Tipperary GAA Scene 6th September

by County PRO Ger Ryan

ALL IRELAND SENIOR HURLING FINAL

Commiserations to the Tipperary senior hurling team and management on their defeat in the All Ireland senior hurling championship final against Kilkenny at Croke Park last Sunday. Great credit is due to the team and management for their preparation and brave battle they put up. It was a disappointing result but we can still be proud of the team and management. Well done to Kilkenny. Winning 5 All Irelands in 6 years is a phenomenal achievement by any standards and they have set records that will surely take a long time to be beaten. Thanks to the Tipperary Association Dublin for hosting the All Ireland final night banquet at the Burlington Hotel and to all those who attended the banquet. Thanks are also due to the several thousand people who came to Semple Stadium on Monday evening to welcome home the team. Their warm welcome, support and encouragement are greatly appreciated. Well done to Michael Bourke and his committee for organising the home coming. The senior hurling team and management would like to thank the Tipperary supporters for the great support they received all year. Despite the difficult economic times, Tipperary people have turned out in huge numbers all year and it is much appreciated. Thanks also to our new sponsors Skoda for their great support since they became team sponsors at the start of the championship.

ALL IRELAND MINOR HURLING FINAL REFEREE

Congratulations and well done to Johnny Ryan of Boherlahan Dualla who refereed last Sunday’s All Ireland minor championship final between Galway and Dublin which Galway won. His umpires were Willie Cross, Seamus Manton, Tony Lacey (all Boherlahan Dualla) and JC Ryan (Upperchurch Drombane). Johnny was the first Tipperary man to referee a minor decider since Willie Barrett took charge of the Kilkenny-Cork tie in 1990. Johnny also refereed this year’s All Ireland club hurling final between Clarinbridge and O’Loughlin Gaels and here in Tipperary he was in charge of this year’s Mid Tipperary senior hurling championship final between Loughmore Castleiney and Drom and Inch.

NEW DOUBLE DRAW BONANZA

Congratulations to the winners of the first stage of the Tipperary Training Fund Bonanza Draw held on September 1^st. They were: 4th Prize(Weekend in Dublin & 2 Tickets for All Ireland Hurling): Irene Harty Carrig Limerick Rd, Roscrea (sold by JK Brackens); 5th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Hurling): Joan Caulfield Stairhaven Kilross (Aherlow); 6th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Hurling):                                          Darragh Houlihan 3 Windgap Village Co. Kilkenny; 7th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Hurling): Fr. Joe Walsh Gortnahoe Thurles (Gortnahoe Glengoole GAA); 8th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Hurling): Tommy Martin 20 Elmwood Thurles (Loughmore Castleiney GAA); 9th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Football): Joseph Butler Powerstown Clonmel (St. Marys GAA); 10th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Football): Maura Norris c/o Seamus Norris Lisronagh Clonmel (Moyle Rovers GAA); 11th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Football): Martin Quinlivan 39 Abbey Meadows Clonmel (Commercials GAA); 12th Prize (2 Tickets for All Ireland Football): Michael Murphy 1 Iona Avenue Thurles (Thurles Sarsfields GAA). The Star Prize, 2nd & 3rd Prize draw will be held on Sunday 25th September in Semple Stadium. Thanks to all clubs and individual promoters who sold tickets for the draw. Clubs who have not already sold their quota of tickets for the draw are reminded to complete their sales before September 25^th.

ALL IRELAND MINOR FOOTBALL FINAL

Following all the attention on the All Ireland senior hurling final, inter-county focus in Tipperary for the next 2 weeks will be on the All Ireland minor championship final between Tipperary and Dublin on Sunday week, September 18^th. The game will be refereed by Padraig Hughes of Armagh. From Crossmaglen Rangers, Padraig is no stranger to finals at this level having refereed the Minor final replay between Roscommon and Kerry in 2006, as well as the Ulster Senior Championship final in 2009. The Stand By Ref/Linesman will be Michael Duffy (Sligo), the linesman will be Barry Cassidy (Derry) and the Sideline Official will be John Reape (London). The umpires for the minor game will be Dermot Hughes (Crossmaglen Rangers) Dessie McDonnell and Martin Moley, (both St Killians, Whitecross) and Pat McGeough, (Laurence O’Tooles, Belleek).

COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP

Inter-club rivalry resumes in a big way this weekend with games in the county senior hurling championship, Seamus O Riain Cup and senior hurling relegation.  In Round 2 of the county senior hurling championship on Saturday September 10, Carrick Davins will play JK Brackens at Leahy Park, Cashel at 3pm. This will be followed at 4.30pm by the Seamus O Riain Cup quarter-final between Moneygall and Ballybacon Grange. On Sunday, September 11, in the senior championship round 3, there will be a double header at the Ragg with Eire Og Annacarty playing Nenagh Eire Og at 2pm and Thurles Sarsfields playing Upperchurch-Drombane at 3.30pm. Burgess will play Templederry Kenyons at MacDonagh Park , Nenagh at 4.30pm. The fourth round 3 game between Borris-Ileigh and the winners of Carrick Davins and JK Brackens will take place on Wednesday September 14 at 7.30pm in Semple Stadium. There will also be a double header in Holycross on Sunday when Ballingarry play Borrisokane at 12 noon in the relegation semi-final and Moycarkey-Borris play Boherlahan-Dualla at 1.30pm in the Seamus O Riain Cup semi-final.

COUNTY SENIOR HURLING LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION FINAL

Congratulations to Drom and Inch on winning the county senior hurling league Premier Division final against Burgess by 1-20 to 1-12 at Kenyon Park, Templederry last Wednesday night.

ALL IRELAND 7s

It was not a totally disappointing All Ireland final weekend as Kildangan won the All Ireland senior hurling 7s run by Kilmacud Crokes. They defeated Kilmacud after extra time in the final by 5-14 to 3-16. Congratulations to Kildangan on their hard won victory. Holycross-Ballycahill reached the semi-finals and Drom and Inch reached the quarter-finals. In the All Ireland junior hurling 7s hosted by  St. Jude’s Templeogue, Shannon Rovers narrowly failed to make it 3 in a row when going down by 1-9 to 1-6 against Blackrock of Limerick in the final.

ALL IRELAND UNDER 21 HURLING FINAL

The All Ireland under 21 hurling final between Galway and Dublin will be played on Saturday evening next at Semple Stadium at 7pm. It will be preceded at 5pm by the under 21 B final between Kerry and Westmeath.  Admission prices are Stand: €20 for adults,  €15 for students and OAPs; Terrace: €15 for adults , €10 for students and OAPs. Under 16s are free to stand or terrace.

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.