25 years since the calendar year started to evolve

By Liam Hogan

This Wednesday, 9th March marks the twenty-fifth anniversary to the day the Allianz Hurling League began being played in the calendar year.

Tipperary’s first game was against Offaly in MacDonagh Park, Nenagh and the occasion marked the official opening of the new covered stand.

At a meeting of the GAA Central Council held on May 18, 1996, it was decided to scrap winter league hurling for a two-year period. Instead, the league would be played in one calendar year between March to October parallel with the championship.

In 1996, Tipperary should have won the Munster final against Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds. Playing brilliantly, they were ten points at half time, but Limerick fought back to claim a draw. Pairc Ui Chaoimh held the replay and Limerick’s four goal burst brought the silverware to Shannon side and Tipperary followers were disappointed once again.

Over the 1996/97 winter Nickie English had decided to retire. The fearsome full forward line of English, Fox and Cormac Bonner that won All-Ireland medals in 1989 and ’91 was gone leaving Michael Cleary, Declan Ryan, and John Leahy to carry the baton thus a new era for Len Gaynor and his management team.

At the end of the 1996 season, Len Gaynor took over as manager of the Tipperary senior team.

Whether it was luck or well-planned, but the Nenagh Park committee had just completed the erection of a new covered stand which would seat 2,000 patrons. What better occasion than to have the official opening of the stand to mark the first league game of the new style league season. Three years previously Nenagh housed its last league game when Tipp lost to Galway.

But back to 1997. Jimmy Morris was Nenagh Eire Og club chairman at the time, and he had everything in order for the big day and Galway man, the late Joe MacDonagh, President-Elect of the GAA at the time, cut the tape to open the new stand in the company of Morris and Paul O’Neill, Chairman of the Tipperary County Board. At fifty-five years old, it was a fitting birthday present for the famous venue.

The game itself saw Tipperary get off to a great start when Brian Gaynor’s free spun off Declan Ryan’s hand and into the net. Tipp went seven in front by the tenth minute but Offaly, managed by Lorrha and Tipperary’s John McIntyre, had other ideas but they needed a bit of luck in the shape of a Johnny Dooley goal when Brendan Cummins, uncharacteristically failed to hold. By half time it was 1-8 each. In that first half Tipp lost Michael Cleary and Johnny Enright to injury.

The second half began with Offaly growing in confidence when fortune favoured them a second time as Michael Duignan was alert to the rebound after Cummins saved. Tipp fought back in the last quarter, but Offaly held out to win 2-14 to 1-15.

The Tipperary team lined out as follows: Brendan Cummins; Paul Shelly, Noel Sheehy, Paul Delaney; Brian Gaynor, Conor Gleeson, George Frend; Colm Bonner, Pat Maguire; Michael Cleary, Brian O’Meara, Liam McGrath; Liam Cahill, Declan Ryan, Johnny Enright. Subs used: Tomas Dunne; Aidan Flanagan, Stephen Hogan.

Tipp’s second game, two weeks later, was against a Michael Babs Keating managed Laois side in Rathdowney. Tipp won handsomely by eleven points with their return in the third quarter making the difference. Liam Sheedy was a late replacement for the injured Brian Gaynor and Len Gaynor called on Michael Ryan and Aidan Butler into the team and included Tommy Dunne and Aidan Flanagan on the starting fifteen.

The following week Semple Stadium played host for the round three clash with Galway. Two late points helped the visitors to a 1-16 to 0-17 win. Andy Moloney and Brian O’Meara were on the starting fifteen and the game marked the return of John Leahy after eighteen minutes in place of Aidan Butler. The Mullinahone man was one of eight scorers with Aidan Flanagan, Tommy Dunne, O’Meara, Liam Cahill, Maloney, Liam Sheedy, and Liam McGrath.

There were new faces on the side for the draw with Limerick in round four at the Gaelic Grounds as Raymie Ryan, Brendan Carroll, Kevin Tucker were in the starting fifteen. Over 17,000 spectators saw Liam Cahill’s goal help Tipp lead by seven at the interval, but the 1996 Munster final was revisited and the share of the spoils meant Tipp needed victory in their remaining games if they were to qualify for the knockout stages.

