Minor and U20 managements ratified with Senior alliance
By Shane Brophy
At last Thursday’s October meeting of Tipperary GAA County Board, the management teams for the Tipperary Under 20 Minor Hurling teams for 2027 were ratified.
New minor manager Eoin Kelly has been joined by coaches/selectors Darragh Egan (Kiladangan), Trevor Fletcher (Roscrea), and Paudie Bourke (JK Brackens) with coaching support provided by David Collins (Drom & Inch).
Eoin Kelly and Darragh Egan previously worked together as part of Liam Sheedy’s senior management team from 2019-2021 with Egan previously involved with the Tipperary underage academy prior to that.
Roscrea native but long time resident in Kilcormac, Co. Offaly, Trevor Fletcher has a lengthy management CV, most notably guiding Shinrone to an Offaly senior hurling title in 2023. He has also worked with the St Thomas’ senior hurlers in Galway and the Kilruane MacDonaghs senior hurlers this year, as well as coaching the Down senior hurlers.
Paudie Bourke and David Collins were both involved with this years Tipperary under 15 team and provide valuable knowledge of the players on the minor panel radar over the next two years.
Under 20
New under 20 manager James Woodlock is bringing with him his entire management team from his seven years in charge of the Tipperary minors, where he won two All-Ireland’s and three Munster titles.
Cormac McGrath (Ballinahinch) will be coach/selector, joined by selectors: Ray Doyle (JK Brackens), Brendan Ferris (Marlfield), Conor O’Brien (Éire Óg Annacarty/Donohill), and Dinny Ferncombe (Holycross/Ballycahill) who will act as goalkeeping coach.
The management team will be the first to operate under the new Tipperary GAA Senior & Under 20 High Performance Alliance Policy that promotes and alignment in the areas of:
Shared values and behaviours – developing a team-first culture built on care, accountability, courage and continuous improvement.
Coaching philosophy – prioritising games-based learning, decision-making, player ownership and representative training.
Player development – ensuring clear communication on player availability and providing under 20 players with appropriate exposure to the senior environment.
High-performance support – aligning strength & conditioning, performance analysis, medical services, and player welfare across both squads.
Collaboration – encouraging regular engagement between senior and under 20 management through joint-meetings, shared learning, and attendance at each others training sessions.
The expected outcome would be to improve the transition of players to senior level and establish a consistent Tipperary coaching identity. By aligning coaching practices, support services and communication, it aims to enhance long-term player development while creating a culture of continuous learning and shared responsibility across both management teams.