Nenagh chasing historic treble in the chase for Frank McGrath

North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Preview

By Liam Hogan

With Tipperary’s senior inter-county campaigns over, the scene is set for the club championships to commence. This year it starts much earlier; eighteen days in fact.

As in 2023, the North Tipperary Senior Hurling championship is on a straight knockout basis. Eight teams take part with Lorrha joining from last year as premier intermediate winners.

The four quarter finals will commence this Wednesday through Sundsay, with the semi-finals planned for 7th July and the final a week later. The schedule is perfect for the start of the County Championship on the weekend of 28th July.

BORRIS-ILEIGH

It’s been a good year for Borris-Ileigh so far. Narrowly beaten by Upperchurch/Drombane in the County League Division 1 semi-final, they are looking forward to getting back to the top. Despite being the only team to defeat Kiladangan in last year’s county championship, they failed to make the knockout stages.

James Gould, a selector with Fr Vincent Stapleton and manager John Connors explained that the team is really looking forward to this year’s games.

“We used the league to look at what we had,” he began.

“We got great commitment from the lads. We are very lucky to have Brendan Maher waiting on the wings. He was with Offaly hurlers in the MacDonagh Cup campaign over the past few months. We have lost Jerry Kelly who is gone travelling and is going to be a big loss but that is the situation we are in. Post Covid a lot of players decided to travel and who can blame them.”

There is a great rivalry between Kiladangan and Borris-Ileigh with the teams meeting twice last year with victories shared.

“Kiladangan’s record speaks for itself. They are the bench mark for all other teams, but we are delighted to get a chance, so early in the year, and to measure up against them,” added Gould.

KILADANGAN

Kiladangan may have lost last year’s North final to Nenagh but for 2024 they enter as county champions. It was their second Dan Breen having won their first in 2020 and the two noteworthy achievements really crowned their period of dominance with six of their eight North final wins since 2008.

In taking on Borris-Ileigh they continue what decent rivalry is held in the past few years.

“We met them twice last year,” said manager John O’Meara.

“The first in the semi-final of the North and we were lucky to get a result. We met again in the second round of the county championship, and they turned us over. It was certainly a game of two halves. We enjoyed the second half. The first half did not go our way. Borris-Ileigh had an excellent first half with a super start and we will be hoping it won’t happen again.”

Alan Flynn will captain the team again in 2024. He led Kiladangan to a second Dan Breen success in 2023.

“Lifting Dan Breen was a massive achievement for us,” he said.

“It has completed the circle in lifting the North championship and lifting the Dan Breen. We’ve had ups and downs, but it has been a roller coaster ride. We won’t look back on what we have won until we retire it has been a successful period so far.”

KILRUANE MACDONAGHS

For Kilruane MacDonaghs 2023 is best forgotten. They were county champions in 2022 but the new year went very wrong as injury problems haunted them. It was Craig Morgan in 2022 and Niall O’Meara in 2023. Yet they produced solid performances but were off the pace and failed to make the knockout stages of the county championship. 2024 could bring things back on track.

Kilruane have Tomas Williams as manager with Billy O’Shea as selector and Adrian O’Sullivan as coach.

“We struggled last year,” admitted Niall O’Meara.

“Craig Morgan had just come back from injury and then I was injured. If a club is not ninety percent, they will struggle every day. Yes, the body is good, and we’ve had a good block of training since Tipp were knocked out.

“Adrian O’Sullivan spent a time with Camogie team in UL. He was with the Westmeath Under 20s this year and did a lot of work with Limerick’s Paul Kinnerk. We have lots to learn from him.”

Kilruane and Templederry last met in the 2009 championship which Kilruane won.

“I can’t remember much about that game,” Niall recalls.

“They had a great team then and are still good. They were backboned by a lot of players that has given great service to the club. Sean Ryan is now on the county team.

“We have Brian O’Meara and Cian Moyles coming up from minor last year as well so it’s the first time in a while when our team has been strengthened by younger players at the start of the season.”

