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Clean Ireland Recycling New GAA Tipperary Title Sponsors

Clean-IrelandClean Ireland Recycling are delighted to announce that it is to come on board as title sponsors of the Tipperary GAA senior, Intermediate, Junior, U-21 and Minor Football and Hurling Championships for 2013.

The deal is effective from this weekend’s games and will see the multi-award winning company sponsor adult championships in both codes, through to the end of this year’s championship, with an option to extend for further and successive years.

Announcing the sponsorship, Clean Ireland Recycling Tipperary Sales Manager Mr Bill Ryan, from Thurles, said he are delighted to have agreed this partnership with Tipperary GAA. The company operate, what has been voted by the industry, as Ireland’s leading kerbside collection and in recent months have expanded that service to all of County Tipperary and see this sport sponsorship as a really good fit for both their company and Tipperary GAA.

Welcoming Clean Ireland Recycling on board as sponsors, Tipperary GAA Chairman Mr Sean Nugent stated that this sponsorship was a timely boost for the championships and to have a keen sponsor come on board at this stage once again showed the reach and popularity of club games.

Pictured In Semple Stadium Thurles (L – R):- Bill Ryan (Clean Ireland Recycling Tipperary Sales Manager ), with  Caroline Walsh, (Financial Controller, Clean Ireland Recycling ) and Sean Nugent, (Tipperary GAA County Board Chairman ).

In 2011 Clean Ireland Recycling took over the South Tipperary local authority’s waste service and has since then have gone on to expand its operations across the entire county by taking over services in both the Thurles and Nenagh areas. It now provides a waste management service from Clonmel right up to Roscrea and even into Birr, Co. Offaly.

Update On Sarsfields International Hurling Festival

Photo courtesy J.O'Loughlin.

Photo courtesy J.O’Loughlin.

John Enright, Chairman of the Thurles Sarsfields Organising Committee reports:

The third Thurles Sarsfields International Hurling Festival, to be held on Munster hurling final week-end, July 12th and 13th, was officially launched by the Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, Alan Kelly TD at Sarsfields Social Centre, Thurles, on Friday night May 31st last.

Camogie Teams

Glamour has been added to the Tipperary International Hurling Festival with the addition of eight Camogie teams competing for the Helen O’Mara Cup donated by the Thurles Camogie Club in memory of Helen. Helen was a dedicated camogie player from Kilkenny who was club treasurer for many years and a long serving committee member. It is indeed fitting therefore, that our first ever camogie tournament is honoured by her name.
The competing teams are – Indianapolis USA, Na Piarsaig Cork, Kildangan and Roscrea Tipperary, Patrickswell Limerick, Lixnaw Kerry, Feakle/Broadford Clare, and Portlaw Waterford. All are very welcome.
The games will be played in the grounds of St Patrick’s Third level College of Education Thurles, by kind permission of Very Rev Tom Fogarty, College President.

The Cork Connection

There is nearly always a Cork presence in Thurles on Munster Final weekend. Combined with our festival there is great representation, hurling from Kilbrin, home of current Cork Senior star William Egan, and former Cork hurler Jack Field. It will be a Cork take over on Friday night with the road bowling. Saturday will see the biggest GAA club in the North city side, Na Piarsaig, playing Camogie, and as always expecting to win.

North Kerry Hurling

Hurling is endemic in North Kerry. We had Kilmoyley last year who were in hard luck not to take the title, this year we have Ballyduff and Causeway for the Tom Semple Cup and Lixnaw for the Camogie. A Kerry presence on Munster Final Weekend very much adds to the occasion.

Mayo In Force

Hurling Officer, Adrian Hessian, loves his hurling and is bringing two teams from Mayo, Tureen, current Carew Cup Holders, and Castlebar who are trained by Gerry Lane (Noel’s brother) who caused Tipp many headaches in the eighties. Westport are the Michael Cusack Cup Road Bowling holders. There is a strong Mayo presence in Thurles, John Moroney’s wife Maureen is a great Mayo woman and Ger O’Hagen is current Chairman of Thurles Sarsfields Ladies football. It was his home club that sold hurleys to Toureen in the fifties to start hurling in that parish.

