Tipperary’s Jason Forde with the Allianz/TG4 Man of the Match award from the win over Kilkenny. Photo: Bridget Delaney

Tipperary GAA Scene

By PRO Jonathan Cullen

Allianz Football and Hurling Leagues

The Tipperary senior hurlers stayed on winning ways last Sunday when they secured a hard fought one-point win over Kilkenny in FBD Semple Stadium.

This win should stand to the players as they prepare for their round 3 game against Dublin on Saturday 26th February in FBD Semple Stadium at 5.00pm. After the game Jason Forde who made another immense contribution to the game was awarded with the TG4 Man of the Match accolade and we congratulate him once again.

The Tipperary senior footballers will be hoping for their first win of the league when they play Wexford in Chadwick’s Wexford Park this Sunday at 2.00pm.

Following a below par performance against Leitrim in round 2, David Power and his management team will know that a trip to Wexford is never easy, and it will take a big performance if the points are to be secured.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.gaa.ie or you can also buy tickets in selected SuperValu and Centra stores. Adult tickets cost €15 while under 16’s are free.

New Games Manager Appointed

Following the retirement of Dinny Maher from the position, the process to appoint his successor concluded last week with the appointment of Kevin Hally as the new games manager for Tipperary. Kevin had been working as a GDA for the last number of years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. Congratulations and best wishes to Kevin who commenced his new job last Monday.

Munster GAA Appointments

At a recent Munster Council meeting, several Tipperary officials were appointed to various committees and positions for the coming years.

Firstly, current Tipperary Treasurer and former Munster Council Treasurer Michael Power was named as the new President for a three-year term. This elevation to the most prestigious position in Munster reflects Michael’s lifelong contribution to Gaelic Games and is nothing less than he deserves.

Former referee and Boherlahan-Dualla club chairman Johnny Ryan has been appointed to the position of Munster referees committee secretary. This is a highly sought-after position and one I have no doubt Johnny will fill with distinction.

Current Central Council Delegate Michael Bourke (Upperchurch-Drombane) has also been added to the Munster Hearings Committee and again, I have no doubt that he will add to the committee as he brings many years of experience to the role.

Munster Championship Fixtures and Dates

The following were the Tipperary draws for the 2022 inter-county championship.

Under 20 Hurling will consist of two groups of three. Tipperary will play Kerry on April 6th away and Waterford on April 13th at home. The semi-finals are fixed for April 27th.

In Under 20 Football, which will be a knockout competition, Tipperary have been drawn to play Clare on April 11th away with the winners having home advantage against Kerry on April 18th.

In Minor Hurling, there will be two groups of three. Tipperary will play away against Waterford on April 5th and then on April 12th will welcome Clare for a home fixture.

The top teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals and will have home advantage with second and third placed teams playing quarter finals.

In Minor Football Tipperary, Clare, Limerick, and Waterford will play a round robin competition with the winner going forward to meet Cork or Kerry in the Munster semi-final. Tipperary will play Limerick at home on April 14th, Waterford away on April 21st and Clare away on April 28th.

In Senior Hurling, counties voted in favour of changing the current system to avoid teams playing three weeks in a row. For Tipperary in 2022 the order is as follows: April 17th away to Waterford, April 24th at home to Clare, May 8th away to Limerick and May 22nd at home to Cork. This year’s Munster Final will take place on June 5th.

In Senior Football, Tipperary will play Waterford in Fraher Field on Saturday 30th April in the quarter final. Should Tipperary win we will then play a semi-final against either Clare or Limerick on May 14th.

Referee Recruitment

The closing date for receipt of applications for the upcoming referee’s course is this Friday February 18th.

If you or someone you know would like to take up the whistle, please contact your club or any Tipperary GAA official who will make sure that your name is submitted to the referees committee.

At the moment in Tipperary, we have a serious requirement to increase our pool of referees, or we are facing a situation that more and more games will be called off due to the unavailability of a referee. This is why it is so important that new, enthusiastic people come on board.

We all know that there are times where being a referee may be challenging, but as someone who has been a referee for a good number of years myself, I can say that the rewards far outweigh anything else. The most important thing for any new referee is to build a good team around yourself, people you can trust and who will give you good strong advice and feedback.

So, if you think refereeing is something you would be good at and you want to make a further contribution to the GAA, go for it you won’t be sorry.

Fethard Town Park

The new €7 million Fethard Town Park development has been officially announced as the Regional Centre of Excellence for Tipperary Football, marking what the county hopes will be the start of a new era of success.

The facility, located adjacent to existing Fethard GAA grounds, was chosen as the Regional Centre of Excellence for Tipperary Football because of its excellent facilities including the first full size All-Weather floodlit pitch in the county.

Tipperary GAA Scene

If there is anything you feel should feature in this column going forward, please feel free to forward it to pro.tipperary@gaa.ie