Away days to start the Colm Bonnar era

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary hurling and football supporters can begin planning the first three months of next year after the fixtures were confirmed for the pre-season Munster Leagues, as well as the National Leagues

The Colm Bonnar era of the Tipperary senior hurlers will begin in Kerry in the Munster Hurling League on Saturday, 8th January at 2.00pm, with the winners playing All-Ireland champions Limerick the following Friday night, 14th January in the TUS Gaelic Grounds. Clare will host Waterford in the other semi-final as Cork have opted not to take part this year with the Munster League Final pencilled in for Saturday 22nd January.

Tipperary’s National Hurling League campaign will also begin on a Saturday evening, 5th February, away to Laois at MW Hire O’Moore Park in Portlaoise at 6.00pm. The Premier County’s first home game of 2022 will be a mouth-watering one against old rivals Kilkenny in Semple Stadium on Sunday 13th February at 3.45pm.

They will have a two week break before resuming with another home game against Dublin on Saturday 25th February at 5.00pm, in what will be a double-header with the senior footballers who will host Sligo.

The most eye-catching league fixture will come on Sunday 6th March (1.45pm) when Tipperary travel to Walsh Park to take on Liam Cahill’s Waterford in what will be a precursor to their Munster Championship opener at the same venue six weeks later.

Tipperary’s final league game will be at home to Darren Gleeson’s Antrim on Sunday 20th March (1.45pm), again a double-header with the senior footballers who take on Carlow.

The top two teams from the group will progress to the league semi-finals on weekend 26-27 March, along the top two from division 1B (Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork and Offaly) with the winners playing in the final which will be played on Sunday 3rd April, two weeks before the Munster Championship begins on Sunday 17th April.

Gaelic Football

The Tipperary senior footballers will start 2022 in the McGrath Cup where they have been drawn in a group with Limerick and Kerry, starting with a trip to play Limerick in Rathkeale on Sunday 9th February (2.00pm), before hosting the Kingdom at Dr Morris Park in Thurles three nights later at 7.00pm.

Having been relegated in 2021, Tipperary will begin life in division 4 with a Munster derby away to Waterford in Dungarvan on Sunday 30th January, at a time to be confirmed.

Tipperary’s first home game will be against Leitrim in Semple Stadium on Sunday 6th February at 2.00pm before they travel to Wexford two weeks later. David Power’s charges then host Sligo in the first of two double-headers with the senior hurlers on Saturday 26th February at 7.00pm.

On Sunday 13th March, Tipperary will be away to Cavan in what will be a key game between the two favourites for promotion, before they finish with two home games in Thurles, against Carlow on Sunday 20th March at 3.45pm, and London on Saturday 26th March at 7.00pm.

The division 4 league final will be played on the weekend of 2-3 April, which will be an aim for Tipperary as if they win that and reach a Munster Final, they can avoid playing in the Tailteann Cup, and instead go into the All-Ireland Qualifiers.

Tipperary will enter championship action with a Munster quarter final away to Waterford, likely to be played later that month.