“Tipperary hammered a fair auld job on Kilkenny yesterday”, said I earlier today to Mikey Ryan. We were above in the Arch Bar in Liberty Square, Thurles, having a pint, while waiting for the Tipperary hurlers to arrive home, carrying the Liam McCarthy cup.
“They sure did”, replied a somewhat down-in-the-mouth Mikey, “a whole 14 points no less, still it’s because of them that I could be joining the Dole queue come Friday night”.
“In the name of God, how could the Tipperary Senior Hurling team be responsible for you being shunted onto a dole queue?”, said I, with raised eyebrows.
“Sure”, said Mikey, “didn’t I tell that feckin Kilkenny boss of mine that my uncle Johnny, had died, the one above in Kildare,and he gave me compassionate leave time last Thursday evening to attend the funeral on Friday”.
“Jasus you never said your Uncle Johnny died; may the Lord have mercy on him and had I known I could have gone up to the funeral” said I, somewhat taken aback, I can tell you, by this unexpected news, after all we were in the same class in the CBS. “And tell me”, I continued somewhat shocked, “was it sudden or had he been complaining?”.
“No, sure Johnny isn’t dead at all”, said Mikey, lowering his voice to a mere whisper, “he’s very much in the land of the living”.
“You see the whole truth is” continued Mikey in low tones, “I managed to obtained two tickets for the Tipp / Kilkenny match; sure all I wanted was to get the Friday off, so that herself and myself could head up to me sister-in-law’s place near Croke Park, staying over till after the match”.
“So why didn’t you take a ‘sicky’ like everyone else”, said I, somewhat relieved by the emerging facts.
“I got in to feckin work on the early shift this morning and there he was, waggling his index finger, beckoning me”, said Mikey.
“Do you”, says he, “believe in life after death?”
“Most certainly not”, says I confidently, “sure when you study that nonsense in detail, you’ll eventually come to the conclusion there’s not a morsel of proof in any such belief.”
“Well, there is now”, said my boss man, “because after you left here on Thursday evening to go to your uncle Johnny’s funeral in Kildare on Friday, didn’t the same uncle Johnny arrive in here looking for you”.
“Sure, you might, when you’re not too busy”, says he, “call into my office tomorrow for a more in-depth discussion on this unusual ghostly phenomenon”.
Tipperary’s youngest supporter celebrating their 2019 Senior All Ireland Hurling Win.
Tipperary Senior hurlers seriously upset their old rivals this afternoon, in Croke Park, inflicting a heavy defeat on their 14-man Kilkenny opposition.
It was a red card for Kilkenny forward Richie Hogan, just four minutes before the half-time break, that ensured ‘The Cats’ final demise, with Tipperary then only one point in front.
From the very start Kilkenny appeared to instantly settle, with TJ Reid rifling home two handy frees to open the Kilkenny account. However Michael Breen soon put the first point on the board for ‘The Premier County’. However, over the next 20 minutes Kilkenny appeared to govern the pitch, to lead Tipperary by 8pts to 3pts; 6pts of which came at the hands of an intent TJ Reid from frees, as they continued to menace Tipperary’s full-back line.
From the 24th minute, Tipperary appeared to have fully assessed the situation. Tipperary’s Jason Forde pointed over a 65, followed by a free and then came the Niall O’Meara goal which slid under Paul Murphy’s boot, giving Eoin Murphy in the Kilkenny goal mouth, no chance to defend. Suddenly, there was hope visible in the eyes of worried Tipperary spectators; the scores were again level, Kilkenny 0-8 (8pts) – Tipperary 1-5 (8pts). Kilkenny’s first 24 minutes of worrying mild superiority was amounting to nothing.
By the 27th minute Tipperary were in the lead for the first time, with Jason Forde converting a 65.
Then, four minutes before half-time, disaster struck the Kilkenny side, following a call made by referee James Owens and after extensive consultation with his linesman Johnny Murphy, Richie Hogan received a red card and was dismissed to the side-line for his high strong shoulder challenge on Tipperary’s Cathal Barrett.
As yet another downpour of rain drowned the pitch in Croke Park, both teams returned to their dressing rooms at half-time, with Tipperary one point to the good – Tipperary 1-9 (12pts) to Kilkenny 0-11 (11pts).
The second half saw a Tipperary side put this game out of the complete reach of the now reduced 14-man Kilkenny squad, all within just seven minutes of the restart.
Despite an early point from Kilkenny’s TJ Reid, levelling the score; in the 37th minute, Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan willed the ball to cross the Kilkenny line, his eighth goal of this championship to date. Tipperary were now 2-9 (15pts) to Kilkenny’s 0-12 (12pts).
Kilkenny, in desperation, then resorted to sending long range aimless deliveries to their full-forward line, where the ‘Premiers’ extra man was lurking, allowing Tipperary to easily defend and clear.
Now, points from Tipperary’s Callanan; O’Dwyer; Kennedy; both McGrath brothers; Forde; Connors; Kehoe and a superb goal from O’Dwyer, did little to support the retaliation points scored by a committed Kilkenny squad of Walsh; Reid; Ryan; Donnelly; Fennelly and Browne.
Final Score: Tipperary 3-25 (34pts) – Kilkenny 0-20 (20pts).