The Dub’s Are Coming

Under Kevin Broderick, Raheeney Hurling Club are making history, they are coming to Thurles for the first time for our Munster Final weekend festival. They will join Setanta, the all Irish speaking team, for an assault on the Tom Semple Cup. They are both in serious training for the competition and both expect to win.

The Social Side

With twenty four hurling and Camogie teams from all over, the scene is set for a very pleasant weekend. We are also expecting Thurles people from home and abroad to gather in numbers to be part of the Thurles Sarsfields “Gathering weekend.” There will be a great mix of people from the four provinces, The USA, Great Brittan and our own Diaspora.
The Monks are playing in Sarsfield’s Social Centre on Friday night and Silver Dollar is centre stage on Saturday night. The Sarsfields pubs in town are putting on musical entertainment that will be appropriate for the occasion. A friendly mix of hurling, camogie, camán abú and road bowling will be on display. All are welcome to our Festival which promises great entertainment and above all a great sporting weekend.

So Camán Home for the Hurling.

Limerick End Tipperary SHC Reign

HurlingLimerick today surprisingly ended Tipperary’s reign as Munster Senior Hurling champions, in front of a large crowd, at the Gaelic Grounds, Limerick City. Eamon O’ Shea’s side were beaten by a final score of 1-18 to 1-15 in their provincial Semi-Final clash.

Limerick started well with Captain Donal O’Grady opening the scoring, quickly answered by Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan, with a point apiece in the first minute.

Within the first half however Tipperary’s Pa Bourke misses a 65 & Seamus Callanan misses a free, while Limerick point over another six points with an added goal in the eighteenth minute from Sean Tobin.  By the twenty second minute, with the goal at his mercy Tipperary’s Seamus Callanan misses a golden opportunity and by the half time whistle Tipperary had only managed six more points leaving a half time score board reading Limerick 1-07 (10 points) to Tipperary’s 0-07.

The second half saw Tipperary come back with a vengeance matching point for point, with Callanan & O’Dwyer determined to demonstrate that the game was far from over. Nickie Quaid was proving inspirational in goal for Limerick, but Tipperary’s John O’Dwyer finds the top corner of the net, to score Tipperary’s first and only goal leaving the score in the fiftieth minute Tipperary 1-13 (16 points) to Limerick’s 1-10 (13 points). All looked down to the wire.

Tipperary, despite their three point lead now failed to reply adequately to the next five points from Limerick, the latter which put them in front. A poor response from Tipperary, in the last fifteen minutes in particular, ensured that Limerick never relinquished their three point lead, leaving a final score of Limerick 1-18 (21 points) – Tipperary 1-15 (18 points).

Limerick now go on to a Munster Final date with either Cork or Clare, while Tipperary must now lick their wounds & regroup, ready for the qualifiers.

However, there was some good news for Tipperary in the Intermediate Semi-Final with Michael Ryan’s men, now through to the Intermediate Semi-Final, beating Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds, in the afternoon’s curtain raiser, by 0-20 to 0-15.

Call For GAA To Purchase Hayes Hotel

Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary

Hayes Hotel, Thurles, Co Tipperary

Former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and current Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mr Sean Kelly has again called on the GAA to purchase its historic birthplace, namely Hayes Hotel here in Thurles, Co Tipperary.

This call from Mr Kelly, follows the demise of this land-mark hotel, which was placed in receivership in recent weeks, with the appointment of Kieran Wallace and Padraic Monaghan of KPMG accountancy have been put in place as joint receivers.

Mr Kelly stated that he had previously raised this proposal with the Association and has now written to GAA President Liam O’Neill, Director General Páraic Duffy, and the Munster Council, urging them to investigate the possibilities of gaining ownership of this historic site.

Mr Kelly points out that as an organisation all Irish men should be rightly proud of our sporting history, and no other place, possible with the exception of Croke Park, is more central to this sporting narrative of the GAA than Hayes’ Hotel, where Michael Cusack, Maurice Davin, P.J. Ryan, John Bracken, George McCarthy,  John Wise-Power and John McKay founded this great sporting Association back in 1884.

Sarsfields GAA To Spearhead The Gathering In Thurles

Thurles Sarsfield's Hurling Festival Chairman, John Enright practises his bowling.

