Up for the Cups
Image 1 of 2
Borris-Ileigh’s Eddie Ryan and Nenagh Eire Og’s Barry Heffernan will come face to face in the 2026 Munster Solar North Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship Final this Sunday at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh. Photos: Bridget DelaneyImage 2 of 2
Eddie Ryan. Photo: Bridget Delaney BRIDGET DELANEYBy Shane Brophy
While the county would have preferred to be feverishly looking for tickets for the All-Ireland Hurling Final, Tipp’s early exit has provided the platform for the club championship to take centre-stage and they haven’t disappointed so far in the early weeks.
Already, we are at divisional finals time with action across the four regions this weekend ahead of the start of the county championship in just over two weeks time.
The last weekend in July will also have the All-Ireland Senior Camogie semi-finals taking place at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles where Tipp will finally look to make the breakthrough to the final when they take on Cork, and hopefully a plan will be done in terms of club fixtures on that Saturday evening to allow as many fans as possible to get to Thurles to cheer on the team.
Before then, the focus is on the divisional finals and from a North Tipperary viewpoint, the showpiece senior hurling final this year is between Borris-Ileigh and Nenagh Eire Og at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh this Sunday at 4.00pm, with the curtain-raiser being the Premier Intermediate decider between holders Ballina and Silvermines who are aiming to win it for the first time in the competitions short history.
In terms of the senior final, Borris-Ileigh are chasing a 15th North title and first since 2017 when they defeated Nenagh Eire Og in the final at MacDonagh Park so playing in Nenagh’s home ground will hold no fears for them, particularly after dethroning three-in-a-row chasing Kiladangan there in impressive fashion last Saturday.
Nenagh Eire Og are 11-time North champions with their most recent success being back-to-back titles in 2022 & 23, both at the expense of Kiladangan, and while they’ll go into the final as favourites, their recent finals record against Borris-Ileigh isn’t good which will keep them on guard, and will be battle-hardened after emerging through tough quarter and semi-finals against Toomevara and Roscrea respectively.
With divisional hurling finals in various grades also taking place in the Mid, South & West across the weekend, the club season is really cranking up.