FBD Insurance County Championships
Last weekend was a very busy one on the playing fields of the County and supporters who went along to the games were treated to some very entertaining fair in all the grades.
In the FBD Insurance County senior hurling championship, the action commenced with the first of our Quarter Finals between Moycarkey Borris and defending county champions Kiladangan in FBD Semple Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This was a game that was predicted to go the way of the North Tipperary side and indeed at half time it looked as if this would be the case. However, Moycarkey Borris emerged on to the pitch for the second half, a totally changed side as they played with a lot more passion and really got stuck in to their opponents who looked a little shell shocked as they were reeled in by the Mid men. However, as the game headed towards the final whistle it still looked as if Kiladangan had just about done enough to progress to the semi finals, but there was to be one last twist as a well delivered ball was grabbed by Moycarkey Borris forward Max Hackett who expertly shot past Barry Hogan in the Kiladangan goal to put Moycarkey Borris ahead and ultimately into this year’s county semi finals. The scenes at the final whistle were like those on county final day, as hundreds of jubilant Moycarkey Borris supporters streamed on to the pitch to rejoice with their heroes who had just secured a semi final spot for their club for the first time since 1984. For Kiladangan this defeat will be difficult to digest given the fact that they were so far ahead and looked to be in control for the majority of the game. However as has been said many times before, the game is not over until the final whistle is blown and that is probably what makes our games what they are.
The second senior hurling Quarter Final on Saturday afternoon was between Toomevara and JK Brackens. This was a game that never really came to life as Toomevara looked to be in control for the majority of the 60 plus minutes. And while they did not pull clear until mid-way through the second half they always looked to have the slimmest of advantage over their opponents. In the end Toomevara progressed to the semi finals for the second year in a row on a full time score of 0-26 to 0-21.
The first game of the double header in FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday saw Kilruane MacDonaghs and Loughmore Castleiney go head to head as they aimed to get a step closer to this year’s county title. Kilruane MacDonaghs started the game very well and took an early lead, 0-09 to 0-06 after 20 minutes. LoughmoreCastleiney then found somewhat of a dominant spell and by the time match referee Kevin Jordan sounded the half time whistle, the sides were level on 11 points each. By the 6th minute of the second half, Kilruane MacDonaghs found themselves back in control when Willie Cleary had the ball in the Loughmore Castleiney net to put his side 1-13 to 0-12 ahead. However this lead was short lived as only 2 minutes later substitute Ciaran McCormack took full advantage of a defensive error to goal for Loughmore Castleiney. 3 minutes later the Loughmore Castleiney forwards made the most of another error and on this occasion it was their captain Liam McGrath who raised the green flag to put his side ahead by 2-13 to 1-14. From their on the men in red and green held on to the advantage and in the end ran out winners on a full time score of 2-22 to 1-19.
In the second of Sunday’s Quarter Finals it was the clash of the twon teams as Thurles Sarsfields and Nenagh Eire Óg went to battle in a game that sadly never really sparked into life. The main reason for this was due to the dominance of the Thurles men who looked very slick and in total control of everything they were doing. And although they found themselves just 4 points ahead at the break, in truth they possibly could have been a good bit more in front. Thurles Sarsfields did flex their muscles a little bit more in the second half as they ran out winners on a full time score of 0-29 to 1-19.
In the Premeir Intermediate Quarter Finals, there were wins for Cashel King Cormacs over Thurles Sarsfields, Upperchurch Drombane over Eire Óg Annacarty, Gortnahoe Glengoole proved too strong for St Marys, while Carrick Swan overcame Burgess to reach the semi final stage of the competition.
There were also four Quarter Finals played in the FBD Insurance county Intermediate Hurling championship last weekend. These games resulted in wins for Moneygall over Portroe, Ballingarry edged out Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams, Cappawhite overcame the challenge of Shannon Rovers but only after the game went to extra time, while in the last Quarter Final Golden Kilfeacle were comfortable winners against Borrisokane.
In the FBD Insurance County Junior “A” Hurling Quarter Finals there were wins for Holycross Ballycahill, Kiladangan, Moyle Rovers and St Patricks.
Last weekend also saw relegation semi finals taking place as teams from across the county battled to hold on to their status and avoid an appearance in the final no team wants to be in. The Senior relegation semi finals resulted in wins for Borris-Ileigh over Lorrha Dorrha and Roscrea over Templederry Kenyons.
In the Premier Intermediate grade, Moyne Templetuohy overcame Newport while Silvermines defeated Sean Treacys.
The Intermediate relegation semi finals resulted in wins for Arravale Rovers over Ballybacon Grange and Skeheenarinky over Upperchurch Drombane.
The draws for the County semi finals in the four top grades were made on Monday evening and resulted as follows:
FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship – Lough,more Castleiney v Thurles Sarsfields, Moycarkey Borris v Toomevara.
FBD Insurance Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship – Cashel King Cormacs v Upperchurch Drombane, Carrick Swan v Gortnahoe Glengoole.
