by Noel Dundon (Tipperary Media)
Harty Heroes
Pride of place this week has to go to the Nenagh CBS Dr Harty Cup winners – history makers and men who will go down in legend, not just for the achievement, but for the manner of it too.
A pulsating contest which had a grandstand finish, Nenagh CBS succeeded in putting back-to-back Tipperary winners of the Dr Harty Cup for the first time since 1950 and 1951 when Thurles CBS achieved the feat. It had been done only on two other occasions – 1938 and 1939 – again Thurles CBS; and in 1930 and 1931 with Rockwell College.
But, the Nenagh victory represents the first time that Tipperary schools have achieved back-to-back titles with two different schools involved. And, the fact that Cashel Community School and Nenagh CBS were both winning for the first time only adds to the sense of excitement and the enormity of their achievements.
Underage hurling is well and truly alive and well in Tipperary and considering the number of players showcased in the Dr Harty Cup between all of the Premier County schools, one would have to expect that the minor and u20 teams ought to be well up there when it comes to being competitive in the coming season. The raw material would most certainly appear to be there – now the trick is to harness it.
Nenagh CBS, like their Cashel counterparts last year, deserve enormous credit for the sterling work undertaken year after year – the same effort goes into a side which doesn’t achieve as goes into a winning side. In fact, that credit has to go across all the second level schools of the county and across all the grades.
Remember, teachers give of their time and their expertise free of charge – it all happens outside of classroom hours and happens without any financial reward. But, it is only when success accrues that the real rewards are reaped.
So, all those teachers ploughing the furrow in second level hurling, football, camogie and ladies football deserve to take a well deserved bow and should be recognised for their dedication to the cause.
The same can be said of primary school teachers. At the formative end of the scale, they play an equally important role in the development of young players and do so willingly and generously. Míle buiochas to léir.
To the Leagues
Liam Cahill’s men made light of the trip to Parness Park for the opening round of the Allianz National Hurling League on Saturday last, but will have a sterner test of their credentials next weekend in FBD Semple Stadium when Galway come to town.
The Tipp boys showed some great touches en-route to a comfortable enough win – granted Dublin had the lead cut to four points at one stage in the second half, but Tipperary never really looked in any great danger of losing the initiative. They were just slicker and more potent with the scores coming at the right time and from a selection of players.
Jake Morris picked up the Man of the Match Award but he could have company for that honour on a day which will have pleased the Tipperary management. It was the ideal outcome really – a good win with plenty of room for improvement. We’ll need to see more of that improvement next Sunday if the points are to be secured in the Galway clash.
Footballers secure a fine win
On their travels this week to Longford, Tipperary’s footballers secured a fine two point victory to keep themselves very much in the hunt for promotion from division 4 of the league. Another reverse in this game having lost to Carlow in the first round, would have spelled disaster, but the Tipp lads pulled off the victory and set themselves up nicely now for a trip to London.
There won’t be much time for sight seeing though and Paul Kelly’s men must come away with the points from this tie as well. London might be a long way from Tipperary, but lose and the journey will be considerably longer on the way home. The team is coming together nicely and the new players are beginning to find their feet. Let’s keep it going now.
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