Sport « Thurles Information

Tipperary & Cork Name Unchanged Sides In All-Ireland Hurling Final.

Both Cork and Tipperary have named unchanged sides when they meet in tomorrow’s All-Ireland hurling final.

Tipperary Manager Liam Cahill and Cork manager Pat Ryan have both retained faith in their 15 member squads that beat Kilkenny and Dublin, respectively, in both recent semi-final outings.

There’s is one addition to the Tipperary panel for this Croke Park showdown, with Under-20s forward Paddy McCormack, replacing Seán Kenneally, latter believed to have picked up an injury.
McCormack, latter the younger brother of twice All-Ireland Dan McCormack, scored 2-01 in their U-20 triumph over Kilkenny, in June last.
Meanwhile, Manager Pat Ryan has recalled Seamus Harnedy and Cormac O’Brien to his Cork panel. Harnedy had missed the semi-final with Dublin with a hamstring injury, while O’Brien had been ruled out with a quad muscle injury. Ethan Twomey and Jack O’Connor will now drop out of the squad.

Tipperary are hoping to take what would be their 29th Liam MacCarthy victory, while replicating their 2019 day of glory. Cork, on the other hand, will be anxious to take their 31st title, thus ending a 20-year-old drought, which will make them an extremley dangerous opponent.

Tipperary Team: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher (Capt.), Bryan O’Mara; Willie Connors, Conor Stakelum; Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O’Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.
Substitutes: Barry Hogan, Joe Caesar, Seamus Kennedy, Paddy McCormack, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Peter McGarry, Oisin O’Donoghue, Johnny Ryan, Darragh Stakelum, Alan Tynan.

Cork Team: Patrick Collins, Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Sean O’Donoghue, Ciarán Joyce, Rob Downey (Capt.), Mark Coleman, Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Declan Dalton, Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Substitutes: Brion Saunderson, Damie Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Cormac O’Brien, Tommy O’Connell, Luke Meade, Brian Roche, Séamus Harnedy, Robbie O’Flynn, Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston.

This Cork vs Tipperary match will be broadcast live on RTE Two, with the throw-in time scheduled for 3:30pm.
Ms Sarah Mulkerrins will present live coverage of the match on BBC Two and iPlayer.
GAA fans in the USA can watch the match through the GAA+ stream or website.

Tipperary Defeats Kilkenny In Epic All-Ireland Semi-Final.

Kilkenny 0-30 (30 pts) – Tipperary 4-21 (33 pts).

Confusion reigned for a time over today’s final score following Tipperary’s All-Ireland semi-final victory over Kilkenny. The scoreboard in Croke Park together with the tally shown on RTÉ, showed Tipperary victorious by 4-21 to 0-30. However, that Tipperary tally appeared to include a late Noal McGrath point that was waved wide by the umpires. Happily, Noel McGrath’s late point has since been confirmed as a score to give that final result of Tipperary 4-21 (33 pts) Kilkenny 0-30 (30 pts).

Regardless, with a man short, Tipperary successfully edged from behind to take the lead ahead of their old rivals and neighbours Kilkenny, thus setting up an All-Ireland final meeting with Munster rivals Cork.

It was Oisín O’Donoghue (substitute) who scored that winning goal in the 69th minute, following the departure of Darragh McCarthy having been “Red Carded”.

It was another Tipperary hero, Robert Doyle, who succeeded in making that crucial goal-line save, thus confirming Tipperary’s first All-Ireland final, since beating Kilkenny in 2019; latter event which marked Tipperary’s most recent appearance at Croke Park, prior to today’s well deserved victory.

Kilkenny appeared to be fully on top, early on in today’s “clash of the ash”, scoring the first eight points in the game, however, Tipperary’s first goal would arrive courtesy of John McGrath, before being joined by his full-forward colleagues Darragh McCarthy and Jason Forde, latter who also found the netting, granting the Premier County a 3-11 (20 pts) to 0-16 (16 pts) lead, by half time.

The second half saw Kilkenny drew level by the 48th minute, thanks to the accuracy of TJ Reid greatly aided by Martin Keoghan.

Then, with just 12 minutes remaining Darragh McCarthy, following a loose slap on Eoin Murphy hand, left the field having been shown a Red Card (his second yellow card), with Tipperary then one point down. While Tipperary spectators hearts sank, 14 Tipperary stalwart players dug in deep to level again, with aforementioned O’Donoghue managing to once again rifle into Kilkenny’s net.

In two week’s time, Tipperary will return to Croke Park, (July 20th), to do battle against Munster champions Cork, for their chance to win their first All-Ireland title since 2019.

Liam Cahill Opts To Stick With Same 15 That Beat Galway.

Eoin Cody, now recovered from injury, starts in the full-forward line for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against an unchanged 15 Tipperary team selection. Shane Murphy has also been restored back to the Kilkenny line-up, due to face tomorrow’s All-Ireland Hurling semi-final at Croke Park.

Tipperary manager, Liam Cahill, has opted to stick with the same 15 winning formula that beat Galway in the quarter-finals, with tomorrow being Tipperary’s first appearance in an All-Ireland semi-final this decade and their first game at Croke Park, since they overcame Kilkenny in the 2019 All-Ireland final.