FBD Insurance Intermediate Hurling Championship – Golden Kilfeacle v Ballingarry, Moneygall v Cappawhite.
FBD Insurance Junior “A” Hurling Championship – Holycross Ballycahill v Moyle Rovers, Kiladangan v St Patricks.
The action this coming weekend will focus predominantly on the football side of the house, with Quarter final games being played in Senior, Intermediate and Premier Junior.
Tickets for all the games can be purchased on the ticket section of the Tipperary GAA website, while Tap & Go will also be in operation at each venue. Weekend passes will also be available for supporters who may wish to a number of games.
Club Planning Programme
The Club Planning Programme in Tipperary is now accepting expressions of interest from clubs who are interested in developing a Strategic Plan for the club. With the club season almost drawing to a close now is the ideal time to give this consideration. Trained facilitators from inside the county or outside are available to guide and support clubs through this process.
To get the ball rolling, clubs are asked to fill out and return the Expression of Interest form which was circulated by County Planning & Training Officer, Mark McLoughlin by Friday, October 18th.
Health and Wellbeing
Coiste Thiobroid Árann Thuaidh in association with Tipperary GAA Health & Wellbeing and Silver Arch Family Resource Centre are hosting a Gambling Information Event on 25th September 2024 @ 7pm in Nenagh Sports Complex. Guest speaker is renowned author, lecturer and gambling counselor Tony O’Reilly. Tony’s impressive credentials include a top selling book called Tony 10 which tells the astonishing story of the postman who gambled €10,000,000 and lost it all , numerous podcast appearance, radio interviews and TV shows. As officers of the North Board we are well aware of the difficulties addiction brings to families and communities we feel this is an excellent opportunity to promote the Health and Wellbeing side of the GAA.
Michael Cusack Mosaic
An extensive refurbishment of Croke Park’s Cusack Stand is underway, as part of the overhaul the GAA will hero the vibrant spirit of volunteerism that drives our Association.
We are a volunteer-led organisation and the success of the GAA has always been down to the people who, through their loyalty, selfless dedication and commitment, have invested so much to ensure that for 140 years the Association has gone from strength to strength.
One of the flagship pieces envisaged is a montage made up of hundreds of photos of today’s volunteers, coming together to represent an image of GAA founder, Michael Cusack. This idea is for this to hang proudly in the Cusack Stand for many years to come.
We would love to spread the word and have volunteers submit their images soon!
Here is how:
- We’re looking for approx. 500 images of volunteers from our clubs at home and abroad.
- The image must be a head and shoulders shot of the volunteer against a plain, bright background.
- The image file size needs to be a minimum of 4MB (megabytes). A photo taken on a smartphone, for example, is sufficient.
- The person being photographed must be over 18.
- The person must give their consent for their image to be used in this piece of artwork. Consent is given by completing the document linked on the website page https://crokepark.ie/stadium/michael-cusack-mosaic, and submitting this together with the photograph to cusackmosaic@gaa.ie
- The image will be used for inclusion in this montage and nothing else.
We hope to get a great response from clubs and create something unique that represents our voluntary ethos and celebrated the contribution of our volunteers.
FRC deliberate ‘seven core enhancements’ for Gaelic football
Chairperson of the Football Review Committee, Jim Gavin, gave a presentation in Croke Park earlier this week to give an update on the proposed rule enhancements his committee are considering.
These have been drawn up after an extensive consultative process that has seen the committee meet 31 times, parse over 7,000 responses from a public survey, conduct a Delphi survey with GAA coaches, meet with stakeholders such as the standing committee on playing rules, the provincial councils, the national referees committee, and county board chairpersons, and trial proposed rule enhancements in five ‘sand box’ matches.
The final report is still not set in stone and there will likely be some tweaks before the FRC present it to Ard Comhairle and then showcase their proposals in the interprovincial matches on October 18/19, but some clear themes are emerging.
Currently under consideration are ‘seven core enhancements’ that Gavin spoke about at length today in Croke Park and which are as follows:
1v1 throw-in to start the game
At the start of both halves the referee would begin the game by throwing the ball in to just one player from each team. This would encourage the skill of high fielding and produce a contest for possession that would be exciting to watch for supporters.
40 metre scoring arc and new scoring system
The introduction of a new 40 metre scoring arc around both sets of goalposts would facilitate a new scoring system. Points scored from on or outside the 40 metre arc would be worth two points with points scored from within the 40 metre arc worth one point. A goal would be worth four points. Converted 45s would continue to be worth one point.
The referee would raise both arms to signal to their umpire that a two-pointer has been scored and a coloured flag that would signal a two-pointer is also under consideration.
These potential rule enhancements would encourage teams to attempt more long-range points and try to engineer more goal-scoring opportunities.
Kick-outs
Kick-outs would be taken from the 20 metre line and must go beyond the 40-metre arc. Players can be positioned behind the 20 metre line when the goalkeeper kicks the ball out. If an opposition player interferes with the goalkeeper or intercepts the ball within the 40 metre arc then the ball would be brought forward 50 metres.
