Nenagh’s 95 success to be honoured on County Final day

By Shane Brophy

Nenagh Eire Og’s one and only County Senior Hurling Championship success in 1995 will be remembered this Sunday as they are honoured at this year’s jubilee team on county hurling final day.

Two years after they should have been honoured, Covid prevented the jubilee teams from being honoured in 2020 and 2021, but it is better late than never as Nenagh recall their greatest ever day, almost 27 years to the day when Eire Og defeated Boherlahan-Dualla 2-25 to 2-8 in the final on 21st October 1995 at Semple Stadium.

Nenagh won the North Tipperary Senior Hurling League that year, which proved vital as a surprise third-round exit in the North Championship to Borris-Ileigh, meant Nenagh required a playoff to stay in the hunt for the county championship, and as league champions they were entitled to a playoff against the North final runners-up, who turned out to be Borris-Ileigh, whom they beat after a replay.

From there, Nenagh went into the county quarter finals where they defeated South champions Mullinahone 2-16 to 3-9, before accounting for an experienced Cashel King Cormacs by one point in the semi-final.

Then came the famous day when Nenagh not only won their first Dan Breen Cup but did so in style by defeating Boherlahan-Dualla, in front of an attendance of 14,137, ending decades of disappointment.

Inspired by man of the match Eddie Tucker, Nenagh led 0-12 to 1-5 at half time but there was never a semblance of a comeback as an experienced Eire Og team pulled away from a youthful Boherlahan side who would have their day in the sun the following year and will be next year’s jubilee team.

Final quarter goals from John Heffernan and Robbie Tomlinson completed Nenagh’s impressive seventeen-point win. From there, captain Conor O’Donovan became the first Nenagh Eire Og clubman to lift the Dan Breen Cup.

The team was managed by legendary Birr man Pat Joe Whelehan whom Eddie Tucker paid particular tribute for the victory, recounted in PJ Maxwell’s ‘Gaelic Sport in Nenagh Volume 3’.

“Pat Joe put huge belief into the side. Two years ago, we came here to play in a county final but today we came here to win it.”

Michael Cleary added: “Pat Joe made some important changes, like moving John Kennedy to wing back, and he brought a common-sense approach to training.”

Pat Joe Whelehan admitted he was reluctant to get involved as he was training three other teams at the time, including his native Birr, but relentless urgings from the late Ger Gavin and captain Conor O’Donovan saw him change his mind.

“I worked on Nenagh’s pace and speed, and we always trained for the last ten minutes in games,” Whelehan said.

“When I left Toomevara two years ago (after beating Nenagh in the county final) I told the chairman there (Fr. Casey) that if I was to come back to Tipperary to train a team that the only one team I would think of and what was Nenagh.”

What prophetic words they were as the team were paraded through the town late on Sunday night after returning from Thurles. Nenagh would go on to reach a Munster Club final, defeating Limerick’s Patrickswell after a replay in the semi-final, before falling to Sixmilebridge of Clare in the final.

However, winning a first county senior title was their Everest and that special year will be recalled by players, mentors and supporters when they are paraded before the crowd prior next Sunday between the end of the premier intermediate final and the start of the senior final, before returning to the Abbey Court Hotel when there will be a special function to mark the occasion by Tipperary County Board.