Tipperary GAA Scene

Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues

FBD Semple Stadium played host to a double-header last Sunday and it was a good day all round for our teams.

First into action were the senior hurlers who played Antrim in their final game of the Allianz Hurling League. In what was a rather comfortable win for Tipperary there was lots to be happy with none more so than the fact that the team raised seven green flags and played some very good hurling across all areas of the field.

They will now turn their focus to the upcoming Munster championship opening game against Waterford in Walsh Park, where they will be hoping to get their campaign off to a winning start and set the tone for the year.

The Senior Footballers took to the field against Carlow knowing that nothing less than a win would be good enough to keep them in the race for promotion to Division 3 of the Allianz Football League. The sizeable crowd that was in attendance were not disappointed as David Powers men played some lovely passages of football and even though they suffered the loss of Bill Maher before the throw-in and captain Conor Sweeney before half time, the team took control of the game in the third quarter as they ran out convincing winners.

This victory now sets up a final round clash with London this Saturday evening in FBD Semple Stadium that will see Tipperary gain promotion to Division 3 should they be victorious. We would appeal to all Tipperary GAA supporters to come to Thurles on Saturday and give our Senior Footballers the support they deserve, tickets are now available via the GAA website and also in selected SuperValu and Centra stores, under 16’s are free and do not require a ticket.

Just A Minute

At GAA Congress 2022, An tUachtarán CLG, Larry McCarthy, used the most significant day of the non-games GAA calendar to reflect on the murder of Ashling Murphy.

An tUachtarán remarked on the grace with which the Murphy family have borne such a horrifying experience while also praising the resilience and support demonstrated by Ashling’s camogie club Kilcormac-Killoughey in the aftermath of her death.

Since the tragedy, many members have reached out asking that the Association lend its voice to the conversations that were happening across Ireland. One email struck a particular chord with the President. It highlighted the gratitude a mother felt when her son’s coach took a minute after training to speak to the 37 young men on his U17 development squad about the importance of always demonstrating respect for women and girls. When she picked him up after the session, her son relayed the message to his mother, thereby continuing the important conversation and demonstrating the impact the talk had on the young man.

It was suggested by this GAA member to An Uachtarán that were all GAA coaches to take ‘Just a Minute’ and have a similar conversation with their players the impact could be considerable.

An tUachtarán is therefore encouraging all coaches across the Association to take ‘Just a Minute’ at your training session to ask your squad of players to demonstrate respect towards women, and to be leaders amongst their peers by calling out any disrespectful behaviour or language towards women or girls that they come across. Any such conversation will reinforce the values of the GAA’s long-standing ‘Give Respect, Get Respect’ campaign which aims to promote positive behaviour and ensure that Gaelic Games is an enriching environment for all involved. It encourages and promotes respect both on and off field by coaches, parents, spectators, players, referees, match officials, and anyone else who is involved in the Gaelic Games family.

Tipperary Allianz Cumann na mBunscoil

Well done to all participating schools that played their first competitive games during the week since 2019. Looking forward with great anticipation to seeing how the action unfolds over the coming weeks.

Handball - Well done to all those who competed in County Handball Finals in Kilcoleman and Nenagh this weekend. Congrats to coordinator Paddy Collins and all those involved.

Equipment Scheme - All items of equipment, other than for helmet orders under five, must be collected, at Holycross GAA grounds, between 4.00 and 7.00pm on Friday, 25th March.

Cumann na mBunscol Week - National Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Week will take place from June 13th – 17th, and we would encourage as many of our schools as possible to take part in this week. It was a hugely successful week last year and we are really looking forward to it once more.

Primary Game - The venues, dates and times for the Selection Days are as follows:

Ladies Football: Mid/North Trial: Durlas Og GAA, Thursday March 24th at 4.00pm

Gaelic Football: South Trial: Moyle Rovers GAA, Thursday March 24th at 3.30pm

West Trial: Cashel King Cormacs GAA, Thursday March 31st at 3.30pm

Camogie: Mid/North Trial: Dr. Morris Park, Thurles, Thursday March 24th at 4.15pm.

Registration Fee - Schools who do not pay registration cannot participate in Tipperary Allianz Cumann na mBunscol activities including matches and the Equipment Scheme. Registration costs €30 and cheques can be made payable to Treasurer Jerry McDonnell, 25 Ballingarrane, Clonmel.

‘About My School’ Story-Writing competition - Tipperary Allianz Cumann na mBunscol are inviting pupils in Rang 3 – 6 to submit a piece of writing (no longer than 300 words) on the above topic. Any school submitting a piece should have parental consent before sending. Ideally a group photo of any GAA activity in the school should accompany the piece. The winning piece each week will be included with this report and will appear in the local newspapers. The name of the pupil who wrote the piece can appear alongside it. All stories can be emailed to John Manley PRO Tipperary Cumann na mBunscol at pro.cnmb.tipperary@gaa.ie.

SiX Tipperary CLUBS sign up to Healthy Clubs programme

Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs welcomed six GAA clubs from Tipperary on Saturday, 12 March for the National Orientation Day in Croke Park. The Tipperary clubs in attendance were: Toomevara, Boherlahan-Dualla, Ballybacon/Grange, Drom & Inch, Moycarkey-Borris, and Loughmore-Castleiney.

The programme turns GAA clubs into hubs for health in their communities. Clubs are supported in achieving this by Irish Life which shares the GAA’s goal of building healthier communities around Ireland. Irish Life announced an extended four-year sponsorship of the GAA Healthy Clubs programme in January 2022. Healthy Clubs work with the club members and local communities to identify priority activities to deliver. Common themes include physical activity and social Gaelic Games; mental health; healthy eating; diversity and inclusion; gambling, drug and alcohol awareness; becoming smoke-free clubs; and sustainability (Green Clubs).

The 2022 National Orientation Day was the first step for the 168 clubs on their Healthy Club journey. The clubs enjoyed inspiring keynote speakers and educational discussions, including case studies from existing Healthy Clubs on a range of topics including diversity & inclusion and smoke free clubs. The clubs have 18 months to complete the necessary steps involved in becoming an accredited Irish Life GAA Healthy Club.

Since launching as a small pilot involving just 16 clubs in 2013, Irish Life GAA Healthy Clubs now has 300 clubs and tens of thousands of active participants. Thanks to Irish Life’s extended partnership, an additional 168 clubs commenced their Healthy Club journey in 2022, while a further 200 clubs will join the growing movement in 2024. The goal is for all GAA clubs to become Irish Life Healthy Club.

The late Ronan Stanley

There was a great sense of sadness and disbelief in GAA circles right across the county last week as the news of the sad passing of Ronan Stanley from Gortnahoe-Glengoole emerged.

Ronan will be forever remembered within his Club circles & indeed County wide circles as he was steeped in the G.A.A. Ronan has been involved with every facet of the club from playing up until very recently to coaching the Intermediate hurling team to its greatest ever day in 2020, while doing all of the above Ronan has always been involved in bringing through the next generation of players, the fruit of this could be seen last season with a County U15 title.

In the board room Ronan served as Senior club Chairman & secretary over the years and was involved in every committee the club have had up to an including the development committee in which he played a huge role in the successful application for sport capital funding recently

The loss of Ronan will leave a huge hole in the Club and indeed the community as there was not a parish event going that he would not be seen supporting. Tipperary GAA extends our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Ronan’s family, his club and the wider community at this difficult and sad time.

Tipperary GAA also extends sympathy to Stephen Carty, who is an active member of the Tipperary Association in New York on the recent death of his mother Nancy Carty, Toomevara. Nancy was laid to rest in Toomevara last week, May she Rest in Peace.