Requiring goalkeepers to kick the ball beyond the 40 metre arc would lead to more contests for possession. Allowing players to remain behind the 20 metre line would speed up the kick-out.
‘Solo and Go’
A player who is fouled has the option of continuing play by taking a ‘solo and go’ rather than pausing play to take a free. It doesn’t have to be the player who is fouled that takes the ‘solo and go’. For example, if a player was grounded by a foul they could hand the ball to their nearest team-mate who could then take the ‘solo and go’. Still being teased out by the committee is when the player who takes a ‘solo and go’ can be tackled by the opposition. Options include allowing the player who takes the ‘solo and go’ to take four steps before being tackled, or to carry the ball a defined number of metres before being tackled. In trial matches the ‘solo and go’ has significantly speeded up the game.
Advanced mark
You can claim an offensive mark if you field a ball inside the 20-metre line that has been kicked from outside the 45 metre line. But, rather than stop and claim the mark, players can instead continue to play and attempt to score from open play. The referee plays advantage and if none accrues then the ball is brought back for the mark. Rather than limit an advantage to five seconds, consideration is being given to allowing referees to give advantage for as long as there’s positive momentum.
This potential rule enhancement combined with a four-point goal should incentivise teams to kick long into forwards and would reward the skills of kick-passing and high fielding. It would also potentially lead to more goal-scoring chances.
Limits on passing to the goalkeeper
A player may only pass the ball to their goalkeeper if both they and the goalkeeper are inside the large rectangle or if the goalkeeper has advanced beyond their own 65 yard line. The goalkeeper can still move up the field to challenge the opposition kick-out or attempt to intercept a pass from the opposition. This potential rule enhancement would cut down on back-passing to goalkeepers, incentivise teams to push up on opposition defenders, and create more contests for possession.
3/3 Up/Back
This rule enhancement under consideration would oblige both teams to always have a minimum of three players inside each 65 yard line. So, if you’re the defending team, you must keep three outfield players inside the opposition ’65 and defend with a maximum of 11 players outside it. If a defending player retreats beyond the ’65 to give his team a numerical advantage then they would concede a free on their own 13 metre line to the opposition. If a player carries the ball past their own ’65 and leaves less than three team-mates behind them then a free is given to the opposition at the point where they crossed the line.
By having to keep three up and three back, space should be created for the attacking team. If the defending team turns the ball over they’d have an opportunity to kick in the counter-attack to which should lead to more end to end action.
The Football Review Committee are also working on a number of other proposals relating to foul play, dissent, and game officiating that would further buttress the ‘seven core enhancements’.
These include but are not limited to the following:
Penalising tactical fouls
Tactical fouls that slow down the game such as holding up an opposition player, throwing the ball away, or interfering with free-kicks, sideline balls, and kick-outs would be penalised by bringing the ball forward 50 metres. Players would also have the option of taking a ‘solo and go’.
Penalising dissent
If a player forcibly challenges a referee the opposition can bring the ball forward 50 metres.
Aggressive dissent from an identifiable team official or non-playing subs would result in a 13 metre free-kick being awarded against that team.
Square ball rule
The square ball rule for free-kicks would be aligned with the general play rule whereby a player can enter the opposition’s square as soon as the ball is kicked.
Head to head contact
Any head to head contact be it intentional or unintentional would be a red-card offence.
Contributing to a melee
Contributing to a melee would be a black-card offence unless your intention is to remove a team-mate from the melee.
Overtime showdown
This would be a means of determining the outcome of a game without penalties or potentially even extra-time. If game is drawn the ball is thrown in again and the game is continued until one team scores. The other team then gets one more opportunity to score. If they score and that ties the game then the ball is thrown up again and whoever scores next wins the game.
Stop clock
The match would be timed by a stop clock and the end of the game signalled by a hooter. The committee are still considering a couple of different options regarding the hooter. One option is that the game would be over as soon as the hooter sounds. Another option is that after the hooter sounds the game doesn’t end until the ball goes dead, thereby giving the team in possession one last chance to score if they so wish.
Vanishing foam
Referees would mark the spot from where a free-kick should be taken with vanishing foam to prevent free-takers from stealing yards.
Sideline official
Currently the sideline official can only bring an infraction they have spotted to the attention of the referee during a break in play. The FRC are considering a proposal that would allow the sideline official to do this at any stage in the game and thereby assist in a more meaningful way.
Substitutions
The number of substitutions a team can make would rise from five to six.
Special Congress will convene on November 30 to facilitate the introduction of the trial of rule enhancements for 2025 competitions.
That trial would include a mid-season 2025 review before the formal end of the trial with the completion of the 2025 championships.
It is envisaged that a full review will take place at that juncture with a view to the adoption of new rules for football from January 1, 2026.
Tipperary GAA Scene
If there is anything you feel should feature in this column going forward, please feel free to forward it to pro.tipperary@gaa.ie
By Jonathan Cullen Wed 18th Sep
