A North title is increasingly more valuable in a County context

GAA: Hibernian Inn North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Preview

By Shane Brophy

In an ideal world, hurling supporters in the county would be descending on Croke Park this weekend for an All-Ireland semi-final but following Tipperary’s disappointing departure from the senior hurling championship at the quarter final stage, it has provided a window for the club championships to begin.

With the group stage of the county championship starting on the last weekend in July, the next three weekends provide a clean window for the North Senior Hurling Championship with its straight knockout format to provide six games over a fifteen day period to see who will get their hands on the Frank McGrath Cup for 2023.

Not only that, for the winner there is a hugely valuable ticket to the knockout stages of the county championship, via the preliminary quarter finals, if they require it, and such are the competitiveness of the groups in the county series, having a knockout berth in the back pocket is a huge bonus in this always competitive North Championship

BORRIS-ILEIGH

Borris-Ileigh will be aiming for a better 2023 after barely raising a gallop by their own high standards last year according to vice-captain Jerry Kelly.

“Last year we don’t know what really happened,” he admitted.

“We had to do a bit of soul searching as a team. The brand of hurling we were trying to play wasn’t coming out, so we had to go back to basics which is good hard hurling and hopefully we are getting there now. We are confident enough we will find where we were a few years ago and drive it on again.”

Philip Maher steps up as manager after being a selector of the successful county and Munster championship teams of 2019 but the loss of goalkeeper James McCormack and wing back Ray McCormack will have to be overcome.

It is a tough start for Borris-Ileigh next Sunday against the defending county champions Kilruane ahead of a county group that contains Thurles Sarsfields, Kiladangan and Clonoulty/Rossmore.

“There are no easy games but that is the way you want it,” Kelly added.

“You are going to have to beat everyone at some stage anyway if you want to go far. We start with a bang with the county champions and into the group of death so the North will be very valuable this year, as it always is.”

KILADANGAN

Kiladangan were the nearly team of 2022, losing both North and County finals to Nenagh Eire Og and Kilruane MacDonaghs respectively.

“It was tough to lose two finals in the one year,” admitted captain Alan Flynn.

“But we are fortunate enough to be in the position to be competing at the top table. The North Championship is so competitive. It was just about getting back, it is a new year, first round against Roscrea, an up and coming team.”

Unlike previous years, Kiladangan come in better prepared with just Barry Hogan on the county senior panel, and they tuned up well by winning the County League division 1 title. However, the Kiladangan skipper knows they have to improve if they are to go a step further than last year.

“I think we were a good bit off our best last year,” Flynn admitted.

“Most people identified that; it just didn’t click for us. We were there or there abouts but weren’t at our peak. Through the North Championship we played some of our best hurling, but it is about consistency and trying to play to our potential and that is a big thing we are trying to concentrate on this year.”

KILRUANE MACDONAGHS

From the hunters to the hunted, that is how Kilruane MacDonaghs will be looked upon by all challengers this year as defending county champions.

“There is a target on our back,” admitted joint-captain Kieran Cahill.

“We are the team that people are going to be after but that is the same every year whoever wins the county championship. We have to play like county champions and that is on us as players, we got to that stage last year but last year is over and this year we have to play at that benchmark.”

The surprise factor is gone from Kilruane, but they will be boosted by the return of Craig Morgan who missed the county championship run through injury. However, Sean McAdams has moved abroad while county panellist Kian O’Kelly is spending the summer in the US.

The management team remains pretty much the same with Liam O’Kelly moving on as manager with Thomas Williams joining the coaching set-up.

NENAGH EIRE OG

When Nenagh Eire Og take to the field next Sunday to begin the defence of their North title, it will be three days shy of twelve months since they defeated Kiladangan in last years final, which is also a bittersweet anniversary for captain Barry Heffernan who sustained a knee injury in that game that has kept him out of action for much of the last twelve months.

“I can’t wait to get going,” he admitted.

“You wouldn’t realise how much you miss it until you can’t do it.”

He comes back into a Nenagh side that are very much in transition with a lot of youth coming into their squad, added to this year by 2022 All-Ireland winning minor captain Sam O’Farrell.

Noel Maloney has moved on as manager with Seamus Cleary stepping in with Offaly boss Johnny Kelly remaining involved but the biggest change to the back-room as been the addition of Nenagh great Michael Cleary as coach for this campaign.

“He is very simple in his approach,” Heffernan revealed.

“Lots of hurling and doing simple things well. He wants Nenagh hurling with massive intensity and that is the major thing he has gone after, the way he hurled.

“The litmus test will be next Sunday against Toomevara. Ken Dunne will have Toome flying, and we know they will turn up and perform so it is up to us to match them.”

ROSCREA

Roscrea’s stint outside the senior ranks was a brief one as their victory in last year's premier intermediate championship sees them return to the top table after one season away.

“Results don’t lie over the previous few years, we went down for a reason, but we think we should be up at the top level, so we’ll give it a good go,” admitted Roscrea skipper Keith McMahon.

Liam England remains at the helm of a side that are keen to kick on and one of the reasons they were relegated in the first place as they weren’t physically strong enough in 2021 and they have been working hard to rectify that.

“We are taking the S&C more seriously this year,” McMahon added.

“We have a new coach this year who is pushing us on to try and get lads up to speed. Well know soon enough starting next weekend if we are up to scratch. We know the standard Kiladangan set having contested three out of the last four county finals, so we know it is a step up, but it is where we want to be.”

TEMPLEDERY KENYONS

This is Templederry’s second season at senior level, but they will feel they didn’t show the best of themselves in last years campaign when they only survived relegation on the final day with a win over Eire Og Annacarty.

“We would have been disappointed with our performances last year,” admitted vice-captain Christy Coughlan.

“We felt we didn’t reach our potential. But there were times once we were progressing in the championship where we started to find our rhythm and hopefully, we’ll progress on from that this year.”

Sean Ryan’s progression to the Tipperary senior panel will have been a huge boost for a panel that remains hugely experienced and are now guided by Limerick’s Ger Cunningham as manager, who guided Newtownshandrum to club glory and has also been involved with Thurles Sarsfields and Kiladangan previously.

“Ger brings huge experience,” Coughlan added.

“The teams he has been involved with and the success he has had speaks for itself. We are glad to have him on board and looking forward to seeing where it takes us.”

TOOMEVARA

Toomevara remain the leaders on the roll of honour in terms of North senior titles with 33 wins, but their most recent is as far back as 2011 which is a famine of sorts for the greyhounds.

Ten of those were won by Ken Dunne who steps up as manager this year of a side that exited the North Championship last year at the semi-final stage and to Kilruane in the quarter finals of the county championship.

“Ken is a serious operator,” says vice-captain Liam Ryan.

“He has been there and done it a good few times. He has put together a good management team.

“We would have been disappointed with our league final performance but other than that it was an aim to get to a league final and playing as many of the good teams as possible and it was a good introduction before the championship.”

It’s a tough start for Toome with a North quarter final against defending champions Nenagh while their first county group game will be against holders Kilruane.

“Playing the North and County champions in a first few games isn’t bad going so hopefully we can drive it on,” Ryan added.

Overview

With the quick turnaround from Tipp’s championship exit to the start of the North Championship, and with some players in the US, it is hard to assess where clubs stand.

The prize for winning a North title is massive with the county knockout stage carrot so all teams will be gunning for it. However, with the hurt of last years two final defeats and their relatively uninterrupted preparation in advance, Kiladangan would appear to be in a strong position to regain the Frank McGrath Cup.