LORRHA

It is 28 years since Lorrha last met Nenagh Eire Og in a North Senior Championship game when they won 0-10 to 0-9 in Borrisokane.

Lorrha’s tenure at senior level was interrupted twice since then from 1999-2007 and 2022 & 23.

The Lower Ormond club hope to ninth North title and first since 1989. Winning silverware is major currency for the club at present as they won back-to-back county finals 2022 & 2023 at Intermediate & Premier Intermediate level, respectively.

“I remember being in this stand in 2021 when we lost to Burgess in the (premier intermediate) relegation final and it was a long way back to senior level,” said selector Shane Brophy at the championship launch at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh.

“It has been some turn around but all credit to the players, they have performed well and never made any excuses.

“We have come a long way in a couple of years and looking forward to the challenge over the next few weeks. Winning is a habit and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead when we will see how we go against the best teams.”

Michael Dolan played a huge part of the revival as he captained the team to both championship successes. In addition, he won a Munster Junior ‘B’ Football medal with Shannon Rovers. An all-rounder and has enjoyed a great career since he first played senior with his club in 2015.

“Captaining Lorrha to win back-to-back county finals was stuff of dreams,” he admitted.

“We are hoping that the success will continue on over the next few years. We might not have got over the line very often, but we always put it up to teams. John McIntyre’s first year in 2020 we got a run of victories and wound up in a county final that year. We always pride ourselves as been competitive no matter what and we hope we can continue the momentum this year.”

NENAGH EIRE OG

Nenagh Eire Og hope to make history in this year’s North championship by completing a three-in-a-row and a twelfth in all.

It’s a tall order but manager Seamus Cleary says his team is solely focussed on the first game and nothing else.

“It’s there (the three in a row) but it is one match at a time and that’s not a sound bite. We are not thinking any further than the game against Lorrha,” he said.

“The last Nenagh team to do two in a row was 1992 and ’93. We have immolated those boys. It’s a very important target for us. There is no point in thinking otherwise and we will be leaving no stone unturned in order to get that three in a row.”

While Nenagh did retain the North title last year, a place in the last eight of the county championship eluded them. Nenagh supporters are disappointed, but they will be the first to admit they are difficult to beat.

“On our day we pose a challenge to anyone,” Cleary added.

“This year we have a good blend of youth and experience coming through. A few of the lads that were with the Tipperary under 20 hurlers like Mason Cawley and Sam O’Farrell.

“The challenges we face are difficult to see. Those boys are doing their leaving certs. We have had no training session where we would have all of our full squad together. We have to balance that and hopefully we will address that problem.”

ROSCREA

After winning the Premier Intermediate title in 2022, Roscrea are entering the North senior hurling championship for the second year in a row.

Last winners in 2004 when they claimed their sixteenth title, the Reds lost heavily to Nenagh Eire Og in last year’s quarter final but did very well in the Dan Breen Cup reaching the quarter final but losing to Loughmore/Castleiney. Liam England remains at the helm but has added Clonakenny’s Willie Ryan to his backroom team.

“There is no messing with Willie. His S&C is brilliant. The lads love him,” said Roscrea joint captain Dan Ryan.

Other joint-captain Darragh Tynan added: “We made good strides last year in getting out of our group in the county championship. We gave Loughmore a great game in the quarter final and we were very disappointed with the defeat in the end. This year we hope to take it a step further, but we are not looking past Sunday which is the big test for us.”

TEMPLEDERRY KENYONS

At senior level for the third year in a row, it is now or never for this experienced Templederry side who have yet to win the Frank McGrath Cup.

Blessed with the dynamic skills of Tomas Stapleton, Gearoid Ryan, Eanna Murray and captain Christy Coughlan they continue to give everything to the cause.

Last year, they began with a semi-final defeat to Nenagh after receiving a bye in the quarter finals. They regrouped and ran up big scores in the county championship but lost to Loughmore/Castleiney and Upperchurch/Drombane before their win over Holycross/Ballycahill saved them from a relegation battle.

