Upperchurch’s footballing rise through the generations

By Shane Brophy

When Conor O’Dwyer was appointed chairperson of the Tipperary Football Committee in 2020, he wouldn’t have dreamed that he might get the honour of handing over the O’Dwyer Cup as Tipperary senior football champions to one of his own.

He could well get to do it on Sunday as his native Upperchurch/Drombane have found themselves in a final few within their parish would have thought they would have gotten to, even at the start of this year.

They have been progressing steadily since they won the intermediate championship in 2015, reaching a new height last year when they got to a first senior quarter final, before bowing out to Sunday’s final opponents Clonmel Commercials. Many would have felt this was the peak of their ability, but they have kicked on and having accounted for defending champions Loughmore/Castleiney in the semi-final, they are in this senior final on merit.

For a club that would have been perceived as hurling first for much of their history, their progression in football has been slow and steady through the generations.

“It has evolved over the last thirty or forty years,” Conor O’Dwyer reveals.

“A guy called Patrick Phelan would be credited by most people of having the main influence. His grandson was Paddy Phelan who was on the Tipp minor hurling team that won the All-Ireland.

“There were others, Michael Quinlan, Paddy Ryan, Seamus Hayes, but Patrick Phelan was the main driver and was from a place call Shevry, which is where the Garda station was, and many will credit the fact there was always four or five Gardai from football counties that came to Shevry.

“Back in the late seventies we started playing parish leagues and we always played exactly as much football as hurling. It was the same then through underage but so did most clubs in Mid Tipp when I was underage, they all played football and hurling. “Gradually, we won a junior ‘B’ title and then won a junior ‘A’. We got to a junior ‘A’ county final in 1989 but didn’t win it for another thirteen years.

“Back then most clubs were finished hurling in June, July or August and every club then played football. What has happened in recent years is that there is a better structured championship, and the hurling goes on for longer, as it should, and it is getting more difficult for clubs (in terms of football), and it is something we (Tipperary Football Committee) are trying to address in different ways.

“Gradually we got up to junior ‘A’ and then intermediate and then up to senior in 2015. Then what happens is kids come out of underage and go to play football for Upperchurch, the first year you are playing now is senior. There is an acceptance now in the club that we should be playing football. Even the selectors, Andy Kinane and Seamus Griffin on the senior hurling team, would have played football up along.”

Having that link between the football and hurling management teams is what makes Upperchurch’s journey to the final, as has been the case with other dual clubs such as Loughmore/Castleiney in recent years.

“There is no such thing as a non-dual player in Upperchurch,” O’Dwyer added.

“Make no mistake about it, it is still predominantly a hurling area. Ninety percent of the training the guys do is for hurling. “What has happened this year and in recent years is we have had similar management teams in place.

“We have Liam Dunphy and James McGrath involved with the hurling but not involved with the football (managed by Eoin Shortt) and wouldn’t have a background in football. But to be fair to both of them, they have given the football the space it needs but because their two selectors are common, that model works in Loughmore and Brackens.”

Much was made about Loughmore’s run to a double county final success and how it can be achieved playing big games week after week. However, Conor O’Dwyer doesn’t feel it is a big a challenge as it used to be.

“Fitness levels are way ahead of where they were ten or fifteen years ago, players are well capable of playing week in week out,” he feels.

“When you are winning there is an energy and a confidence around the place and that is maybe what seeps into guys. Loughmore have shown that for years. Is it tradition? I’m not sure. I think it is more guys get used to winning and I have seen it with other clubs, when you are used to winning you tend to stay doing the right things at important junctures in games, because you know you have a chance.”