Footballers short a lot of experience for 2025 campaign
By Shane Brophy
It’s a case of Lanigan’s Ball for new Tipperary senior football panel Philly Ryan after he named a 44-man panel that officially commenced collective training last weekend.
Twenty players who featured in last years league and championship under one-year manager Paul Kelly aren’t apart of this squad which contains a massive 26 players set to play senior football for the first time.
The most notable aspect are those that are not part of this selection, among them players with a lot of experience, on top of Conor Sweeney who announced his retirement last month. Long serving defender Shane O’Connell has also called time on his inter-county career after nine seasons in which the Golden Kilfeacle clubman was a hugely consistent performer.
However, a number of key players have opted not to make themselves available for the next campaign, including goalkeeper Evan Comerford, who along with Jack Rodgers is not being retained, so a new goalkeeper will have to be blooded with Commercials clubman Shane Ryan and Galtee Rovers Robbie McGrath to battle it out. McGrath is the only under 20 player named on the squad as it is felt in the long term development for the remainder to focus on their own grade in 2025 where they have a large number still eligible from last year.
There has been further losses in experience with brothers Jack & Conall Kennedy stepping away for the time-being while Colm O’Shaughnessy is due to return home from travel with his intentions aren’t clear as yet, but Conor Cadell has indicated he will be travelling in 2025.
Work commitments have seen Stephen Grogan, an impressive performer in 2024, unable to commit for the moment while Peter McGarry and Jack Leamy are having another go at making the senior hurling panel.
Of the 26 new faces, the most notable is Clonakenny’s Cian O’Dwyer who was on the senior hurling panel for the past two years, having impressed in his clubs Mid Championship success this year, as did Cain Russell who has also been rewarded.
Others with potential to make an impact are Micheal Freaney and Jamie Roche who have been impressive for Kilsheelan/Kilcash in recent years while Mikey Lyons of Grangemockler/Ballyneale is a player who should thrive in attack under the new rules.
No players from the county senior and intermediate champions Loughmore/Castleiney and Aherlow, apart from Mark Russell, have been included as yet with manager Philly Ryan confirming that he didn’t have any contact with players while they were still in club championship action which ended with last weekends Munster Final defeats.
Players In: Cian Smith, Micheal Freaney, Jason Madigan, Billy O’Connor, Kian Quinn, Jamie Roche, Ben Comerford, Mikey Lyons, Manus McFadden, Jack O’Neill, Michael Barlow, Thomas Vaughan, Darragh McVicker, Eoin Doocey, Liam Fahey, Luca Fitzgerald, Joe Lawrence, Conor Horgan, Robbie McGrath, Cian O’Dwyer, Cain Russell, Jack Nevin, Conor Fahey, Shane Lowe, Jack O’Mahoney.
Players Out: Conor Sweeney, Evan Comerford, Jack Rodgers, Shane O’Connell, Jack Kennedy (Commercials), Jack Kennedy (JK Brackens), Peter McGarry, Conall Kennedy, Conor Cadell, Colm O’Shaughnessy, Stephen Grogan, Paddy Creedon, Teddy Doyle, Martin Kehoe, Darragh O’Leary, Riain Quigley, Luke Shanahan, Kyle Shelly, Jack Leamy, Stephen Quirke.
Tipperary Senior Football training panel
Mark Russell (Aherlow)
Eoin Doocey, Michael Lowry (Arravale Rovers)
Jack O’Neill, Michael Barlow (Ardfinnan)
Steven O’Brien, Jack O’Mahoney, Eoghan Power (Ballina)
Darragh Brennan, Thomas Vaughan (Ballyporeen)
Cian O’Dwyer, Cain Russell (Clonakenny)
Tadhg Condon, Cathal Deely, James Morris, Sean O’Connor, Rory O’Dowd, Shane Ryan, Cian Smith (Clonmel Commercials)
Darragh McVicker (Clonmel Og)
Shane Neville (Cratloe)
Robbie McGrath (Galtee Rovers)
Ben Comerford, Mikey Lyons, Manus McFadden (Grangemockler/Ballyneale)
Jack Nevin (JK Brackens)
Jimmy Feehan, Paudie Feehan (Killenaule)
Micheal Freaney, Jason Madigan, Billy O’Connor, Kian Quinn, Jamie Roche, Mark Stokes (Kilsheelan/Kilcash)
Conor Horgan (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams)
Luke Boland, Jack Harney (Moyle Rovers)
Shane Lowe (Moyne-Templetuohy)
Emmet Moloney (Portlaoise)
Liam Fahey, Luca Fitzgerald, Joe Lawrence (Rockwell Rovers)
Kieran Costello (Thurles Sarsfields)
Conor Fahey (Upperchurch/Drombane)
National Football League fixtures
Saturday 25th January: Carlow v Tipperary – Netwatch Cullen Park @ 6.00pm
Saturday, 1st February: Tipperary v Longford – FBD Semple Stadium @ 5.00pm
Saturday 15th February: Waterford v Tipperary – Fraher Field, Dungarvan @ 6.30pm
Saturday 22nd February: Tipperary v London – FBD Semple Stadium @ 5.00pm (Double Header)
Saturday, 1st March: Limerick v Tipperary – Rathkeale @ 6.30pm
Saturday 15th March: Wexford v Tipperary – Chadwicks Wexford Park @ 6.30pm
Sunday 23rd March: Tipperary v Wicklow – FBD Semple Stadium @ 1.00pm