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European Parliament hopeful and former GAA President Mr Sean Kelly called on the GAA to purchase the Haye’s Hotel Thurles.
Mr Kelly called on the GAA to establish this historic building as a tourist attraction and to incorporate the Lár Na Pairce museum as a memorial to that meeting in the Davin room, 125 years ago this year, which saw the establishment of the GAA organisation.
Mr Kelly made the call as he launched his Tipperary European Election campaign in the Haye’s Hotel to a large crowd of over 200 people on Tuesday night April 14th.
 Mr Kelly stated:
“I have thought for many years that the GAA should purchase Haye’s Hotel to ensure it is preserved in its rightful place in Irish history. Successive owners have been very good at keeping the business going and the connection with the past, through the Davin Suite and Cusacks Bar, but there is no guarantee that this will always be the case. The only way to ensure that our history, in this respect, is preserved would be for the organisation to buy it and run it jointly as both a hotel and a museum. The GAA now successfully run a hotel at Croke Park so they know how the business works. The GAA could also move Lár Na Parca from its present cramped site to the hotel grounds and make a fine visitors centre and museum there. It would be a shame for this treasure to be lost to the organisation and to the Irish nation.”
Thurles CBS completed a dream season when they claimed the All-Ireland Colleges SAHC [Croke Cup] with a 1-17 to 1-15 win over Good Counsel at Semple Stadium on Easter Monday.
In an early contender for match of the year, Thurles made up for the heartache of their loss to DLS Waterford last year.
Good Counsel, from New Ross, stormed into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead before Walter Walsh stole in for the opening goal for the Leinster side. His first strike was swept off the line by a defender but the full forward made no mistake with the rebound.
The Harty Cup champions hit back with three points and then struck for a fine goal from the stick of Michael O’Brien, who poked home after a booming defensive clearance had hit the crossbar.
Thurles led 1-11 to 1-8 at the interval and thanks, in the main,to some superb play by centre-back Denis Maher they managed to keep Good Counsel at arm’s length for the remainder of the second half.
However, New Ross did mount a superb comeback and hit three unanswered points and went looking for an equalising point as the game went into injury time. But it was not to be, as Kieran Morris fired over a late ’65 to hand the glory to Thurles CBC after a brilliant game of hurling.
Meanwhile today the GAA confirmed the venues and times for the Allianz League finals.
Derry will be looking for another upset against Kerry in the football decider, which stays at Croke Park. The NFL Division One and Division Two finals will be played on Sunday April 26th at this venue, with 2.00pm and 4.00pm starts.
Divisions Three and Four will be decided in Longford the previous evening at 6.30pm and 4.30pm respectively.
The hurling final between Kilkenny and Tipperary will go ahead at Semple Stadium Thurles at 4.00pm on Sunday May 3rd, thereby avoiding any clash the Heineken Cup semi-final between Munster and Leinster at GAA HQ that weekend.
The Division Two decider will act as a curtain-raiser from 2.00pm in Thurles, while Mullingar will host the Division 3A and Division Four Finals on Saturday May 2nd, and London go to Parnell Park in Dublin for the Division 3B Final on the same day at 3.00pm.
 Friday last, the Presentation Secondary School in Thurles, Co Tipperary, saw the official opening of their new and most magnificent Sr.Fideles Sports Hall, by past pupil and Irish Government Minister Mary Hanafin, Minister for Social and Family Affairs.
It was a particularly proud day for Board of Management Chairperson Sr.Fideles Purcell who had helped to spearhead the project and to whom the facility was dedicated.
This €3 million complex boasts an international size basketball arena, dance studio, gymnasium, meeting rooms, changing and shower facilities, reception area and stores and is expected to be a huge addition to the School.
The site for this building had been donated by the Presentation Order who also donated €1.5 million to the overall cost of this project. Students, both present and future will now enjoy a state-of-the-art facilities in all their future attempts to achieve both academic and sporting excellence.
Guest speaker Mr Aidan O’Brien and his wife Anne-Marie received a Guard of Honour, alongside Minister Hanafin on their arrival at the school.
Prior to Minister Hanafin cutting the ribbon, the projects Chairman Mr Antoin O’Brian, welcomed all in attendance. Mr O’Brian told the gathering that the project was now completely debt free and enormous gratitude was owed by the school to all who contributed towards its construction in any way. He also thanked the hard working committee, who had laboured so hard to further the project and looked forward to it bearing fruit in the years to come.
The many distinguished guests were welcomed by Sr.Fideles, Chairperson of the Board of Management, while a well rehearsed school choir and orchestra provided the entertainment for this event.
The IRFU has applied to the GAA for permission to use the stadium at Croke Park in the event that the Munster team should win their home quarter-final against the Ospreys and this request is likely to be granted, although it has been suggested that the Central Council will insist that the match be played on a Friday.
The GAA Central Council is expected to vote in favour of allowing Croke Park to be used, by the IRFU, for one of this season’s European Heineken Cup semi-finals in May next.
The Central Council will meet in the Haye’s Hotel, Thurles, Co.Tipperary on Saturday next and the IRFU’s request is expected to be approved without much debate, since a full house would result in over a €1 million windfall for the GAA.
Leinster will provide the opposition to Munster, providing they overcome London Harlequins in the last eight and an all-Irish semi-final would almost certainly result in a full house at Croke Park for this event.
 As a unit, the Irish rugby team have been magnificent in recent weeks and for sheer spirit, hard work, and talent this squad and its management team deserve every plaudit.
However, has this teams skill, grit and determination set an example for more than just the future of rugby.? Journalist Jerome Reilly (Independent) seems to think so and I am inclined to agree.
Jerome writes:
“If the Golden Generation can cast off the shackles of more than half a century of Grand Slam famine then just maybe the Irish people can summon the determination of will to tackle our economic ills.
Only a rugby game? Nonsense. A squad of men from north and south showed a resolution and unity of will that cannot but inspire.
The triumph of this all-Ireland team was proof, if we needed it, how much can be achieved if we put aside petty differences and sectional squabbles and pull together.
There is a stark message here to the unions and the social partners and those who seek a national retrenchment. Strikes at a time when we need full production is a folly.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who was at the match with the President Mary McAleese, summed up the nation’s elation.
“I applaud the team’s courage and remarkable determination and will to win for Ireland. It was outstanding. The Irish team’s performance was nothing short of superb. The players have brought great distinction to themselves and to our country”
The nation’s hopes and dreams were finally realised with this 17-15 win over Wales in Cardiff’s packed Millennium stadium.
Those are the bare facts, but they can hardly convey the exultation of the 25,000 supporters who were in Cardiff for this momentous day — not just in Irish sport, but in Irish life.
If a team reflects the nation it represents, then things are not too bad. We are made of the right stuff.”
Food for all our thoughts at this time, don’t you think.?
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