Tipperary GAA Scene 27th September
BY COUNTY PRO GER RYAN
COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS
The county senior hurling semi-finals will take place next Sunday at Semple Stadium. Drom and Inch will play Mullinahone at 2pm with Fergal Horgan in charge and Thurles Sarsfields will play Clonoulty Rossmore at 3pm with John Cleary as referee. Thurles Sarsfields defeated Clonoulty Rossmore in last year’s county final and they last met at semi-final stage in 2008 when Sarsfields won a replay after extra time. It’s interesting to note that Clonoulty Rossmore are coached this year by former Sarsfields player, Liam Cahill. Drom and Inch and Mullinahone have never met at semi-final stage but Mullinahone won their earlier round clash in last year’s championship. It is interesting to note that this is the first time since 1997 and only the second time since 1959 that no team from the North Division qualified for the semi-finals. The county senior hurling final will be played at Semple Stadium on October 16.
ADMISSION TO SEMI-FINALS
Admission prices for Sunday’s semi-finals are €15 for adults and €10 for OAPs and students (with valid ID). Both stands will be open. Admission prices for the final will also be €15 for adults and €10 for OAPs and students. A concession ticket can be purchased on Sunday for supporters wishing to attend both the semi-finals and final. It will cost €25 for adults (save €5) and €15 for OAPs and students (save €5). Over 350 people availed of the discount package for the semi-finals.
SENIOR HURLING RELEGATION
The senior hurling relegation decider will is fixed for next Sunday at 12 noon in Templemore between Borrisokane and Cashel King Cormacs. The losers will be relegated to Intermediate status for next year.
SEAMUS O RIAIN CUP
The Seamus O Riain Cup final between Moycarkey Borris and Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams will be the first game on county final day and is scheduled for 1.30pm at Semple Stadium on October 16.
COUNTY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The county senior football championship quarter final draws and fixtures were made on Monday night last. On Saturday October 1 Moyle Rovers will play Galtee Rovers / St. Pecaun at 1.30pm at Leahy Park, Cashel. On Sunday October 9, JK Brackens will play Thomas MacDonaghs at Toomevara at 3pm. Arravale Rovers and Clonmel Commercials have already qualified for the semi-finals.
DIVISIONAL SENIOR FOOTBALL FINALS
Congratulations to Clonmel Commercials and to Arravale Rovers who respectively won the South and West senior football championship finals on Sunday. Commercials won their first title since 2004 and in defeating Moyle Rovers by 2-6 to 1-3 prevented Rovers from winning six South titles in a row. Arravale defeated Eire Og Annacarty by 1-7 to 0-7 and won their first divisional title at this grade since 1993. Well done also to Mid Senior Football champions JK Brackens on winning the Mid title for the first time since 2006 by defeating defending champions, Loughmore Castleiney, after extra time a couple of weeks ago.
DOUBLE DRAW BONANZA PRIZEWINNERS
The draw for the top 3 prizes in the Double Draw Bonanza was made at half-time during the county senior hurling championship quarter-final between Drom and Inch and Toomevara. The prizes were drawn by County Chairman, Barry O’Brien, Tipperary senior hurling captain, Eoin Kelly of Mullinahone and All Ireland winning Tipperary minor football captain, Liam McGrath of Loughmore Castleiney. The winners were: 1st prize of trip for 2 to Australia – Paul O Callaghan, Maryville, Murgasty Rd, Tipperary Town. Seller – (Effin) Eddie Moroney; 2nd prize of trip for 2 to San Francisco with hurling All Stars – William Costigan, Gurreen, Killea, Templemore, Seller – William Costigan (Clonakenny GAA Club); 3rd prize of 2 tickets to all of Tipperary’s senior hurling championship games in 2012 – Cappawhite GAA Club. Congratulations to all the prize winners and sincere thanks to all those who purchased and sold tickets. All proceeds of the draw go towards the preparation of Tipperary’s inter-county football and hurling teams.
COUNTY MINOR C HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Congratulations to Ballylooby-Castlegrace who captured their first ever County Minor C Hurling Championship title following a high-scoring final with Rockwell Rovers, winning by 1-17 to 4-7 after extra time at Cahir on Saturday last. Afterwards, Ballylooby-Castlegrace captain Brendan Walsh accepted the trophy on behalf of his team from County Vice-Chairman, Sean Nugent. Since this competition began in 1999, only 1 other South Divisional team had won the title before this season with Skeheenarinky capturing the 2004 final. Clonakenny top the roll of honour in the grade with 3 County titles. This title was the first adult grade county hurling title ever won by Ballylooby-Castlegrace in their 70 year existence so it was both a historic and proud achievement for everybody associated with the club.
COUNTY MINOR A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
The county minor A football championship semi-final between Clonmel Commercials and Loughmore Castleiney at Leahy Park, Cashel on Saturday at 1pm (curtain raiser to Moyle Rovers v Galtee Rovers SF Q/F) will have 11 of the county minor football panel in action – 7 from Commercials and 4 from Loughmore. It could be well worth a trip to Cashel on Saturday!
FOLLOW TIPPERARY GAA ON TWITTER
Thanks to everyone who followed the Championship updates last weekend via the Tipperary GAA Twitter page. Live updates from the four County Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Finals as well as score updates and results from the other key club matches played over Saturday and Sunday were posted via Twitter to over 2,400 followers. Further live updates from Sunday’s County SHC Semi-Finals will also be posted on Twitter. If you have a Twitter account, be sure to follow us @tipperarygaa. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the Tipperary GAA Sport Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com or sign up for both Social media outlets via www.tipperary.gaa.ie .
MASTERS HANDBALL
The Masters All-Ireland Final was hosted by Ballina on Monday night September 26.
Michael “Ducksy” Walsh and D.J. Carey from Kilkenny beat local pair Martin McInerney and Michael Gleesson. A packed gallery enjoyed the final with Kilkenny winning 21/8, 16/21, 21/9.
CROKE PARK HOTEL / CONFERENCE CENTRE SUPPORT FOR CLUBS
The Croke Park Conference Centre and the Croke Park Hotel have joined forces to launch an innovative new programme to generate funds for local GAA clubs. The GAA Club Support Programme offers GAA clubs from all over Ireland and overseas the opportunity to benefit from their supporters’ choice to select The Croke Park Hotel for accommodation and to choose the Croke Park Conference Centre for meetings, conferences, dining functions, receptions or exhibitions. A rebate of 5% based on accommodation and food spend at The Croke Park Hotel and on room hire and pre-booked food spend at the Croke Park Conference Centre will be made to the GAA supporter’s chosen GAA club at no extra cost to that supporter. To ensure 5% of spend for the nominated club, all that is required is that the club’s name is quoted at the time of booking or selected on the hotel’s online booking page – it couldn’t be easier! For example, if 10 weekend stays including breakfast and a dinner were booked at The Croke Park Hotel by members or supporters of any one club, that club could stand to receive between €150 and €180, enough to buy 7-9 jerseys. If a function room were booked for 100 people, with lunch, at the Croke Park Conference Centre the nominated club could potentially earn between €250 and €400.The GAA Club Support Programme is strongly supported and endorsed by the GAA. Four well-known club players, representing the provinces and their respective clubs were present at the launch to lend their support to this initiative. These included Ryan O’Dwyer from Kilmacud Crokes Dublin, Michael Murphy, Glenswilly GAA Club Donegal, Ronan Curran from St Finbarr’s GAA Club, Cork and Padraic Joyce, Killererin GAA Club, Galway.
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 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.
