Tipperary GAA Scene
All the GAA news from around the county
PRO Joe Bracken
ALL-IRELAND SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
The elements at the LIT Gaelic Grounds tried their best to quench the flame of battle last weekend as wind and rain swept in from the Clare End of the ground. But this time it didn't stop Tipperary progressing to the All-Ireland Quarter-Final following their 2-18 to 1-17 defeat of Cork. Second half goals from Jason Forde (Silvermines) and Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg) came at crucial stages of the half and now enable the side to focus on the task ahead. Congratulations to Michael Breen (Ballina) on his man of the match performance scoring 0-5 from play.
Following Monday mornings draw, Tipperary were paired with Leinster provincial losers Galway and will head back to the LIT Gaelic Grounds on Saturday next, November 21, for the quarter-final clash.
There have been 30 championship meetings between the two counties with Tipperary on 22 victories to Galway's 8. The last meeting was in 2017 in the All-Ireland semi-final when Galway edged a titanic battle 0-22 to Tipp's 1-18. Of the three previous quarter finals, all played in Croke Park, Galway won two, the first back in 2000 by 1-14 to 0-15 and the second in 2005 by 2-20 to 2-18.
The tide turned in Tipp's favour under the first managerial term of Liam Sheedy in 2010 when Tipperary won a thrilling encounter 3-17 to 3-16. Current captain Seamus Callanan was sprung from the bench to score one of Tipp's goals just before half time in a side which also included current players, Padraic Maher, Brendan Maher, Patrick Maher and Noel McGrath. Current Tipperary selector Eoin Kelly was captain that memorable day rounding off proceedings with 1-7. The other goal came from Gearóid Ryan.
The last championship meeting in Limerick which was probably in the Markets Field was an All-Ireland semi-final on October17th, 1909 where Tipperary won 6-7 to 5-7. Tipp also won semi-finals on Limerick soil for the 1906 championship which was played on September 8th 1907 and the 1908 championship which was played on February 14th, 1909.
So, to round off this segment the last ten games are split 50/50 with five wins each, Tipperary won in 2001, '03, '10, '14 and '16. Galway took the nod in 1993, 2000, '05, '15 and 2017 as indicated above. Apart from the 2014 qualifier at Semple Stadium which Tipperary won 3-25 to 4-13 the winning margin in those ten games never exceeded three points, the 2001 final, and five were won by a point.
On the face of it then, we can expect Saturday's instalment to be another close run affair. What more would one expect from two powerful sides with plenty of respect for each other.
We send best wishes to the team and management on Saturday as all blue and gold supporters will be tuned in from 1:15pm to see and hear all the action as it unfolds.
The referee will be Johnny Murphy (Limerick) and the game will be shown live on RTE2 and broadcast live on Tipp FM.
MUNSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
It what will be a huge weekend for the GAA with the 100 year anniversary of Bloody Sunday, it is indeed fitting and poignant that Tipperary will contest the Munster Final for the first time since 2016, where they will meet Cork, fellow opponents from division 3 of the league this year, in Sunday's decider.
With momentum behind them Tipperary head to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday next, where throw in is at 1:30pm, attempting to bridge the gap to 1935 when Tipperary last won the provincial title defeating Cork 2-8 to 1-2 to lift the title in Páirc Mac Gearailt. It was in 2002 when the counties last met at this stage and it took two games to separate them. The first match ended in a draw, Tipperary 1-14 Cork 2-11 in Semple Stadium while in the replay at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork prevailed 1-23 to 0-7.
As we know there is no opportunity for replays this year so the prize awaiting the winner is not only a provincial crown but also a straight run into an All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo on the weekend of December 5/6.
We send best wishes to the team and management on Sunday as once again all blue and gold supporters will be tuned in to see and hear all the action as it develops.
The referee will be Maurice Deegan (Laois) who refereed Tipperary's semi-final win over Limerick. The game throws-in at 1:30pm and will be shown live on RTE2 and broadcast live on Tipp FM.