Thurles Sarsfield’s Hurling Festival Chairman, John Enright demonstrates road bowling skills.

IPB Insurance, in association with North Tipp County Council and Thurles Sarsfields International Hurling Festival, will lead the way for “The Gathering 2013,” here in Thurles on July 12th to 14th next.

Welcome Home And Enjoy Thurles Co Tipperary

The joint organisers of this year’s International Hurling Festival, under the Chairmanship of John Enright, are inviting home all Thurles people, wherever they may be, for the International Hurling Festival, now in its third successive year.

This year in particular, they are inviting back former Sarsfields Club Members and players who have been associated with this successful club in the past. They are calling on same to “Camán home for the Hurling,” on July 12th and include the Munster Final on Sunday July14th and guaranteeing to make this a most joyful reunion for all concerned.

This year’s festival will once again be centred on the International Hurling Competitions featuring the Tom Semple Cup and Carew Cup, latter names famously associated with Thurles and the GAA.

The festival will again include road bowling, wheelchair hurling, camogie, Camán Abú and other numerous social events that are currently still being finalised and for which full details will be posted as planning progresses. For now, just put this weekend date into your diary and begin planning your visit, thus making Thurles the centre of International Hurling and a special annual weekend for all who the game.

Latest Gathering News For Thurles Sarsfields International Hurling Festival.

(1) All the way from Salt Lake City, we welcome Fr. Paddy Carley and some 30 friends travelling here once again for the festival.
(2) Two full coaches from Indianapoliis, Illinois, who will spend a week in the area, playing hurling and camogie at the festival.
(3) Mr Tom Bergin from Moyne is arriving with an enhanced group of Kilburn Gaels hoping to make it a ‘three-in-a-row,’ for the Tom Semple Cup.  (Mr John O’Riordan from Ardfurt, the Kilbrun Chairman has been rumoured as stating he is determined to keep the cup.)
(4) Seán Callanan with Dunboyne is back for the third year hoping this time it will be third-time lucky for his group.
(5) Former Sarsfields stalwarts Colm O’Rourke, Jamie Murphy and David Kerins are bringing the All-Irish speaking Setantas back again.
(6) Ger Collins, former Tipp County Minor, is bringing back Naoimh Moninne for the third time. Louth are also sending a road bowling team to compete in the Cusack Cup.
(7) McCormack is a name very much associated with Thurles Sarsfields. The McCormack clan from Keady are coming back a third time expecting this time to win the Tom Semple trophy. They also have strong ambitions with regard to road bowling.
(8) Mayo are coming with a huge contingent, Toureen ( Carew Cup Holders ) and Castlebar for the hurling,  Ballina for Camán Abú and Westport for Road Bowling. David Hughes and Peter Goggin are the current Interprovincial ‘Michael Cusack Cup,’ champions. Mr Adrian Hession, the Mayo development officer, is the driving force here.
(9) We have a second Setanta team from the Gaeltacht in Donegal, giving us our second Irish speaking team.
(10) Ballyduff and Causeway are our two Kerry teams. It’s great to see two traditional clubs from North Kerry joining us.
(11) North Cork are arriving representing the birth place of Dr. Croke, Kilbrin.
(12) Last year Manorhamilton became the first Leitrim team to hurl in Thurles and Mr Steve Feeney is bringing them back this year for more of the same.
(13) Damian O’Doherty and Na Magha from Derry are coming back again and very welcome indeed.
(14) Fulham Irish from London, under Mr Michael Ruby from Kilshannig in North Cork will be the third London club to take part in the Tom Semple Cup.
(15) It is great to see Naas hurling manager Pat English bring his native Carlow club Ballykellin to this year’s festival.
(16) Another new entrant this year is the Rialto club from Dublin under Mr David Broderick.
(17) Bernie O’Dowd and Louise Lanigan, Thurles Sars Camogie, and Deirdre Murphy from the Munster Council are organising a senior seven-aside camogie tournament in St Patrick’s college, the latter I hasten to add is a fantastic addition to this Thurles Festival.

All in all, this year’s festival promises to be the biggest and best to date, so do stay tuned as we continue to keep you up to date with all events planned, as same are confirmed here on Thurles.Info and our sister website Hidden Tipperary.