Then on April 27th they recovered when defeating the 1996 All-Ireland champions Wexford at Semple Stadium. Tipp led 1-6 to 1-5 at half time and by the 45th minute it was 1-8 each before Tipp surged ahead in the last quarter with Liam Cahill’s goal sealing the win. Aidan Flanagan scored 1-8.

Tipp’s next game was against Clare on May 10th. It marked the return of Len Gaynor, who had been manager of the Clare team 1993 to 1996, to a raucous Cusack Park. The game was delayed by up to a quarter of an hour to accommodate the crowds and in a no-nonsense tension filled game Tipp won by a point, 1-10 to 0-12, with Tommy Dunne providing the goal. Clare finished with fourteen men when Frank Lohan was sent off in the second half. Tipperary’s defence were the heroes as Clare threw everything bar the kitchen sink at them and late in the game, Brendan Cummins deflected Davie Fitzgerald’s thirty metre free over the bar.

For their final group game played on May 31st at Semple Stadium the summer sunshine saw Tipp produce an impressive display as Michael Cleary three goal return helped Tipperary secure an impressive 3-18 to 3-10 win over Kilkenny in front of over 11,000 patrons. No doubt about it but the summer league was bringing the crowds out. More importantly again Tipp were heading for the knockout stages.

Meanwhile Tipp would go onto beat Limerick in the Munster semi-final 1-20 to 0-13 but they lost to Clare 1-18 to 0-18 in the provincial decider.

All was not lost as more history was also in the making in 1997 when the losers of the provincial final were allowed re-entry to the All-Ireland championship via the back door resulting in a quarter final clash with Ulster champions Down. But before that, Tipp had a seven-day recovery period after the Munster final defeat when they took on Dublin in the quarter final of the Allianz League at Semple Stadium and won 0-14 to 0-6 in a game that never got off the ground.

From there was the return to the championship as Tipp defeated Down 3-24 to 3-8 at Clones which led nicely to the All-Ireland semi-final win over champions Wexford. Tipperary played brilliantly that day.

Tipp had their eyes on Clare for the Al-Ireland final but as the Nenagh Guardian described the GAA indulged in a foot-shooting exercise in staging the league semi-final clash with Galway in Cusack Park, Ennis three weeks before the big game. As a result, Len Gaynor sent out a fifteen that had only one member of the starting line-up against Wexford and his side lost to Galway by six points. It was a pity. All the positivity derived from the summer league was gone.

The following year the League commenced in February and finished in April, but that scenario had its setbacks as teams were sometimes cautious when up against an opposition likely to be faced in the championship later on.

For the record, Tipperary lost to Clare in the All-Ireland final 0-20 to 2-13 on September 14 while Limerick defeated Galway in the League final on October 5th 1-12 to 1-9.

Thirty five players played some action in the nine game campaign: Brendan Cummins (Ballybacon/Grange), Paul Shelly (Killenaule), Noel Sheehy (Silvermines), Paul Delaney (Roscrea), Brian Gaynor (Kilruane MacDonaghs), Conor Gleeson (Boherlahan-Dualla), George Frend (Toomevara), Colm Bonner (Cashel King Cormacs), Pat Maguire (Lattin Cullen), Michael Cleary (Nenagh Eire Og), Brian O’Meara (Mullinahone), Liam McGrath (Burgess), Johnny Enright (Thurles Sarsfields), Declan Ryan (Clonoulty/Rossmore), Liam Cahill (Ballingarry), Tommy Dunne (Toomevara), Aidan Flanagan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Stephen Hogan (Lorrha), Michael Ryan (Upperchurch/Drombane), Liam Sheedy (Portroe), Aidan Butler (Knockavilla Kickhams), Andy Moloney (Cahir), John Leahy (Mullinahone), Raymie Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs), Brendan Carroll (Thurles Sarsfields), Kevin Tucker (Nenagh Eire Og), Dinny Hogan (Portroe), Brian Horgan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Philip O’Dwyer (Boherlahan-Dualla), Conal Bonner (Cashel King Cormacs), Justin Cottrell (Toomevara), John Carroll (Roscrea), Aidan Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), Ger Flanagan (Boherlahan-Dualla), Michael Kennedy (Clonoulty/Rossmore).