0-7 in Mallow.
CORN THOMÁIS MHIC CHOILM
Congratulations to Abbey CBS as they claimed the Corn Thomáis Mhic Choilm (18.5 B Hurling) title in emphatic style with a 3-15 to 0-11 win over Mitchelstown CBS last Thursday. This new competition honouring the memory of the late Tom Collum brings the schools from the former Munster Colleges competition (known as Corn Phádraig) and the Munster Vocational Schools together. Abbey CBS won the Corn Phádraig in 1992 and 2002. Tommy Lowry lifted the trophy on behalf of the Abbey team following on from Brian Lacey (‘92) and Andrew Morrissey (‘02). On both previous occasions that the Abbey have been Munster champions they have gone on to claim All Ireland honours. They now play the Leinster champions Ard Scoil Ris of Marino or Scoil Mhuire, Johnstown in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday, March 12th.
SCÓR
Best wishes to all our following Scór contestants who will take part in Craobh na Mumhan in Ovens this Saturday, March 5th. Following good success in previous years we rely on the following to carry the Premier flag, Rince Foirne- Newcastle, Amhránaíocht Aonair –Sinéad Grant (Newcastle), Scéalaíocht –Lil O’Grady (Newport), Ceol Uirlise – J K Brackens, Bailéad Ghrúpa – Newport, Léiriú – Borris-Ileigh B The Forgotten Women of 1916 agus Rince Seit – Newcastle.
FITZGIBBON CUP
The Fitzgibbon Cup resides this week with the Mary Immaculate College Limerick (Mary I) for the first time ever after an epic final was decided after double extra time on Saturday at the Cork Institute of Technology. For the record, Mary I won after 90 minutes of hurling on a score line of 1-30 to UL’s 3-22. Fifteen of the players on view in this final were from Tipperary, the largest contingent of any county involved. For Mary I, their starting line-up included Andrew Ryan (Toomevara), John Meagher (Loughmore-Castleiney), Thomas Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons), Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields) and Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs) while Tadhg Gallagher (Kiladangan), Stephen Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields) and Seamus Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials) made appearances as substitutes. Meagher, Cahill and Gallagher all scored a point from play.
For UL, their starting line-up included Paul Maher (Moyne-Templetuohy), Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg), Jason Forde (Silvermines), Brian Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons) and John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney) while Tommy Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg) and Bill Maher (Kilsheelan-Kilcash) made substitute appearances. John McGrath scored 2-7 (0-6 frees) in the final while substitute Tommy Heffernan accounted for six points from play when introduced. Jason Forde also scored a point.
In the semi-finals played on Friday, UL defeated UCD by 3-14 to 0-16 with 3-9 of UL’s total coming courtesy of Tipperary players – John McGrath (2-5, 0-4 frees), Tommy Heffernan (1-1) and Jason Forde (0-3 frees). John Joe Ryan (Clonakenny) was part of the UCD panel managed by Nicky English (Lattin-Cullen) with Johnny Enright (Thurles Sarsfields) as selector. In the other semi-final Mary I defeated LIT by 0-11 to 0-9 with Ronan Maher and Niall O’Meara contributing a point each for the winners. Willie Ryan (Clonakenny) and Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill) started for LIT with Willie Connors (Kiladangan) coming on as a substitute. Jason Ryan (Toomevara) was also part of the LIT panel.
The Ryan Cup was won by Trinity College Dublin. In the semi-final, David Waltzer (Mullinahone) was part of the IT Tralee panel which lost to Trinity College Dublin. In the Fergal Maher Cup final, IT Sligo defeated GMIT Letterfrack by 4-12 to 0-13. John O’Brien (Burgess) was part of the IT Sligo panel while Colin Brosnan (Cashel King Cormacs) was part of the GMIT Letterfrack panel.
TIPPERARY PERSON OF THE YEAR 2015
Having being awarded the Tipperary Person of the Year for 2015 by the Tipperary Association Dublin, Loughmore-Castleiney’s Noel McGrath receives his award at the Annual Awards Function this Saturday night March 5th, in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Dublin. Doctor John Ryan, a native of Ardfinnan, will receive his Hall of Fame Award for 2015 also. Tickets (€40 each) are available from Pat Ryan, 11 Foxfield Grove, Raheny, Dublin 5. Tel.: 087 6376663. Email: psoriain@eircom.net
MONTHLY MEMOIRS
Next Monday night, March 7th at 8pm, the Horse & Jockey Hotel continues their series of lively discussion and insight into Tipperary Sporting Events and is an event not to be missed as Tipperary Gaelic Football takes centre stage. The panel includes Michael ‘Babs’ Keating, Declan Browne and Seamus McCarthy and the interviewers on the night will be Claire McNamara and Brian Lacey. Admission once again is €10 and proceeds go to the Friends of Tipperary Football and they look forward to seeing you all there.
TIPPERARY SUPPORTERS CLUB
The Tipperary Supporters Club for 2016 is now available and at €30 per person it is unchanged again this year. The Tipperary Supporters Club are delighted to announce that the 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.
