Tipperary GAA Scene 23rd August

By County PRO Ger Ryan

ALL IRELAND MINOR FOOTBALL SEMI-FINAL

Congratulations to the Tipperary minor footballers and management team on their great victory in the All Ireland minor football semi-final over Roscommon at Croke Park on Sunday last. It is Tipperary’s first time to qualify for a minor football final since 1984 when they were defeated by Dublin. Tipperary won its only title at this grade in 1934. Tipp will play Dublin or Galway in the final with their opponents to be confirmed after Sunday next’s second semi-final.

NEW DOUBLE DRAW BONANZA

With 2 teams now qualified for All Ireland finals, we are asking for support for the double draw bonanza with fantastic prizes which is in aid of the training fund for the county hurling and football teams. Your support will be invaluable towards defraying the costs of preparing our teams. We have the opportunity for the first time since 1965 to retain the All Ireland senior hurling championship and for €10 you can make a difference to the preparation of our team. The fantastic prizes include a trip for 2 to Australia for 2 weeks for the compromise rules games in October, a holiday for 2 to San Francisco with the All Stars in late November, tickets for the All Ireland senior hurling and football finals and tickets for all Tipperary’s senior football and hurling championship games next year. Tickets cost only €10 each and are available from clubs, county board officers, the GAA shops in Thurles and Clonmel, online at www.tipperary.gaa.ie and by phone during business hours Monday to Saturday at 0504 22702. We would greatly appreciate support for this draw as it will provide much needed funding to continue training and preparing our teams to the high standards necessary to achieve success.

ALL IRELAND FINAL BANQUET

The Tipperary Association in Dublin has announced details of the traditional Post Match Banquet on the occasion of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final between Tipperary and Kilkenny. The banquet will take place in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin. As has been the tradition for the last 50 years, the Association will host a banquet for the Tipperary Senior Hurling team and the management. The event is organised in conjunction with the County Board and the Tipperary Supporters Club.  Dinner will begin at 8.00pm. Tickets for the function, to include the meal and entertainment are priced at €70 each. Tables for 10 – 12 persons may be purchased, but individual tickets are also available. A limited number of post banquet tickets will be available at the cost of €10 each. This will allow entry to the function once dinner and the formalities have concluded (approx. 11.00 pm onwards). Entry to the function will be subject to being over 20 years of age (I.D./evidence of age required). Because of the interest and excitement in the county it is expected that the event will be over subscribed and early booking is advised. Tickets must be purchased in advance and the latest date for purchasing tickets (subject to availability) is Monday 29th. August. Payment for tickets (cheques made payable to Tipperary Association Dublin) should be sent, along with a stamped addressed envelope, to; Pat Ryan, Tipperary Association Dublin, 11 Foxfield Grove, Raheny, Dublin 5. For further details contact 086 1216407. Tipperary County Board would like to thank the Tipperary Association Dublin for arranging the function.

COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

The draw for round 3 of the county senior hurling championship produced the following pairings: Eire Og Annacarty v Nenagh Eire Og; Borris-Ileigh v winners of JK Brackens v Carrick Davins; Thurles Sarsfields v Upperchurch Drombane; Burgess v Templederry Kenyons. Carrick Davins were nominated by the South Board to play the round 2 game against JK Brackens.

SEAMUS O RIAIN CUP SEMI-FINALs

The draw for the semi-finals of the Seamus O Riain Cup is Motcarkey-Borris v Boherlahan-Dualla and Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams v winners of Ballybacon Grange v Moneygall.

SH RELEGATION

The draw for the semi-finals of the relegation contest is Ballingarry v Borrisokane and Cashel King Cormacs  v losers of Ballybacon Grange and Moneygall.

COUNTY UNDER 21 C HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Congratulation to Ballinahinch on winning the county under 21 C hurling championship against Carrick Davins at Leahy Park Cashel on Saturday last. It is Ballinahinch’s third title at this grade having previously won in 2000 and 2006.

COUNTY SENIOR HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2 FINAL

Congratulations to JK Brackens on their victory over Templederry in the county senior hurling league Division 2 final at Dolla on Sunday evening on a scoreline of 1-12 to 1-11.

THE LATE TJ WALSH

The death took place of TJ Walsh Donoughmore Co Limerick and formerly of Gormanstown Ardfinnan on August 12 2011. T J played football for Ardfinnan at all levels with his senior career spanning from 1968-1984. He won Senior South Championship medals in 1968 1973 and 1974. He lined out at full forward in 1970 and played midfield in 1974 County Championship winning teams. He also played for Tipperary at Minor in 1967 and progressed to U21 and Junior in 1970 whilst he played Senior Championship for Tipperary in 1974. He was regarded as an elegant midfielder and was an outstanding fielder of the high ball. TJ also brought great humour to the dressing room and always played the game with a smile on his face. In 1974 TJ together with teammate and friend Liam Myles formed a player’s association in the club with a view to organizing trips to Dublin for big games and in general to create a greater bond with the players of that era. One memorable trip organized by TJ was a club trip to Coventry in October 1974 where the club played a football and hurling game against Coventry who were lead by former Ardfinnan stalwart Tom Ryan. It proved to be a   most enjoyable and hugely successful outing and is fondly recalled to this day. A huge crowd attended the funeral at his home in Donoughmore on the Sunday evening whilst the club formed a guard of honour with the coffin draped in the club colours at his removal and burial on Monday. We extend our sincere sympathy to his wife Susan, sons Enda and Barry, daughters Laura, Roisin and Suzanne, sisters Peggy Mary and Alice, brother Willie, and his extended family and friends. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.

ALL IRELAND FINAL SCORE COMPETITION

With the build up to the match in to the final stages, would you like to help Tipperary’s championship preparations and possibly win your choice of either a pair of stand tickets to the 2011 All Ireland Football Final or alternatively a pair of GAA Season Tickets for 2012?  This great prize will be won by the person who correctly, or most closely, predicts the full time score of the final v Kilkenny in the Tipperary Supporters Club score prediction competition. The fee is €5 for one entry, €10 for three entries or €15 for five entries and all proceeds will go towards the costs of Tipperary’s training for the Final. To enter on line just click on www.tippsupportersclub.com, where entry fees can be paid by credit or laser card.  Also you can send entries by post to John Coman, 52 Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W (087 9087105) to arrive by Thursday September 1. On line entries will close at 1pm on September 4.  Entries must give goals and points for each team.  The winner will be contacted on Monday September 5.  Entrants, who must be at least 18 years old, should provide name, address and phone number and rules are on the website. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to Tipperary Supporters Club.

TPPERARY 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 contact the County Public Relations Officer Ger Ryan at 086-8149146 or via e-mail at pro.tipperary@gaa.ie on or before 3: 0pm on Monday. Visit the Tipperary GAA web site at http://tipperary.gaa.ie to keep up to date with all the latest news in Tipperary GAA circles.