Tipperary Historic SHC final in store, or a repeat of ‘62?; The drop beckons for Mullinahone or Roscrea; Football hots up; Kelly ’owns’ minor job.
Barring one intriguing combination, this year’s FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Final will be a new affair. The only possible repeat would come if Thurles Sarsfields overcome Nenagh Éire Óg, while Moycarkey Borris negotiated JK Brackens — setting up a replay of the 1962 final, when the Blues prevailed by a single point, 1-7 to 1-6.
That was another age of hurling. Goalkeepers did not wander forward for scores; there were no 100-yard Hail Mary pucks; corner-backs did not receive the ball from their goalkeeper; and hand-passing was barely part of the vocabulary. The game has travelled a long road since then, but should Sarsfields and Moycarkey Borris renew county final day acquaintances, the rivalry would burn just as fiercely. FBD Semple Stadium would be alive as two Mid Tipperary giants collided, neither willing to yield an inch. There is plenty of hurling to be played before that prospect becomes reality, however.
The all-urban semi-final pits last year’s finalists Nenagh Éire Óg against Thurles Sarsfields, with Nenagh carrying favouritism into the contest. In the Sarsfields corner is Thurles man Michael Gleeson, whose medal collection already contains several county senior honours, many secured while his father, Michael ‘Glossy’ Gleeson, was at the helm. There should be some lively hurling conversation in the Gleeson household this week.
Nenagh’s favourites tag comes from their impressive demolition of a disappointing Cashel King Cormacs in the quarter-final. Sarsfields were equally ruthless against Borris-Ileigh. Both victories came without their respective talismen, Jake Morris and Ronan Maher. Morris, one suspects, has the better chance of returning for the semi-final, with Maher facing the tougher battle.
There is an old sporting maxim that you must lose one before you win one, and Nenagh may feel they deserve another crack at the Dan Breen. Championship hurling, however, has little time for entitlement. For all the flair and attacking quality these sides possess, this game may be won in the trenches — in the rucks, the individual battles and the breaking ball. Whoever dominates those exchanges will go a long way towards winning the day. Sarsfields or Nenagh? Take your pick. It is absolutely wide open.
At the other end of the draw, JK Brackens are chasing a first-ever county senior final appearance, while Moycarkey Borris dream of returning to the showpiece for the first time since 1984, when they defeated Lorrha to claim their second title in three years.
Moycarkey have endured lean years since, but their revival, built on a rich vein of underage success, has restored belief and ambition. There is a hunger in the club now — and the talent to match it. Should they reach the final, a huge crowd would follow, but first comes a formidable hurdle in the shape of JK Brackens.
Brackens can make history this weekend and, judging by their form, they will take some beating. Their route has been emphatic: victories in the round-robin stage followed by a late stand against Holycross-Ballycahill, sending the then favourites crashing out. Their attack has been particularly impressive, while their defence has improved with every outing. They will arrive at FBD Semple Stadium brimming with confidence and, crucially, with the results to justify it. If Brackens take the final step, Templemore parish will erupt. The scenes would be spectacular and the significance enormous for the club.
But first comes Moycarkey Borris. Nothing else matters.
Many a club has made the mistake of dreaming beyond the next hurdle, only to discover that championship hurling has a cruel way of punishing those who look too far ahead.
The Premier Intermediate hurling championship is also throwing up some very interesting draws. Thurles Sarsfields and St Mary’s will lock horns a week after their minors played out a thrilling semi-final with the Clonmel side coming out on top against a hotly fancied Thurles team scattered with senior players. In the second semi-final, Éire Óg Annacarty take on Killenaule in a game which is very difficult to call. Meanwhile, a lot of eyes will be on Templetuohy and the clash of Mullinahone and Roscrea in the senior relegation final – as important a game as ever there is for the participants.
Familiar look to footballs final four.
Favourites Clonmel Commercials have been joined by Loughmore Castleiney, Kilsheelan Kilcash and Moyle Rovers in the last four of the FBD Insurance County senior football semi-finals following the games at the weekend.
The Loughmore Castleiney men dusted themselves down having lost out in the hurling preliminary quarter final, and produced a strong display to defeat their neighbours who have had their eyes on the hurling prize next weekend too – a scenario Loughmore Castleiney have navigated successfully on many occasions.
At the penultimate stage now, the football championship is really heating up.
Board turns to Kelly to Eoin it
The announcement by the Tipperary County Board that Mullinahone’s Eoin Kelly is to take charge of the county’s minor hurlers has sent a powerful surge of excitement coursing through the Premier County — and nowhere more so than among the young hurlers harbouring dreams of earning a place in the new regime.
For many of the players who will soon report for duty under Kelly, his playing days will belong to a different era. Some of them were barely out of the cot, never mind old enough to appreciate the full majesty of one of Tipperary’s greatest-ever hurlers as he dominated the landscape.
But Eoin Kelly’s reputation needs no introduction to a new generation.
His name carries weight. His knowledge carries even greater weight. And the prospect of having Tipperary’s most promising young hurlers immersed in that knowledge is an enticing one. If there is one man who understands the demands, the pressures, the detail and the subtle nuances of elite hurling — what it takes physically, mentally and tactically to survive and thrive at the highest level — it is Kelly.
The announcement itself was hardly a bolt from the blue. By the time the County Board’s graphic appeared across its social media channels, the news had already swept through the county. In Tipperary, word travels quickly when a big name takes the reins.
What remains under wraps, however, is the make-up of Kelly’s backroom team. Names have been whispered, roles speculated upon and, inevitably, the rumour mill has been working overtime. The identities of those who will form the engine room of the new minor set-up will be revealed in due course.
One thing Eoin Kelly will know only too well is that his tenure will inevitably be measured against the remarkable work of his predecessor, James Woodlock. The bar has been set high, the jersey is heavy and the boots he has been asked to fill are enormous. And in Tipperary, there is an unforgiving simplicity to the scoreboard. Ultimately, success is measured in silverware — and at this level, the ultimate prize remains an All-Ireland title. No pressure then, Eoin!
We wish Eoin Kelly and his soon-to-be-announced management team every success as they embark on what promises to be a fascinating new chapter. The Premier County has enjoyed a glorious run of underage success, and the hope across Tipperary will be that Kelly and his team can keep that flame burning brightly — and perhaps add another chapter to the county’s proud hurling story.