County Finals could be decided by penalties
By Shane Brophy
So, it will be Nenagh Eire Og who will be tasked with trying to stop Loughmore/Castleiney’s quest to successfully defend the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship title on Sunday week.
Last weekends eagerly anticipated semi-finals didn’t live up to their billing but Loughmore and Nenagh won’t be concerned about that as they set up a second ever final between the sides, the last in 2013 when the Mid side went onto complete the senior hurling and football double.
This final will be full of potential history with Loughmore aiming to retain the senior hurling title for the first time, and possibly remaining on course for the double double, should they progress to the senior football decider if they get the better of Kilsheelan/Kilcash in that semi-final this Saturday.
Nenagh Eire Og can instead put all their focus on winning just a second ever county title, thirty years after their one and only success. However, the club will also be aiming for a double themselves in getting their junior team into a county final when they meet Holycross/Ballycahill in the semi-final this Saturday, with Kiladangan awaiting the winners in the final.
Tipperary County Board have confirmed the senior hurling final will throw in at 3.45pm on Sunday, 26th October at FBD Semple Stadium, and should Loughmore be already into the senior football decider the following weekend, it will be decided on the day, which opens the possibility of it being decided in a penalty shootout.
Unlike the years 2021-2023 when the finals went to a second day, there isn’t scope for a replay this year with the county final date already pushed back by two weeks following Tipperary’s progression to the All-Ireland final.
This also impacts the curtain-raiser premier intermediate decider between Carrick Swan and Upperchurch/Drombane. No throw-in time has been set as yet as should the Mid side win their senior football semi-final against Clonmel Commercials this Sunday, the premier intermediate final will also have to be decided on the day.
The Tipperary senior football final will be played on Sunday 2nd November, with the winners out in the Munster club championship the following weekend. The senior and premier intermediate hurling champions will enter Munster at the semi-final stage on November 16th.
Before then, history will be made this Saturday afternoon as FBD Semple Stadium hosts the county senior camogie final for the first time as defending champions Clonoulty/Rossmore take on Thurles Sarsfields in a repeat of last years final.
Such is the growth in camogie in recent years, the senior final has outgrown the county grounds at the Ragg with a bigger capacity venue required, and ahead of integration of the Camogie Association into the GAA, is a symbolic moment to have the biggest club camogie game in the county ground.