Big year for Tipp as they look to make the final push

CAMOGIE: Littlewoods Ireland National Camogie League Preview

 

By Shane Brophy

LIMERICK v TIPPERARY
LIT Gaelic Grounds
Sunday 2nd February
Throw-in @ 4.00pm
Andrew Larkin (Cork)

Tipperary are aiming to build on their progress in 2019 when the camogie season gets underway next Sunday with a trip to Limerick in the opening round of the National Senior League.
The game forms the second part of a mouth-watering double-header coming after the men's National League game between Limerick and Galway so there should be a decent atmosphere as Tipperary look to get off to a winning start in a slimmed down version of the league with just nine teams competing compared to eleven in the championship.
Tipperary are in a group of four with Limerick, Cork and Dublin so it isn't a massive number of games to keep players ticking over the next six weeks or so with the top two teams making the semi-finals.
However with colleges competitions underway, it will be less taxing on the players who try to serve both masters over the next month or so as Tipperary build up to the summer campaign which is their focus and getting past the All Ireland semi-final barrier which has been their limit for the past two seasons.
2019 was a difficult season with Bill Mullaney having to step away due to health reasons half way through but interim boss Niamh Lillis doing a sterling job as Tipp got back to the semi-finals where they were eventually defeated by Kilkenny.
Mullaney will again double-job as senior and intermediate manager and with the slimmed down senior league, it should mean a less taxing campaign in the spring in which to monitor the 49 strong group with 24 on the senior panel and 25 on the intermediate squad.
The senior squad has been boosted this year by the return of Ciardha Maher, Mary Bourke and dual player Roisin Howard who has committed to the camogie panel this year. However, they have suffered a blow with Sarah Fryday, who was another player returning after a year away, sustaining a cruciate knee injury in training and will miss the entire season. Orla O'Dwyer will miss the National League with her being in Australia playing women's  Aussie Rules.
Tipperary will have joint captains in 2020 with Drom & Inch's Aoife McGrath and 2018 All Star Cait Devane selected as skippers for the coming year. Both have shown true leadership qualities especially in recent years and hope to lead Tipp a step further in 2020 to an All-Ireland Final appearance.

Tipperary Senior panel: Aoife Butler (Eire Og Annacarty), Aoife McGrath (Drom & Inch), Cait Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Ciardha Maher (Burgess/Duharra), Clodagh Quirke (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Eimer McGrath (Drom & Inch), Emer Loughman (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Ereena Fryday (Knockavilla), Grace O’Toole (Newport/Ballinahinch), Jean Kelly (Eire Og Annacarty), Julieanne Burke (Borris-Ileigh), Karen Kennedy (Thurles Sarsfields), Karin Blair (Cashel), Laura Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields), Laura Shinners (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Mary Ryan (Moneygall), Miriam Campion (Drom & Inch), Niamh Treacy (Drom & Inch), Nicole Walsh (Borris-Ileigh), Roisin Howard (Cahir), Shauna Quirke (Toomevara), Sorcha Ryan (Cashel), Casey Hennessy (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Grace O'Brien (Nenagh Eire Og).

Tipperary Senior League fixtures
Sunday 23rd February – Dublin (home)
Sunday 8th March – Galway (away)

Claire Stakelum and Sabrina Larkin have been selected as joint Intermediate captains for 2020. Sabrina Larkin won a Camogie Association Soaring Star award in 2019 with Claire starring at wing back in the Intermediate teams National League success last year also. Their defence of the title does not get underway until Sunday week when they host Dublin at The Ragg.

Tipperary Intermediate panel: Aine Dwyer (Cashel), Aisling Sheedy (Portroe), Andrea Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields), Beth Ryan (Knockavilla), Caoimhe Perdue (Cashel), Carol Casey (Cahir), Ciara McKeogh (Burgess/Duharra), Ciara Ryan (Silvermines), Clodagh McIntyre (Lorrha), Emily Morrissey (Burgess/Duharra), Emma Carey (Thurles Sarsfields), Emma Flanagan (Newport/Ballinahinch), Emma Mulqueen (Kiladangan), Hazel McAuliffe (Nenagh Eire Og), Jenny Grace (Burgess/Duharra), Margaret Quigley (Toomevara), Mary Burke (Drom & Inch), Maureen Ryan (Drom & Inch), Niamh Long (Drom & Inch), Nicola Loughnane (Thurles Sarsfields), Nicole Shelly (Cashel), Roseanna O'Donnell (Eire Og Annacarty), Sabrina Larkin (Shannon Rovers), Sarah Delaney (Boherlahan-Dualla), Thea Curtin (Newport/Ballinahinch)

Tipperary Intermediate fixtures
Sunday 9th February – Dublin (home)
Sunday 23rd February – Laois (away)
Sunday 8th March – Antrim (away)