Under 21 Hurling finals to bring end to club season

By Liam Hogan

The curtain comes down on the Tipperary GAA club season this Saturday with the playing of the County Under 21 ‘A’ & ‘B’ Hurling finals.

‘A’ FINAL – Drom & Inch v Roscrea in Templederry at 1.30pm

No strangers to senior hurling there is a novel pairing to this County Under 21 ‘A’ Hurling final when Roscrea take on favourites Drom & Inch in the decider.

Novel it is with Roscrea appearing in the final for the first time since 1984 when they were winners for the fifth time in their history when accounting for Moycarkey/Borris.

This has been a good year for Roscrea who were crowned North champions after they defeated Toomevara in the final and edged past Clonoulty/Rossmore in the county semi-final last Saturday.

Drom & Inch won their semi-final with a much bigger margin over Carrick Swan. That came on the back of a number of stiff tests in Mid Tipp culminating in a divisional success over Thurles Sarsfield in the final.

Based on recent successes it was expected that a winner in this championship would come from the Mid division it would suggest that Drom are strong favourites. They have a multitude of talented players led by John Campion who is currently with the Tipperary senior set-up. Other key players include Jack Lillis, Maidhc Fitzpatrick and Tony Cahill. Cormac Cahill and Cormac Fitzpatrick are promising seventeen year-olds while the team is boosted by a number of the successful County Junior ‘B’ winning squad in 2023.

Having said all that, it is safe to assume that Roscrea won be coming just to make up the numbers. Their win over Clonoulty Rossmore was hard fought. The six-week gap between the North final win and the county semi-final may have been an obstacle but some of their players didn’t have the influence we have come to expect from them, and Luke Seacy and Conor O’Donovan will be sure to carry the baton with Lee Doran, Brian O’Rourke and Conor Shanahan refusing to give much leeway. Goalkeeper Harry Loughnane could be a match-winner once again. Up front Roscrea have plenty of strength and height advantage in Diarmuid McLoughlin, Dylan Hogan, Leigh Loughnane, Conor Dooley, and Jamie Ryan. Sam Dooley and Kenny Lee can get around the field and have the hurling potential to match any rival.

This will be close, but it is hard to look past Drom & Inch who hope to win their third title and bridge a 22 year gap following their two in a row 2000 & 2001. Verdict: Drom & Inch

‘B’ FINAL – Gortnahoe/Glengoole v Silvermines in Golden at 1.30pm

North champions Silvermines have been favourites from a long way out and apart from their narrow win over Kilruane MacDonaghs in the divisional final it would be difficult to disagree with that theory.

There are a number of key players in Sean Ryan Prenderville at full back, Luke O’Brien at six plus Conor McKelvey, Danny Quinn, and Gerard Leamy in attack. Cathal Treacy is a loss due to his red card offence in the county semi-final against Galtee Rovers. Silvermines were last winners of this title in 2006.

With an impressive semi-final win over Killenaule, this Gortnahoe-Glengoole side have more recent vintage in terms of county final success in 2016 & 2019, and have high hopes of a third. They defeated Loughmore/Castleiney in the Mid final, and their key players include Damien Corbett who was a county minor in 2022. Damien Gleeson and Conor Gleeson were part of the Tipp minors in 2023 while Darragh Maher is currently with the Tipperary senior squad. This is a young team overall with ten of the starting fifteen at under 19 level.

Silvermines have a young team also, but they are strong up the spine of the team and that strength should carry them through to their second county final win. Verdict: Silvermines