BY COUNTY PRO ED DONNELLY ALL-IRELAND SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL Tipperary's opponents in the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final will be the winner of next Sunday's Quarter-Final meeting of Waterford and Wexford, scheduled for 2:00pm on Sunday next at Semple Stadium. The semi-final in question has been fixed for Sunday, August 17th in Croke Park. TIPPERARY SENIOR FOOTBALLERS Hard luck to the Tipperary Senior Footballers following their Qualifier defeat at the hands of Westmeath on Saturday last at Ardfinnan. Thanks to the players and the backroom team led by manager John Evans for their efforts in 2008 with the highlight being our promotion to Division 3 for the 2009 season. ALL-IRELAND MINOR HURLING QUARTER-FINAL Tipperary will play Antrim the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Quarter-Final on Saturday next in Mullingar at 3:15pm. The game is part of a triple-header of games at the Westmeath venue. At 1:45pm, Roscommon will play Meath in a Christy Ring Cup Relegation Playoff while at 5:00pm, Westmeath take on Derry in the Christy Ring Cup Semi-Final. Meanwhile, in the other All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Quarter-Final, Wexford will take on Galway at Semple Stadium on Sunday at 12:15pm. TIPPERARY VS. ANTRIM MINOR HURLERS The last meeting of Tipperary and Antrim in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship took place at the semi-final stage in 1996 with Tipperary running out comprehensive winners on a scoreline of 2-25 to 3-3. Michael "Bonnie" Kennedy (Clonoulty-Rossmore) scored 2-5 from play with both goals coming in the first half to help the Premier County to a 2-10 to 1-3 interval lead. Antrim scored two goals in the closing stages, their only scores in the second half as Tipperary added 15 points. MUNSTER UNDER 21 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL Tipperary will play Clare in the 2008 Munster Under 21 Hurling Championship Final on Wednesday evening next, July 30th in Cusack Park Ennis with a 7:30pm throw-in time. Tipperary had a hard earned semi-final victory over Limerick, winning by 1-13 to 0-15. Meanwhile, Clare caused an upset when they defeated Cork at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Monday evening last on a scoreline of 1-20 to 1-11. Tipperary are level on top of the Munster Under 21 Hurling Championship roll of honour with Cork on 18 titles while Clare are contesting their 12th final in this grade and are looking for the first ever title. TIPPERARY VS. CLARE UNDER 21 HURLERS The last meeting of Tipperary and Clare in the Munster Under 21 Hurling Final took place on August 31st 1999 at Cusack Park Ennis with Tipperary winning out on a scoreline of 1-18 to 1-15 in front of an attendance of 17,049. Clare led by 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval thanks to a goal by Alan Markham from a 20 metre free. Tipperary's Declan Browne scored a goal in the 44th minute and the Premier County held out to win by three points. The Clare panel included John Reddan, Colm Forde, Gerry Quinn, Enda Flannery and Tony Carmody who all played Senior Hurling with the Banner County. The Tipperary team and scorers were as follows - Damien Young (Drom & Inch); Thomas Costello (Cappawhite), Fergal Heaney (Knockavilla Kickhams), William Hickey (Boherlahan-Dualla - Captain); Donnacha Fahy (St. Marys), John Carroll (Roscrea), Philip Maher (Borris-Ileigh); Michael Ryan (Templederry Kenyons, 0-1), Richie Flannery (Nenagh Eire Og, 0-1); Paddy O'Brien (Toomevara, 0-9, 0-7 frees), William Maher (Ballingarry), Paul Kelly (Mullinahone, 0-3); Michael "Bonnie" Kennedy (Clonoulty-Rossmore), Eugene O'Neill (Cappawhite, 0-1), Declan Browne (Moyle Rovers, 1-0). Subs: Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone, 0-3) for Heaney, John Teehan (Gortnahoe-Glengoole) for Maher, John Ferncombe (Holycross-Ballycahill) for Kennedy. The last meeting of the counties at the Under 21 grade came in the Munster semi-final in 2006 when Tipperary won by 1-17 to 0-17 at Semple Stadium Thurles. Five players who started that match two years ago lined out in the recent Munster Senior Hurling Final, namely Conor O'Brien and James Woodlock from Tipperary and Pat Donnellan, Jonathan Clancy and Mark Flaherty of Clare. TIPPERARY MINOR FOOTBALLERS The Tipperary Minor Footballers will play Meath in the All-Ireland Quarter-Final after Meath won a thrilling Leinster Final on a scoreline of 1-14 to 2-10. This Quarter-Final match is scheduled for the weekend of August 9th / 10th. SEAMUS O RIAIN CUP DRAW The draw for the inaugural Seamus O Riain Cup Senior Hurling competition took place on Monday evening live on Tipp FM's Extra Time programme. 