North Tipperary GAA Affairs

The Watch Centre Junior 'B' Hurling Championship: The semi-finals took place last weekend with victories for Silvermines and Knockshegowna.

Silvermines defeated Moneygall 2-15 to 1-10 on Saturday in Dolla.

Silvermines played the smarter hurling throughout and built up a commanding 1-8 to 0-3 halftime lead, with Eamon Corcoran finding the net and Ronan Cunneen contributing handsomely, scoring six points between play and frees. Moneygall were hampered by first-half injuries to Cathal Hogan and James Carroll, and although they battled bravely, wides proved costly.

Silvermines extended their advantage to eleven points during the third quarter as the rain came down, before Moneygall rallied with a run of scores to narrow the gap to 1-13 to 0-10 entering the closing stages. However, Brian Leamy struck for Silvermines’ second goal to restore control. Substitute Mike Ryan netted for Moneygall in reply, but two late points ensured Silvermines ran out deserved winners. In all, nine different players contributed to the Silvermines tally, underlining the depth of their attacking options on the day.

Knockshegowna defeated Ballina 1-11 to 0-13 on Sunday in Ballingarry in the second semi-final.

The first half was an even affair, with Knockshe aided by a crosswind to lead 0-5 to 0-3 at the break. Ballina hit three quick points early in the second half and looked to be on course for victory. With time almost up, they held a two-point advantage. However, Knockshe launched a dramatic late surge. Paul Lake won vital possession and set up Paul Kennedy, who finished to the net in injury time to steal the victory.

The final is scheduled for Sunday, 5th October in Toomevara.

Junior 'C' Hurling Championship: The second round of the North Junior ‘C’ Hurling Championship took place last weekend.

In Group 1, Ballinahinch showed their strength with an impressive 2-19 to 0-10 victory over Nenagh Éire Óg. The winners were in control throughout and had too much scoring power for a battling Éire Óg side. Ballinahinch secured top spot in Group 1 with two wins from two and will be joined by the winners of Nenagh Éire Óg vs Shannon Rovers, which takes place this Sunday at 12 noon in Nenagh.

In Group 2, Lorrha- and Moneygall served up a tight contest, with Lorrha just shading it 1-16 to 2-9. It is still all to play for in Group 2 as the round 3 clash between Moneygall and Ballina takes place this Sunday at 12 noon in Moneygall. A win for Ballina will secure a top spot, while a victory for Moneygall would see all three teams’ level on two points each, with the top two decided on score difference.

In Group 3, Borris-Ileigh produced a fine display to see off Newport 1-23 to 2-6.

A similar story unfolds in Group 3, where Silvermines will secure top spot with a win over Newport. However, a Newport victory would mean the top two places will be decided on score difference. Check the North Tipperary GAA social media pages for updates on this fixture.

The team finishing top of their group will qualify for the knockout stages. Of these three group winners, two will advance directly to the semi-finals, while the third will enter the quarter finals. The two semi-finalists will be decided based on highest scores for, and both will have home advantage in the semi-final pairings. They will also be kept apart in the semi-final draw. The third group winner will have home advantage in the quarter finals and will be drawn against one of the second-placed teams, but not against the runner-up from their own group.

County Action: Best of luck to the North sides in County Championship action this weekend.

Under 17: Hard luck to Portroe who lost to Knockavilla Kickhams 2-15 to 1-11 last Sunday in Solohead in the County 'B' Hurling semi-final.

Newport will face Cashel King Cormacs this Sunday, 28th September at 5.00pm in Cappawhite in the 'A' semi-final.

Under 15: Congratulations to Toomevara who claimed the North U15 'A' Hurling title this last Saturday in Puckane after a 2-15 to 2-11 victory over Newport.

The 'B' Final takes place this Saturday, 27th September at 12 noon in Roscrea where Lorrha Rovers face Burgess.