Tipp championship surprises, integration row and hurling rules
Perhaps the worst thing of all to have when it comes to a championship is predictability. Well, the FBD Insurance Tipperary hurling championship certainly cannot be accused of being predictable, that’s for sure.
Who knew that Nenagh Éire Óg would give the mother of all hidings to Cashel King Cormacs in the semi-final? Who knew that Holycross Ballycahill would fail to get anywhere near the heights they achieved in dethroning the champions when they arrived in FBD Semple Stadium for the quarter final clash with JK Brackens? Who knew that Moycarkey Borris could come from the dead to consign Kiladangan to another defeat of that nature? And who could have anticipated that Thurles Sarsfields would whitewash Borris-Ileigh and put the rest of Tipperary on notice?
Ah yes a marvellous weekend of hurling and the draws which have been made for the semi-final are mouthwatering. One of JK Brackens or Moycarkey Borris will be in the county senior hurling final – just think about that one. And, they will meet one of the two big town teams in that final – famed Thurles Sarsfields, or last year’s finalists Éire Óg Nenagh who are the only ones who can prevent an all-mid final in the county showpiece.
Brackens and Moycarkey Borris have both threatened to make a breakthrough in recent years – one of them will do so this year and with the performances of men like David Costigan and Kieran Morris for Moycarkey Borris, and the Ormonds and Lyndon Fairbrother for Brackens, it is easy to see how they are plotting their pathway off the field but backing it all up on the field.
Sarsfields had their premier intermediate side winning their quarter final clash too against Golden Kilfeacle, but it was the showing of Kieran Rossiter in the senior attack which really caught the eye at the weekend – he relished the expanses of Semple Stadium as they swept aside Borris-Ileigh.
And as for Nenagh – they struggled to find their rhythm against Clonoulty Rossmore in the wet and miserable preliminary quarter final tie. No such issues on the dry firm sod of Semple Stadium though – they cantred to a big win over Cashel with Sam O’Farrell doing a lot of damage.
Cashel King Cormacs and Holycross Ballycahill were fancied to progress but this week both sets of players are licking their wounds, consigned to deep reflection on where it all went wrong. That’s a sobering place to be. Sobering also will be the thoughts of Roscrea and Mullinahone as they prepare for the senior hurling relegation final having lost to Upperchurch Drombane and Clonoulty Rossmore respectively. It’s winner takes all in the final relegation game – a horrible place to be, but at least a last chance to survive.
Éire Óg Annacarty worked the oracle again to beat Lorrha Dorrha and their reward is a semi-final clash against Killenaule in the Premier Intermediate championship – Killenaule beat Boherlahan Dualla in their tie. The other PI semi-final will see Sarsfields up against St Mary’s – the Clonmel team defeated a fancied Moyne Templetuohy in the quarter final to set up an all-town semi. NOw there’s a game to look forward to.
The intermediate sees an all west semi-final in Arravale Rovers up against Cappawhite, while Borrisokane will square up to Ballingarry in the second semi-final.
It’s back to football again next weekend in Tipp with Loughmore Castleiney taking on Upperchurch Drombane in one of the ties of the senior championship and Ardfinnan taking on Moyle Rovers. Interesting games indeed and all to play for.
Intention of integration in trouble?
Does anybody else get the feeling that former Uachtaráin na hÉireann, Mary McAleese has thrown the toys out of the pram just because she did not get exactly what was promised as part of the whole GAA integration into a one-club model? That has been the accusation from some quarters once news of her resignation and her subsequent comments in media interviews hit the airwaves. Her move has certainly put the integration process front and centre of the news cycle and has divided opinion right across the country.
To be fair to the GAA Management Committee which has had a lot of flack thrown in its direction since the McAleese bombshell, they have stated that they remain committed to the integration notion. However, they have expressed doubt about the capacity to achieve the one-club model across the whole country by next April. Well, to be perfectly fair, they are dead right on that score. Because, no matter how much Croke Park, or Mary McAleese or Management Committees, or Integration Committees, or Minister Patrick O’Donovan make declarations, promises, demands or dictats, the real ones involved in integration will be the individual clubs in individual parishes.
People will have to face up to the fact that most GAA facilities were put in place with boys and men in mind. It will take time, resources and planning to properly cater for young girls and ladies, and that will not happen overnight and certainly not by April 2027. So people can get up on their high horse and say ‘I will never do this for the GAA again’ or ‘I will never do that for the GAA again.’ But, who loses out in that scenario – Mary McAleese? The Management Committee? Minister O’Donovan? No, the people who lose out as a result of that kind of attitude are the locals – your sons, daughters, neighbours, parishioners.
Integration represents a seismic change for the GAA. Having been through similar changes in mindset and attitude in politics, you would have thought that Mary McAleese would understand that deadlines are not always met.
Hurling gets the kiss of life or the kiss of death?
The Hurling Expert Advisory Group’s Interim Report is now moving to a controlled trial in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup league format from mid-October.
24 amendments to the current rules are being included in the trials, and they range across a wide variety of elements of the game. Among the enhancements taking place in the trial are:
·Extend the power of line umpires to provide assistance to referees
·Handpass requires a clear and definite strike with the hand
·Sliotar can be carried for maximum of six steps in the hand
·To use your arms to tie up an opponent is not permitted
·Throw-in’s to start a half to be contested by one player off each team in midfield
·Puck outs must travel at least 45 metres. Minimum of three players from each team must remain between 20m and 45m lines for puck outs
·A 65m puck to be taken from the 65m line nearest your own goal
·Two points awarded for a sideline struck cleanly over the bar
·One maor foirne per team to be permitted to enter the field during breaks in play
These amendments will probably not cause too much controversy and will force coaches to look at their style of play and adapt as necessary. Few enough involved in hurling would suggest that nothing needed to be done, so trialling these changes in the Fitzgibbon Cup seems like a good fit. And, some of those changes have been imported from football where they are working very well – that’s surely a refreshing change, rather than having them parachuted in from other codes such as soccer and rugby.
Let’s see how it all plays out.