Tipperary Team: B. Hogan; C. Barrett; R. Maher; B. Heffernan; S. Kennedy; B. Maher; Padraic Maher; N. McGrath; M. Breen; D. McCormack; N. O’Meara; J. McGrath; J. O’Dwyer; S. Callanan and J. Forde. Substitutes: M. Kehoe for N. O’Meara; W. Connors for D. McCormack; J. Morris for J. Forde; S. O’Brien for C. Barrett and G. Browne for M. Breen.
Pic. Left: Window dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas. Pic. Top Right: Summa Theologiae. Pic. Bottom Right: Archbp. Dr. Thomas Croke.
Ireland’s National Heritage Week 2019 begins August 17th.
Forgetting briefly the everyday religious benefits obtained by Thurles and Tipperary people; not to mention the same religious spiritual advantages enjoyed by hundreds of visiting day-trippers down through the centuries; it remains necessary to continue to reveal the history, relating to the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles, latter a truly magnificent edifice, built to the glory of God.
Slightly to the right hand side and to the rear as you face the Cathedral’s interior Tabernacle, can be viewed a stained-glass window, dedicated to Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), probably born in the castle of Roccasecca in the Province of Frosinone, in the Lazio region of Italy, and who became a Dominican priest and Scriptural Theologian.
The dedicated window portrays the Saint, the son of Landulf of Aquino and his wife Theodora, holding a scroll containing the text of his Summa Theologiae, latter written between 1265 & 1274 and also known as the Summa Theologica or simply the Summa.
Summa Theologiae, Summa Theologica or Summa
The Summa Theologiae is the best-known work of St. Thomas Aquinas. Although never completed, same remains one of the most influential works within Western literature and a compendium of all of the main theological teachings held by the Catholic Church.
Same was intended as an instructional guide, not just for the few literate laity of that period, but also for theology students, including seminarians; to whom are extolled the five arguments required to prove the existence of God, which are known as the “five ways” or “five proofs” (In Latin: quinque viae).
The stained-glass window is the work of the renowned German stained-glass designer and manufacturing company of Franz Mayer, Munich. It is interesting to note that on closer inspection of this stained-glass window, the facial features of the late Archbishop Dr. Thomas William Croke appear; thus, replacing the unknown facial characteristics of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Text on the base of the window asks for prayers for Dr. Thomas Croke (D.Div.), [1824 – 1902], latter former Archbishop of Cashel and Emly and first patron of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Currently the largest Irish GAA stadium, “Croke Park“, situated at Jones’ Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 3, in which Tipperary will meet and hopefully defeat old rivals Kilkenny, in the 2019 Senior All Ireland hurling challenge, continues to be named in his honour.
Pictured L-R: (1) A section of the crowd which attended Semple Stadium last evening. (2) Tipperary Team member Dan McCormack (Borrisoleigh) signs autographs for hurling fans. [Photos: Courtesy Stewart Willoughby.]
Despite the occasional drizzle which fell lightly on the hallowed turf of Semple’s field yesterday evening (July 31st 2019); over 6 thousand men, women and children converged on Semple Stadium in Thurles, all seeking to get “up close and personal” with their heroes the Tipperary senior hurling team.
The Tipperary senior hurling panel had kindly invited their supporters to attend an open training session from 8.15pm last night; having beaten Wexford [1-28 (31pts) to 3-20 (29pts)] in a thrilling All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final last Sunday afternoon, (July 28th).
Tipperary will now face old rivals Kilkenny, on Sunday August 18th, in the All Ireland Hurling Final in Croke Park, Dublin.
For the sixth time in 11 years, Tipperary will again face neighbouring county Kilkenny in the 2019 All-Ireland hurling final decider, set for August 18th next, following their amazing semi-final win over Wexford at Croke Park, Dublin, this afternoon.
Manager Davy Fitzgerald’s team had led by two points at half-time, [1-14 (17pts) to 1-12 (15 pts)], with the Wexford men producing what seemed true winning form. However, Tipperary would inch into the lead within just five minutes of the second half, courtesy of Jason Forde and John O’Dwyer.
Early on in the second half, Tipperary forward John McGrath received a ‘Red Card’; his second of the game, for what was perceived as a needless strike on Wexford’s versatile player Damien Reck, thus reducing the Tipperary squad to continue today’s game with only 14 men.
A further goal from Wexford’s Lee Chin soon turned the tide back in Wexford’s favour. A second goal from Wexford’s Conor McDonald seemed to have finally decided the outcome.
But, the Tipperary squad of 14 showed their fitness and true character right up to the final whistle, in front of a raucous crowd of over 61,000 fans, accurately targeting seven of their last nine points, using the fresh legs of substitutes Ger Browne, Willie Connors, Mark Kehoe and Jake Morris, to seal a truly unforgettable conquest.
In a repeat of 2016, Tipperary will now meet Kilkenny in three weeks, to decide the 2019 All-Ireland Hurling Final; the venue Croke Park, Dublin.
Today’s Tipperary Team:
Brian Hogan (Lorrha-Dorrha); Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill); Seamus Kennedy (St Mary’s Clonmel); Barry Heffernan (Nenagh Éire Óg); Brendan Maher & Dan McCormack (both Borris-Ileigh); Padraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields); Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields); Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney); Michael Breen (Ballina); John O’Dwyer (Killenaule); Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs); Jason Forde (Silvermines); Capt. Séamus Callanan (Drom-Inch) and John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney).
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