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 Athletics Ireland is the National Governing Body for athletics here in Ireland. Their primary objective is to promote and develop the sport at every level, from recreational running and schools competitions through to supporting Ireland’s elite athletes in International competition.
They are administered by a Board of elected volunteer members who work in tandem with a full-time staff, based in Dublin and the Regions.
Detailed hereunder are some upcoming workshops in Tipperary, for athletes & coaches:-
Thur May 10th: Fit4Life Leader Workshop at the Civic Offices, Friar Street, Cashel Co Tipperary from 7:00pm-9:0pm. This is open to all Fit4Life leaders and those interested in becoming leaders. The workshop is free with registration at 6:45pm sharp.
Wed May 16th: Long Jump Workshop at the Dr Pat O Callaghan Sports Complex Track in Clonmel Co Tipperary from 7:00pm-9:00pm. The session is open to all athletes/coaches aged 12+ only and the cost is €5 payable at registration from 6:40pm-6:55pm. AAI Director of Coaching Jacqui Freyne will be taking this session.
Wed May 23rd: High Jump Workshop at the Dr Pat O Callaghan Sports Complex Track in Clonmel Co Tipperary from 7:00pm-9:0pm. The session is open to all athletes/coaches aged 12+ only and the cost is €5 payable at registration from 6.40pm-6.55pm. AAI Director of Coaching Jacqui Freyne will be taking the session.
Sat May 27th: Discus & Hammer Workshop at Templemore Track Co Tipperary 11:00am-2:00pm. The cost is €5 payable on the day at registration. National Coaches will be taking the sessions and it is open to all athletes/coaches aged 13+.
Wed May 30th: Triple Jump Workshop at the Dr Pat O Callaghan Sports Complex Track in Clonmel Co Tipperary from 7:00pm-9:0pm. The session is open to all athletes/coaches aged 12+ only and the cost is €5 payable at registration from 6.40pm-6.55pm. AAI Director of Coaching Jacqui Freyne will be taking the session.
For more information contact RDO Steven Macklin at Tel: 087 6335565 or E-mail steven@athleticsireland.ie .
The long awaited new link road in Thurles, which now joins the Templemore and Nenagh roads, was officially opened at midday on April 2nd last, by Mr Alan Kelly TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport & Tourism. The new link road has been named after one of Thurles town’s proudest sons, Mr Jimmy Doyle.
To many of our regular readers living abroad, the name ‘Jimmy Doyle,‘ may hold little significance, however mention his name in Tipperary or indeed Ireland and you will open a conversation which surrounds a legend and which is guaranteed to continue for some time, thus ensuring you are late for any future intended destination.
Jimmy Doyle A Master Class In The Sport of Hurling
James (Jimmy) Doyle was born 1939 in Thurles, County Tipperary. He is a retired Irish hurling manager and a former player, beginning his career with the famous Thurles Sarsfields club from 1956 until 1975 and was a member of the Tipperary senior inter-county team from 1957 until 1973.
Jimmy is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers, ever, in the history of the game. In his Senior Inter-county career, which lasted for sixteen years, he won six All-Ireland titles, nine Munster titles, seven National Hurling League titles and eight Railway Cup titles. His completed tally of 18 goals, 176 points from 39 Championship Games, marks him as one of the top ten scorers of all-time. It took until 2007 for his all-time scoring record to be surpassed by Eoin Kelly.
Doyle won four consecutive minor County Titles, between 1954 and 1957 and won his first Senior County title in 1956 at the tender age of 17, adding three more in succession in 1957, 1958 and 1959. Throughout the 1960’s Doyle was a key member of the team that won five county titles in a row between 1961 and 1965. He also added a County Football title to his tally with Thurles Crokes in 1960. Jimmy captured his tenth and last senior county winners’ medal with ‘The Thurles Blues,’ in 1974, before retiring from club hurling in 1975.
Jimmy has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1965 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious ‘Texaco Hurler of the Year,‘ award. He was honoured in 1984, by being named a member of the GAA ‘Hurling Team of the Century.’ To add to this, he was correctly named, (In left corner-forward position) on the GAA’s ‘Hurling Team of the Millennium,’ in 1999.
Jimmy Doyle has been described as being a ‘hurling stylist,’ among Munster hurling forwards and while lacking the amazing bursts of speed of hurler Christy Ring and the physical strength of hurler Mick Mackey, Doyle became renowned for his skill in the delicacy of his touch and his ability to kill a Sliothar (Sliothar: A hard solid sphere slightly larger than a tennis ball.) dead and the precise accuracy of his return. Indeed his strength and ability to curve a ball, set him apart from all other forwards, as a supreme master of the art of hurling.
To Jimmy Doyle go our best wishes and sincere congratulations, from the people of Thurles, on receiving this his latest well earned accolade.
 Top Irish stud farm Coolmore Stud, owned by successful racing tycoon John Magnier and based in Fethard, Co Tipperary, will help China set up a new horse racing industry, under a new agreement.
This new partnership agreement is estimated to be worth €40 million to Ireland over the next 3 years.
