TIPPERARY GAA SCENE BY COUNTY PRO ED DONNELLY TIPPERARY SENIOR HURLERS The Tipperary Senior Hurlers bowed out of the Championship at the All-Ireland Semi-Final stage on Sunday with Waterford coming out on top on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-18. This was Tipperary's first defeat in 14 competitive matches stretching back to January 13th in the Waterford Crystal Cup. Their record of 12 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat showed commendable progress for the team on recent years with silverware returning to the county in the form of Munster Championship and National League honours in addition to retaining the Waterford Crystal Cup. Thanks to the management team of Liam Sheedy (Manager), Eamon O'Shea (Coach), Michael Ryan (Selector), Cian O'Neill (Trainer), the players and all of the backroom team for the efforts since last November. A total of 31 players were used in competitive matches during 2008 with 20 of those players getting on the scoresheet led by Eoin Kelly who scored 6 goals and 94 points from 13 matches. Lar Corbett was next in the scoring stakes with 8 goals and 17 points from 13 matches, scoring seven points in the Championship. Newcomer Seamus Callinan scored 3-20 despite only making four starts in total along with seven substitute appearances while Seamus Butler scored 2-18 in the National League and Waterford Crystal Cup. Four players made their Championship debut in 2008 - namely Conor O'Brien, Pat Kerwick, Paddy Stapleton and Seamus Callinan. To put this in perspective, a total of fourteen players made their Championship debuts in the previous two championships under Babs Keating in 2006 and 2007 while Ken Hogan gave Championship debuts to eleven players in 2004 and 2005. ALL-IRELAND UNDER 21 HURLING SEMI-FINAL Munster Under 21 Hurling champions Tipperary will take on Derry in the All-Ireland Under 21 Hurling Championship semi-final on Saturday next at 2:30pm in Mullingar. In the other semi-final, Kilkenny take on Galway on Saturday next at 2:30pm in Semple Stadium Thurles. The All-Ireland Under 21 Hurling Final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 14th at Croke Park along with the Senior and Junior Camogie Championship Finals. Best wishes to the players under the management team of Declan Carr (Holycross-Ballycahill, Manager), Martin Gleeson (Gortnahoe-Glengoole), Eamon Kelly (Kildangan), Ger Maguire (Lattin-Cullen) and Noel Russell (Carrick Swan). RECENT UNDER 21 SEMI-FINALS Tipperary's match with Derry on Saturday will be their fifth All-Ireland semi-final in this grade in the past ten years with their record showing two wins and two defeats to date. On September 4th 1999, Tipperary lost to Galway on a scoreline of 3-12 to 1-16 at Tullamore. This match was played just three days after winning the Munster Final against Clare in Ennis. The Tipperary team on that occasion included the following players who subsequently played Senior Championship for Tipperary - Donnacha Fahy (St. Marys), Thomas Costello (Cappawhite), Michael Ryan (Templederry Kenyons), John Carroll (Roscrea), Philip Maher (Borris-Ileigh), Paddy O'Brien (Toomevara), Paul Kelly (Mullinahone), Michael "Bonny" Kennedy (Clonoulty-Rossmore), Fergal Heaney (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams) and Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone). On August 23rd 2003, Tipperary travelled to Ennis to play Galway following their extra time victory over Cork in the replay of the 2003 Munster Final. Tipperary looked set for victory in normal time but a late Galway goal forced extra time where Galway proved victorious on a scoreline of 2-20 to 2-16. The Tipperary team included future Senior Hurlers like Eamonn Buckley (Drom & Inch), John Devane (Clonoulty-Rossmore), Martin Maher (Borris-Ileigh), Diarmaid Fitzgerald (Roscrea), Hugh Maloney (Nenagh Eire Og), Francis Devanney (Toomevara), Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone) and John O'Brien (Toomevara). On August 28th 2004, Tipperary defeated Down by 4-20 to 0-5 at Portlaoise. The Tipperary team included Conor O'Mahony (Newport), Hugh Maloney (Nenagh Eire Og), Diarmaid Fitzgerald (Roscrea), Shane McGrath (Ballinahinch) and Evan Sweeney (Loughmore-Castleiney). Finally, on August 19th 2006, Tipperary proved too strong for Antrim at Parnell Park Dublin, winning by 5-19 to 0-7. The Tipperary team included the following current Senior Hurling panellists - Gerry Kennedy (Killenaule), Paddy Stapleton (Borris-Ileigh), Alan Byrne (Shannon Rovers), Conor O'Brien (Eire Og Annacarty), James Woodlock (Drom & Inch), Ryan O'Dwyer (Cashel King Cormacs) and Darragh Egan (Kildangan). TIPPERARY MINOR HURLERS| The quest to win three All-Ireland Minor Hurling titles in a row ended recently with defeat at the hands of Kilkenny who will now play Galway in the All-Ireland Final. Tipperary played five Championship matches in total, using 27 players including 14 who got on the scoresheet at least once. Team captain Noel McGrath was top scorer with 1-27 followed by Kieran Morris (3-12) and John O'Neill (0-13). Thanks to all of the players, the management team of Declan Ryan, Tommy Dunne, Liam Cahill and Michael Gleeson as well as the backroom team for their efforts this year. COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP The fixtures for the first round of the County Senior Hurling Championship (Dan Breen Cup) have been confirmed as follows - Saturday September 13th in Leahy Park Cashel (double-header) - Éire Óg Annacarty vs. Cappawhite at 3:30pm; Killenaule vs. Loughmore-Castleiney at 5:00pm. Saturday September 20th in The Ragg (double-header) - Clonoulty-Rossmore vs. Roscrea at 3:00pm; Moycarkey-Borris vs. Kildangan at 4:30pm. Saturday September 20th in Dundrum (double-header) - Thurles Sarsfields vs. Golden-Kifeacle at 3:00pm; Drom & Inch vs. Ballybacon-Grange at 4:30pm. Sunday September 21st at MacDonagh Park Nenagh - Burgess vs. Toomevara at 2:00pm. Sunday September 21st at Fethard - Ballingarry vs. Mullinahone at 5:00pm. The County Quarter-Finals are fixed for September 28th with the County Semi-Finals scheduled for October 5th. The County Senior Hurling Final will be played on Sunday October 19th at Semple Stadium. SEAMUS O RIAIN CUP QUARTER-FINALS The Quarter-Finals of the Seamus O Riain Cup will take place over the next two weeks. On Sunday next August 24th at 6:00pm, the first three Quarter-Finals will take place as follows - Borris-Ileigh vs. Carrick Swan at New Inn; Boherlahan-Dualla vs. Moneygall at The Ragg; Holycross-Ballycahill vs. JK Brackens or Upperchurch-Drombane at Boherlahan. The last Quarter-Final is scheduled for Saturday August 30th at 6:00pm in Toomevara between Kilruane MacDonaghs and Nenagh Eire Og. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 21st with the Seamus O Riain Cup Final penciled in for Sunday October 19th as the curtain-raiser to the County Senior Hurling Final. TIPPERARY HURLING CLUB IN NY The New York Senior Hurling Final between Tipperary and Offaly will take place on Sunday next at Gaelic Park in the Bronx. The teams met in July with Tipperary winning by 5-16 to 4-17 in an exciting game and more of the same will be expected in the Big Apple on Sunday. Tipperary confirmed their place in the final thanks to a 2-18 to 1-19 play-off victory over New Jersey / Kilkenny on Sunday August 10th. Offaly are the defending champions. TIPPERARY HURLING CLUB IN BOSTON The Tipperary hurling club in Boston have qualified for the Senior Hurling Final with ten points from six matches thanks to a 1-15 to 0-14 victory over Wexford recently. Wing-back John Coghlan (Moyne-Templetuohy), centre-forward Francis Devanney (Toomevara) and corner-forward John McGrath (Knockavilla Kickhams) were the three Tipperary natives who lined out for the Blue and Gold. Last Sunday, Wexford defeated Galway by 0-20 to 1-12 after extra time in the semi-final to qualify for another clash with Tipperary in next Sunday's Final. CUL GREEN A new website to help thousands of Croke Park fans reduce their impact on the environment has been launched by ESB and the GAA. The www.culgreen.ie website, unveiled by ESB Chief Executive, Padraig McManus and GAA President, Nickey Brennan, is part of the Cúl Green initiative that aims to make the stadium carbon-neutral. Fans and the public can log onto www.culgreen.ie to access details of how they can support this environmental initiative by making energy saving pledges. Prizes will be made to individual fans pledging on the website, including match tickets. The website gives details of the level of carbon that can be offset through simple everyday tasks and encourages fans to travel to Croke Park at minimum cost to the environment by using public transport, park and ride and car pooling. Cúl Green was launched in May this year and since then Croke Park has contracted its electricity supply from a renewable source and environmental projects are ongoing at the stadium. As part of the Cúl Green initiative, a grant of ?20,000 will be made to the county that makes the most carbon-saving pledges per head of population. This prize money will fund sports equipment for juvenile clubs in the winning county. Further prizes will be made to individual fans who make a pledge on the Cúl Green website. ESB has already committed to planting an ash tree for each pledge made. CROKE PARK GAA MUSEUM The GAA Museum celebrates its tenth birthday on 26th August with an action packed series of events and a day of free admission to museum activities and stadium tours. Other GAA Museum summer events include art workshops, summer schools and the ongoing Museum Lecture Series which continues with a talk by Dr. Sean Crosson entitled 'Hurling and Hollywood' on 28th August. The museum is running a special photographic competition until the end of August for primary school children in association with FUJIFILM. Prizes include All Ireland tickets, a digital camera and a class trip to Croke Park. Further details are available at www.crokepark.ie. TIPPERARY GAA SCENE Information concerning all areas in the GAA will appear in this section in the future. If you wish to include any item of interest in future articles, please contact the County Public Relations Officer Ed Donnelly at 087-2055642 or via e-mail at [email protected] on or before 3:00pm on Monday. Visit the Tipperary GAA web site at http://tipperary.gaa.ie to keep up to date with all the latest news in Tipperary GAA circles. Tweet

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