Sport « Thurles Information

Brother Of Former Labour Party TD Alan Kelly Sleeps During US Super Bowl

Mr Declan Kelly; latter who once served as a US economic envoy to Northern Ireland and who is brother of former Tipperary Labour TD Mr Alan Kelly, has been caught sleeping with his mouth wide open, during the Super Bowl.

The video clip has now gone viral in the US.

Mr Declan Kelly, an Irish-American business executive, best known for his role as Chairman & CEO of a company called Teneo; latter an international consulting company based in New York City, which sponsors the Tipperary Senior hurling team, was caught “dead to the world” at Super Bowl 54 on Sunday last.

The state of Mr Declan Kelly, with regard to his demeaner, is quite understandable to the many millionaires’ resident here in Tipperary, who are represented by his Irish Labour Party brother Mr Alan Kelly, after all the tickets to the game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, only cost a mere €6,335.00 each.

And Irish people complain about paying €80.00 for an All-Ireland Hurling Ticket in Croke Park, Jones’ Rd, Drumcondra, Dublin 3

Easy known Mr Declan Kelly wasn’t found languishing on Dineen Hill 16, at the Railway End of Croke Park.

Lowry Unveils Plans For €5M Fethard Town Park

Fethard is set to become the envy of towns across the country with the announcement this week that funding is now fully in place for a €5million Town Park with an amazing package of facilities.

Deputy Michael Lowry secured the sum of €2.6m under the Governments Regeneration Fund, the largest allocation of funding ever granted under this scheme.

This funding is being matched by Mr. John Magnier, who wishes to leave a legacy project to the town he loves and where his world renowned Coolmore Stud is based. Groundworks will commence in June of this year and the projected completion of Phase 1 will be January 2022.

Locals gathered in the Town Hall to hear details of the 22 acre project, which received full Planning Permission in July of last year, and there were ripples of excitement as they heard details of the Town Park, which will be a community recreational facility in the very heart of the town with a particular focus on health and wellbeing.

It will include a 2.5km perimeter walkway/running track, a Community Pavilion that includes a multi-use community hub with intergenerational hall, a community-commercial gym and café, health consultation rooms, changing rooms, showers etc. A popular inclusion is a much needed routeway for pedestrians and cyclists through the Town Park from the residential area at Strylea to the education facilities at Rocklow Road.

A very popular inclusion is a full-sized All-Weather Pitch that incorporates multidimensional playing fields for all codes and recreational uses. The amenity facilities include a variety of community amenity resources including an Adventure Playground, Sensory Garden, outdoor classroom, dog park, outdoor fitness equipment and there will also be an Open Parkland and Public Space with grassland and natural landscaping including seating and lighting.

Addressing the gathering at the announcement of the details of the project, Deputy Michael Lowry said that it is a truly amazing project, the scale and scope of which is unmatched in any part of Ireland, and he was delighted to have secured €2.6million in funding for it. He praised and thanked the Magnier family for their generosity and for leaving this legacy to the town, which became home to John Magnier in 1975.

“As soon as John Magnier heard about the Government funding he wanted to be involved. He wanted to be involved and put his stamp on it to make sure this project would be a centre of excellence for Fethard and all the surrounding communities. Nothing has been spared or overlooked. Everyone in the town has bought into the project by having their say in what was wanted and needed, it has full Planning Permission and the support of Tipperary County Council”, stated Lowry

Recalling the meetings he had with Government on securing funding, Deputy Lowry said “Negotiations went from no hope, to possible, to over the line”.

He recalled the day that Minister Michael Ring came to Fethard to announce the funding and the anticipation it created. He also acknowledged the incredible support he has received from Maurice Moloney at Coolmore Stud and the amazing work carried out by Caroline Madden, Strategic Planning and Project Consultant who designed the plan for the Town Park.

Mr Lowry continued, “A project of this magnitude could not happen without partnership and this project shows partnership at its best”.
He complimented Fethard Regional Community Sport and Recreational Campus CLG, which is the Development Company and Operator, along with their partners Tipperary County Council, Coolmore Ireland, Cashel and Emly Diocese, Healthy Ireland, local schools and clubs and groups and the community of Fethard.

Lowry Further Commits To Support Of Phase 2 Work at Cashel Handball Club

Deputy Michael Lowry has welcomed the opening of the new 40 x 20 handball court at Cashel Handball Club and committed to furthering his help in the securing of future funding for planned work at the club.

The new court is an important addition to the facilities on offer at this thriving sports facility and Deputy Michael Lowry was delighted to assist with securing initial funding to provide this court.

The new court is now the culmination of Phase 1 work and just the start of a further 3 Phase modernisation plan.

The new Court, which opened in the 3rd quarter of 2019, has over the past number of months proved to be a very popular addition with members.
Cashel Handball Club has a very impressive track record within handball circles, with current members holding numerous All-Ireland and World titles at both Juvenile and Adult levels.

This new 40 x 20 modern court will go a long way to help develop the skills of the more than 80 juvenile club members, both boys and girls, who are currently training and playing at the club. Access to these enhanced facilities will continue to build the Club’s winning profile and attract more young people into the sport.

Funding for upgrading work such as this is provided through Capital Sports Grants. The funding for the new court was made possible a couple of years ago, through the hard work and persistence of Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry, who will continue to work towards securing further funding in support of Phase 2 of this project.

Tipperary Win Over Kilkenny Could Cause Unemployment In Thurles

“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 Emphatic Winners In Today’s All Ireland Senior Hurling Challenge

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.