Team manager Ger Cunningham of Kiladangan, Thurles Sarsfields and Newtown Shandon fame is back at the helm for the second year running.

“I’m looking forward to the year,” he said.

“I had a good introductory season in 2023. They are a great bunch and very resolute. I was so impressed by them. Everybody knows the expectations of their supporters.

“Everybody knows we cannot continue yielding high scores. I have learned much from last year. We have everybody back except Brian Stapleton. We have newcomers Paudie Ryan is coming through and played well in the league. Our numbers coming through is small.”

TOOMEVARA

Liam Ryan is captain of the Toomevara team for the second year running. The corner back has been a constant in the defence for almost a decade. His club holds the record of 33 North titles but haven’t brought home Frank McGrath since 2011.

They take on Roscrea next Sunday as they hope to repeat their county championship win over the same opposition.

“When we played each other last year there was nothing in it,” he said.

“We have prepared well and used the recent county league as preparation for this championship. We didn’t do as well as we hoped but we are happy with the two wins out of the five games. They were good league games.

“We are not that far behind as the performance in last year’s county semi-final suggests.

“We have a few more young players coming in to the team. Jake Hackett is a promising player and is after coming in on the back of a good Harty Cup campaign. Darragh McCarthy will be playing his second season and we welcome Joey McLoughney back again.”

Overview

There is very little between the teams. Kiladangan and Nenagh Eire Og are the slight favourites but Borris-Ileigh, Toomevara and Kilruane MacDonaghs will be very much in the mix. Roscrea, Templederry and newcomers Lorrha won’t be far away. In racing terms, the team that is hampered by a small mistake might not have the power to recover as the chasing pack converge. Don’t rule out an upset or two.

Quarter Finals

Borris-Ileigh v Kiladangan in Nenagh on Wednesday 19th June at 7.00pm

Kiladangan welcome back Tipperary goalkeeper Barry Hogan, Willie Connors, Billy Seymour, and Sean Hayes to club duty with the four absentees the county champions had a disappointing league campaign. However, Hayes and Dan O’Meara are suspended after being sent off against Clonlara in the Munster semi-final last year.

Boris-Ileigh will miss Jerry Kelly as the Borris sharpshooter is likely to miss the year due to travel commitments. Paddy McCormack might not have recovered in time after receiving a hand injury when playing with Tipperary Under 20’s side.

Verdict – Kiladangan

Kilruane MacDonaghs v Templederry Kenyons in Dolla on Thursday, 20th June at 7.00pm

Kilruane MacDonaghs should be back at full strength and will welcome back Craig Morgan after his exploits with Tipperary. They have great talent and should have the upper hand on Templederry with Niall O’Meara, Willie Cleary, and Jerome Cahill. A high scoring encounter is in prospect as The Kenyons have potential in that area as Gearoid Ryan and Eanna Murray welcome back Sean Ryan. Verdict - Kilruane MacDonaghs

Lorrha v Nenagh Eire Og in Cloughjordan on Saturday, 22nd June at 7.00pm

It is hard to believe that it is 1996 since these teams last met in a North championship game. Nenagh Eire Og enjoyed greater success since, but Lorrha return to the big time has been blessed with back-to-back county final wins.

Nenagh won the Frank McGrath for the last two years and are chasing a three-in-a-row. They have a bit to go yet but they should have enough to make the first leg of the journey a good one. It will be a close one. Verdict - Nenagh Eire Og

Roscrea v Toomevara in Nenagh on Sunday, 23rd June at 3.00pm

Meeting for the second time in ten months with Toome edging a county championship clash in Borrisoleigh, this one time major rivalry could be on the verge of a fresh one and Toomevara might have that little bit extra in repeating their narrow win over The Reds. Toomevara welcome Darragh McCarthy back into the action while Roscrea will be delighted to see the return of Alan Tynan. Verdict - Toomevara