13 clubs in total were involved in the draw with pairings for the Preliminary Round and Quarter-Finals confirmed. Borris-Ileigh, Moneygall and Nenagh Eire Og received byes to the Quarter-Finals before the draw for the preliminary round was made which resulted as follows - (A) Holycross-Ballycahill vs. Portroe; (B) JK Brackens vs. Upperchurch-Drombane; (C) Boherlahan-Dualla vs. Knockavilla Kickhams; (D) Kilruane MacDonaghs vs. Cashel King Cormacs; (E) Carrick Swan vs. Lorrha-Dorrha. In the Quarter-Final draw, the pairings are as follows - Borris-Ileigh vs. (E); Moneygall vs. (C); Nenagh Eire Og vs. (D); (A) vs. (B). This is a knockout competition for all clubs who did not make their Divisional Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Finals. Junior and Intermediate Hurlers can play in this competition without losing their status. The cup has been sponsored by the Tipperary County Board in memory of the late Seamus O Riain from Moneygall who served as President of the GAA from 1967 to 1970 as well as Chairman of the Munster Council and the Tipperary County Board. 1000 CLUB DRAW The Friends of Tipperary Football are currently organising a 1000 Club draw. The first prize is a Hyundai 5 door car supplied by Cahir Motor Company. There are also prizes of 3,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500 euro. Tickets are 50 euro each and can be purchased from any committee member of the Friends of Tipperary Football. The draw will take place on October 20th. COUNTY SCOR HISTORY As the book on the History of Scór is nearing completion, the County Scor Committee are inviting people to become Patrons of the Book. If you are interested in becoming a patron, you are requested to contribute ?30, for which you will receive a hard cover copy of the book, your name will be mentioned as patron and you will be invited to the Book Launch. If you are interested, please contact - Mary Bourke, Co. Scór Secretary, Castlequarter, Borrisoleigh - 087-216 0430 or any Scór officer. SUPPORT FOR GAA OVERSEAS COACHES The GAA and the Department of Foreign Affairs recently launched their joint community outreach initiative on Emigrant Heritage and Sport at Croke Park. The project involves the joint funding of a number of full-time GAA Games Development Administrators in Britain and the US. These games administrators are involved in the coaching and promotion of Gaelic Games in Irish communities and they are seen as enhancing links with the Irish Diaspora. The GAA has received Stg£250,000 and ?75,000 from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Emigrant Support community funding in Britain and the US respectively. This amount has been matched by Central Council and the total amount has been used to support the 10 Games Development Administrators in Britain and four so far in the US (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco) with San Diego in prospect. The GAA's Overseas Work Group Committee, under the chairmanship of Sheamus Howlin and The National Coaching and Games Committee, under the chairmanship of Christy Cooney have worked very closely with the Irish Abroad Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs in developing the overseas strategy of the GAA. HONOURING TEAMS OF THE PAST As mentioned recently, an important part of County Senior Hurling and Football Final Day is the honouring of county final winners from the past. Moyne-Templetuohy (1971 County Senior Hurling Champions) and Loughmore-Castleiney (County Senior Football Champions in 1973, 1977, 1979 and 1983) will be honoured this year and following a number of requests, the organising committee has confirmed the teams which will be honoured in the near future with the plan to bring the process in to line with the champions of 25 years past. In Hurling, the champions to be honoured in the coming years is as follows - 2009 (Borris-Ileigh - 1981, 1983, 1986), 2010 (Moycarkey-Borris - 1982, 1984), 2011 (Kilruane MacDonaghs - 1985), 2012 (Cappawhite - 1987), 2013 (Loughmore-Castleiney - 1988), 2014 (Clonoulty-Rossmore - 1989), 2015 (Holycross-Ballycahill - 1990), 2016 (Cashel King Cormacs - 1991). In Gaelic Football, the champions to be honour in the coming years will be 2009 (Kilruane MacDonaghs - 1975), 2010 (Galtee Rovers - 1976, 1980, 1981), 2011 (Ardfinnan - 1970, 1974), 2012 (Commercials - 1969, 1971), 2013 (Fethard - 1978, 1984). DEADLINE FOR INFORMATION The deadline for information for next weeks Tipperary GAA Scene column is Friday July 25th at 12:00pm. Tweet

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