BLOODY SUNDAY
Speaking to Darren Frehill on RTE Radio 1's flagship 'Morning Ireland' programme last Monday morning, Uachtarán Cumann Lúthchleas Gael John Horan, to mark the Centenary of Bloody Sunday has called on the Association’s membership to light a candle this Saturday, November 21, in memory of the 14 people who were killed on Bloody Sunday in Croke Park 100 years ago this weekend.
“What we would like is that the GAA membership throughout the country in memory of these people that were actually shot that day would light a candle in their own individual homes next Saturday evening as a memory in their family of those who were lost on that particular day. I think that would get us all together as a GAA family to put our minds to what actually happened 100 years ago on the 21st of November.
On that occasion we'll be laying wreaths in Croke Park at the site where Michael Hogan was shot and we'll also be lighting 14 torches on Hill 16 to remember the 14 individuals because we're trying to portray an image of 14 people, not a statistic, but 14 individuals across a range of schoolboys, a girl who was due to get married, fathers, brothers.
Every one of us, I'm quite sure, who have gone to sporting occasions can relate to this in a great way in the context of they went to a game but those 14 individuals never came home.
We have been conscious that we would celebrate this occasion in a proper manner. What we've been doing is we engaged with the families early on throughout the process and we had relatives of those victims in Croke Park earlier in the year. And we also engaged in a project of marking the resting place of the individuals concerned by putting headstones on seven of the graves with the families in Glasnevin Cemetery over the last number of years.
So it's about making the individual stories of these 14 people very much the centre of what we're trying to do. It's been driven by Michael Foley who did a huge amount of research for our history committee and our own Cian Murphy who was very central to the actual project of the graves.”
This weekend we remember and honour the 14 who lost their lives following the appalling tragedy that took place in Croke Park; Jane Boyle, James Teehan, John William Scott, Jerome O’Leary, William Robinson, Patrick O’Dowd, James Matthews, Tom Hogan, Michael Hogan, Michael Feery, James Burke, Daniel Carroll, Thomas Ryan and Joseph Traynor.
A 100-year anniversary remembrance ceremony for the victims of Bloody Sunday will take place in Croke Park this Saturday evening and will be broadcast live on the RTE news and RTE Radio 1 at 6.05pm.
CAMOGIE
Congratulations to the Tipperary senior camogie team upon reaching the Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final following their defeat of Waterford last weekend on a score-line of 1-12 to 0-10. Karen Kennedy was Tipperary's goal-scorer and also received player of the match.
Galway will provide the opposition for Bill Mullaney's side on November 28th in the semi-final which will be played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. The other semi-final will be between Kilkenny and Cork.
REFEREE
Best wishes to Tipperary referees on duty in Croke Park this weekend. First up, Derek O'Mahoney (Ardfinnan) will take charge of the Leinster Senior Football Championship Final between Dublin and Meath on Saturday evening, while on Sunday Kevin Jordan (Thurles Gaels) will be in the middle when Donegal and Mayo meet in the Nickey Rackard Cup Final.
FOURTH TIPPERARY GAA CLUBS DRAW
The 4th Tipperary GAA Clubs Draw will take place this Friday, November 20th and will be transmitted live once again on Tipp FM at 8.30pm.
SYMPATHY
Tipperary Co. Board expresses sympathy to the wife and family of the late Tommy Butler, Drom & Inch and Tipperary who passed away last week. Tommy won an All-Star Hurling Award in 1978 at corner forward. He was a regular on Tipperary teams until 1980 and he also won a National League medal in 1978/79. He received the Goal of the Year Award in 1980. He played for his club Drom & Inch into his 40’s along with his five brothers and continued as a club administrator up to recently where he always took great pride in the GAA pitch next door to his home in the Ragg. Tommy’s dream was fulfilled in 2011 when Drom won their first Co. Senior Hurling title especially as his own sons were prominent members of that team.
We express sympathy also to the wife and family of the late Bill Dwyer, Thurles who also passed away last week. Bill played minor for Tipperary in his day.
Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a anam dilis.