Sited in Tianjin, China’s fourth largest city, this planned world-class equine centre will be the first of its kind in the country and is due to open for business next year.
The Chinese facility will be stocked with broodmares from Ireland, with over 100 mares, together with stallions, to be exported over the next three years. The deal will also see Coolmore Stud playing host to seven of China’s top agriculture graduates, to learn about the horse racing industry.
The construction of the new site at Tianjin marks the return of interest in horseracing in China, as the population continues to become more affluent. The sport was banned under former Communist dictator Mao Tse-Tung.
Mr P. J. Magnier (Junior) stated: “The sector plays a huge part in the Irish economy, currently generating 1.1 billion euros annually. This industry is something we are very good at, and today one of the biggest markets in the world has recognised this and has chosen to partner with Ireland.”
Photo courtesy G.Willoughby.
 Picture shows: Mr Noel Coonan TD, Mr Michael Lowry TD, Mr Jimmy Doyle and Minister for State Mr Alan Kelly TD, latter who officially opened "Jimmy Doyle Road," here in Thurles today. The long awaited new link road in Thurles, which now joins the Templemore and Nenagh roads, was officially opened at midday today by Mr Alan Kelly TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport & Tourism.
The new link road was named after one of Thurles Town’s proudest sons Jimmy Doyle, possibly the finest Tipperary hurler in the history of the game, and will henceforth will be known as “Jimmy Doyle Road.”
Jimmy was born only a short “puck,” from Semple Stadium, close to the Hospital of The Assumption, and a short distance from the road now bearing his name. Jimmy played hurling for his local club Thurles Sarsfields and at county senior level for almost two decades, winning four county minor hurling titles and ten county senior hurling titles. He is also holder of a football county title with Thurles Crokes in 1960.
 Jimmy Doyle pictured here with family members who attended the event. This road is an important piece of infrastructure in the Thurles area, which should now assist in alleviating at least some traffic congestion in the town centre for the future.
In 1991, Thurles Town Council first identified the need to provide a link road from the N-62 Templemore Road to join the R-498 Nenagh Road, thus addressing serious road safety issues for both vehicles, cyclists & pedestrian at the junctions of Parnell Street / Cu-Chulainn Road, and Cu-Chulainn Road /O’Donovan Rossa Street.
We will be bringing you more pictures & details on this positive event for Thurles, over the coming days.
 Last July Thurles Sarsfields hosted the first ever International Hurling Festival, its prize the Tom Semple Cup.
This inaugural competition saw eight teams taking part on Munster Final weekend 2011: The Wild Geese from the USA; Robert Emmets and Kilburn Gaels from London; Na Magha from Derry; Keady from Armagh; Naomh Moinne from Louth; Dunboyne from Meath and Naas from Co. Kildare.
(Click on Pic Image, courtesy of J.O’Loughlin, for larger resolution.)
The Tom Semple Cup was presented to the captain of Kilburn Gaels, after an exciting final against Dunboyne, by Anne Semple daughter of the great Tom Semple.
This initiative by Thurles Sarsfields, to promote both tourism and hurling Internationally, has to be commended and supported by all who have an interest in promoting Tipperary as a venue for National and International tourism.
The success of the competition can be gauged by the fact that all teams have agreed to come back in 2012 and all publicly have expressed their enjoyment and appreciation of the event. The festival gave a much needed boost to the local economy last year and was very much appreciated by local business and all tourist interests in the area. The Tom Semple Cup is now recognised by both Croke Park and Shannon Development and is a permanent fixture on the GAA calendar.
This year, Thurles, proudly waving the banner “European Town of Sport,” for 2012, will see an even more exciting Festival, with the competition expanded to 12 teams, with the European County Finals in Hurling and Camogie also taking place in conjunction with the Tom Semple Cup. The first every official Hurl Ball competition will be established and Road Bowling teams from Cork and Northern Ireland have promised to join in and entertain.
This event has the potential to attract very large crowds of people on July 13th and 14th 2012 and the fact that it is run on Munster Final weekend is very much an added attraction. This competition will now grow and grow. Word has already started to spread about the Tom Semple Cup, and 4 teams from the USA have expressed an interest in taking part in 2013.
It is envisage that not only Thurles and Tipperary people abroad will come home but also the new hurlers in the developing hurling clubs in America and elsewhere will come to Thurles to see what hurling is all about. To all our friends abroad, Thurles says “Come home for the hurling.”
Thurles Sarsfields would like to thank all those who supported last year’s event, which they are eager to point out, could not have taken place without the generous support of the local sponsors named hereunder:-
Lisheen Mines, Ryan’s Waste Management, Jim Ryan Financial Services, Des Hanafin, Ely Centra Food Market, McKevitt Costcutters, Gary Loughnane Barber, Stakelum’s Office Supplies, Naoimi’s Café Friar Street, Anner Hotel Thurles, Templemore Arms Hotel, Brian Farrell Catering, Walsh Printing, Thurles Credit Union, Moran’s Menswear, Hanafin’s Furniture, Mitchel House Restaurant, Thurles Co-op, Murphy Office Systems, John Enright and Josephine Lowry Event Management.
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