Tipperary GAA Scene August 9th 2011

BY COUNTY PRO GER RYAN

ALL IRELAND SENIOR HURLING SEMI-FINAL

Good luck to the Tipperary senior hurlers and management team for their All Ireland senior hurling semi-final against Dublin at Croke Park next Sunday August 14 at 3.30pm. The winners will play Kilkenny in the All Ireland final on Sunday, September 4.  The game will be preceded by the minor semi-final between Dublin and Waterford at 1.30pm.  There are some excellent good value ticket packages available including group tickets for clubs which cost just €10 each. It would be wonderful to have a big Tipperary support at the game – there is no doubt that there will be a large crowd supporting Dublin and a strong Tipperary presence will be important to the team as they strive to reach their third All Ireland final in a row.

NEW DOUBLE DRAW BONANZA

A new double draw bonanza with fantastic prizes has been launched in aid of the training fund for the county hurling and football teams. So far this has been a good year again for Tipperary teams with two Munster titles secured by the senior hurlers and minor footballers and both teams now looking forward to All Ireland semi-finals. The 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.

TIPPERARY CLUBS DRAW

The next Draw in the Tipperary GAA Clubs draw will take place on Friday August 12 in Meaneys Bar, Ballyporeen at 10pm sharp. On the night Adam McNamara will be presented with his winning cheque of €15,000 along with €500 to promoter John Fox. Upperchurch Drombane winner Kathleen Hayes will also be presented with her winning cheque of €10,000 along with €400 to promoter Padraig Hayes. Over 30 prizes will again be given away on the night with a car, holiday and cash prizes totalling €40,000 to be won. Come along and support local Club Skeheenarinka celebrate their big night. Remember if you cannot attend then tune in to Tipp FM on Friday night between 10.30pm and 11.00pm to get a live update on the results of the draw.

The Mick Cowan Memorial Hurling Challenge

Earlier this year the officers and friends of both Borris-Ileigh and Moyne Templetuohy GAA clubs got together and with the blessing of the Cowan family set about organising a hurling challenge between the two clubs for which the late Mick Cowan gave so many outstanding performances. He won county senior hurling titles with both clubs, won an All Ireland club title with Borris-Ileigh and represented Tipperary at all grades of hurling and football. The game will be played next Saturday evening, August 13 in Borrisoleigh at 7.30pm with the winners receiving the Mick Cowan Perpetual Trophy, presented by the Cowan family. Admission will be free but a Bucket Collection in aid of the North Tipperary Hospice will be taken up during the game. An under 12 juvenile hurling game between both clubs will take place during the interval. The Cowan family invites all to join them for a BBQ, Music and a raffle for numerous prizes including a Tipperary jersey, signed by all the players, in Stapletons Bar, Borrisoleigh after the game. It is intended that this will be an annual event hosted by each club in alternate years.

James McKeogh Memorial Tournament

The second James McKeogh Memorial Tournament takes place on this Saturday in Na Fianna Club on St. Mobhi Road, Dublin. The tournament will feature Senior / Intermediate teams from Ballina; Smith O’Briens (Killaloe); St. Patricks Palmerstown (Dublin) and host club Na Fianna. The days hurling starts at 11am and continues until the last game at 2:45pm. All games are 45 minutes duration. The tournament was played in Ballina last year and won by Ballyhale Shamrocks. The tournament is held in memory of James McKeogh who played with his native Ballina and later Na Fianna. Anyone coming up to Dublin early for the semi-final is welcome to attend.

HILLSIDE VIEWS

On Saturday next August 13, a book titled “Hillside Views” by Jimmy Fogarty will be launched by Michael Lowry TD in Corcoran’s Lounge Two-Mile-Borris. Jimmy’s 200 page book is a compendium of many stories of both local and other interests and is based on people and places of times past and present, including an amount of GAA material with profiles of famous players from the Moycarkey-Borris GAA club. The proceedings will commence with a wine and cheese reception at 9pm followed by official launch at 10pm. Finger food will also be served. MC for the night is former club player and club officer John Hackett. Jimmy Fogarty is currently Vice-President of the Moycarkey-Borris GAA club having served as Secretary, PRO and Selector during a long association with the club following the end of his playing days. Jimmy was involved in recording the Moycarkey-Borris GAA Club History in the mid-1980s and in more recent times, wrote “70 Years of Athletics in a County Tipperary Parish” – a history of the Moycarkey Coolcroo Athletic Club.

FRIENDS OF TIPPERARY FOOTBALL GOLF TOURNAMENT

The last of the Divisional Qualifiers organised by the Friends of Tipperary Football was held in Thurles Golf Club on Friday, August 5.   The 2 teams that qualified for the Grand Final in Co. Tipperary Golf Club on Saturday, August 20 were 1st Harry Mulhaire, Tommy Quigley, Stephen Quigley, Sean Sherlock 104 points. 2nd Bill Dwyer. Jim Dwyer, Joe O’Rourke, Jimmy Connors 102 points (on count back).  Both teams were representing Moycarkey-Borris.  The Committee wish to thank all the Clubs that supported the Classic in each of the 4 Divisions and to thank everyone who played at the different venues.  Details of times for the Grand Final will be notified to all qualifiers as soon as these are finalised.

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.