Tipperary Team: Rhys Shelly; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher, Bryan O’Mara; Willie Connors, Peter McGarry; Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Sam O’Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath and Jason Forde.

Subs: Barry Hogan, Joe Caesar, Sean Kenneally, Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Oisin O’Donoghue, Johnny Ryan, Conor Stakelum, Darragh Stakelum, Alan Tynan.

Kilkenny Team: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Shane Murphy; Michael Carey, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy; Adrian Mullen, John Donnelly, Billy Ryan; Mossy Keoghan, TJ Reid and the aforementioned Eoin Cody.

Subs: Aidan Tallis, David Blanchfield, Tommy Walsh, Pádraic Moylan, Killian Doyle, Zach Bay Hammond, Fionan Mackessy, Stephen Donnelly, Luke Hogan, Luke Connellan, Billy Drennan.

This game is set for a 4:00pm throw-in, with the match also being shown live on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player. Supporters can also review highlights from the day’s action on The Sunday Game, on Sunday evening on RTÉ 2, starting from 9:30pm.

A large contingent of eager Tipperary supporters are expected to converge on Croke Park for this highly anticipated clash.

Olympic-Bound OCR World Championships Comes To Mid-West Region in 2026.

4,000 Competitors to deliver €2.8 million boost to Mid-West Economy.

Limerick has today been announced as the host city for the 2026 Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) World Championships, just two years before the sport is set to make its official debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO), the global governing body for OCR, confirmed that the event will take place from August 7th to 9th, 2026, at Limerick Racecourse, with the University of Limerick serving as the official Athlete Village.

More than 4,000 athletes from over 60 countries are expected to compete, making it one of the largest international sporting events ever staged in the Mid-West region; latter which consists of counties Tipperary Clare and Limerick.

**Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles *(FISO)* confirm Mid-West Region as venue for 2026 Obstacle Course Racing *(OCR)* World Championships, ahead of** **LA28 Olympics**.

Organisers say the economic impact will be significant, with the event is projected to generate over €2.8 million for the wider Mid-West economy.

Obstacle Course Racing is one of the fastest-growing sports globally and has now been elevated to Olympic status for LA28. The sport blends speed, strength, and strategy, challenging athletes to overcome a range of natural and man-made obstacles — including walls, rigs, rope climbs, carries, and crawls — across courses of varying distance and difficulty.

The World Championships to be held in Limerick will feature a range of formats, from short and explosive 100m and 400m sprints to 2–3km technical courses, a 15km endurance race, and high-energy team relays. The competition is open to professionals, age group athletes, Para-OCR competitors, and dedicated amateurs, making it a diverse and inclusive global event.

The successful bid to host the event in the Mid-West was prepared and submitted by the Obstacle Course Racing Association of Ireland (OCRA Ireland), Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, Aimwell Events, the University of Limerick and Limerick Racecourse.

Mr Sergej Dikun, (President of OCRA Ireland), described the announcement as a landmark moment for Irish sport, “Hosting the World Championships just two years before the sport’s Olympic debut is a huge moment for Ireland. We’re honoured to bring the global OCR community to Limerick — and to showcase the passion, people, and places that make the Mid-West Region so special.”

Mr Adam Taylor (Aimwell Events), who travelled with Mr. Dikun to Portugal to present the bid, commented, “Bringing the OCR World Championships to Limerick is a landmark moment not only for the sport but for the entire Mid-West region. We’re proud to be part of the team delivering a world-class event that will attract thousands of athletes and fans from around the globe for this showcase event.”

Ms Danielle Devaney (Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau) said the benefits of hosting the World Championships would be far-reaching. She explained, “This event will leave a lasting legacy for the Mid-West. It’s a chance to welcome the world, be part of an Olympic story, and generate real economic impact for our communities across the region.”

Mr Michael Lynch, (CEO of Limerick Racecourse), stated, “We are delighted to be working with the event stakeholders towards delivery of this prestigious event. This is a proud moment for us. Limerick Racecourse offers a potentially spectacular setting for OCR, and we can’t wait to see it transformed into a world championship arena.”

This week’s event announcement coincides with Limerick playing host to the first-ever European 400m OCR Championships, which will take place at the University of Limerick from July 18th to 20th. That event will bring 300 elite athletes from across Europe to Ireland, marking the country’s first major international OCR competition.

Mr David Ward (Sports Business Development Manager at the University of Limerick), added, “With OCR going to the Olympics, this is a sport on the rise. UL is proud to help grow its global footprint by hosting the athlete village and supporting both this and the European Championships. It shows the scale of what this region can deliver.”

Organisers says the event will require hundreds of volunteers that will be vital to the smooth running of the championships, from obstacle marshals and hydration stations, to medal ceremonies, race kit distribution, and media support.

Visit www.ocrwc2025.com for information on this year’s OCR World Championships, taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden, in September.

Thurles Planning Alert

Thurles Planning Alert from Tipperary County Council.

Application Ref: 2560298
Applicant: Peake Villa AFC
Development Address: Peake Villa Afc , Bowling Green , Thurles
Development Description: (a) proposed new floodlighting installation to include 12no. new 18m high lighting poles to serve 2×1. existing grass pitches.
(b) all associated site works.
Status: Conditional
Application Received: 10/04/2025
Decision Date: 03/06/2025
Further Details: http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2560298/0