Plenty of changes as GAA club season gets underway
The club GAA season gets underway in earnest next weekend with the start of the FBD Insurance County Hurling Leagues.
Since the advent of the split season, St Patrick’s weekend has become the starting point of the adult season in Tipperary with the hurling league getting the action underway with the football league alternating every second week up to the finals in June.
Division 1
The format for division 1 has changed for 2024, expanded from twelve to eighteen teams divided into three groups of six with the winner of group 1 progressing to the final, while the winners of groups 2 & 3 will meet in a semi-final. The eighteen clubs are made up of the sixteen senior clubs plus Upperchurch/Drombane (relegated from senior) and Killenaule (one of the 2023 defeated premier intermediate semi-finalists).
Group 1: Kiladangan, Drom & Inch, Nenagh Eire Og, Thurles Sarsfields, Clonoulty/Rossmore, Toomevara
Group 2: Moycarkey/Borris, Borris-Ileigh, Holycross/Ballycahill, Kilruane MacDonaghs, Mullinahone, JK Brackens
Group 3: Roscrea, Lorrha, Loughmore/Castleiney, Templederry Kenyons, Upperchurch/Drombane, Killenaule
It comes as no surprise that defending league and senior championship winners Kiladangan are unchanged with Sixmilebridge native John O’Meara entering his second year as manager with Darragh Egan and George Hannigan remaining as coaches, but Sean O’Meara has stepped away and is replaced by John Hassett.
Toomevara made big strides under first year manager Ken Dunne in 2023 and he remains in situ for the coming year, and has added former colleague Francis Devanney to his management team. On the playing front, the return of Paul Ryan from abroad will certainly bolster the attack.
Nenagh Eire Og, who are chasing a three-in-a-row of North senior titles this year are also unchanged with manager Seamus Cleary returning for a second year along with coach Michael Cleary with current Offaly manager Johnny Kelly involved for a third year also.
Having reached the championship quarter finals in their first year back at senior level, Roscrea, unsurprisingly are going with the same again with Liam England going into his third year as manager with his management team remaining the same, with the addition of Willie Ryan of Clonakenny as S&C coach.
Kilruane MacDonaghs have promoted Thomas Williams to manager for the coming year, with Limerick native Adrian O’Sullivan who previously managed the Dublin senior camogie team, as coach.
Borris-Ileigh have turned to Thurles native John Connors to reverse their fortunes. Connors coached Patrickswell to a county final appearance last year. Connors is joined in his Borris-Ileigh management team by selectors James Gould and Fr. Vincent Stapleton, while Ballybacon/Grange’s Barry Mullane will come on board as coach later in the campaign after his commitment with the Down senior hurlers has concluded. Their panel is boosted by the return of goalkeeper James McCormack and Kieran Maher, but Jerry Kelly has gone travelling and it is unclear whether he will return for the championship.
Templederry Kenyons have retained the services of Limerick’s Ger Cunningham for a second year while Ken Hogan remains at the helm for in Lorrha for a third year in their return to the senior grade. With coach Brian Carroll having stepped away to become manager of his native Coolderry and Conor O’Sullivan also moving on, Laois native Andrew Kavanagh has come on board as coach, having previously been with JK Brackens.
JK Brackens have enlisted Shane Keegan as their manager. Keegan, a full time GAA coach with Laois GAA, is also a well renowned soccer coach with Dundalk, Wexford Youths, Galway FC, and Cobh Ramblers.
Loughmore/Castleiney also have a change with Kiladangan native Eamonn Kelly, who managed Patrickswell to a Limerick senior final appearance last year, taking the helm, replacing Frankie McGrath who guided his native club to the senior hurling and football double in 2021.
Meanwhile in Upperchurch/Drombane, Roscrea’s Liam Dunphy and Toomevara James McGrath have returned for a second spell having guided them to a county senior semi-final in 2022, but now have to try and get them out of the premier intermediate grade following their relegation.
Elsewhere in Mid Tipp there is a lot of stability with Thurles Sarsfields (Padraic Maher), Moycarkey/Borris (Eddie Brennan) and Drom & Inch (Paul Collins) remaining unchanged as are Killenaule (Declan Fanning) and Mullinahone (player/manager Jack Shelly) in South Tipperary.
With Declan Ryan having stepped away as Clonoulty/Rossmore manager, former player Tom Butler has taken over with fellow clubman Anthony Roche and Tullaroan native and goalscorer for Kilkenny against Tipperary in the 2002 All-Ireland semi-final, Jimmy Coogan as coach.
Division 2
There are eleven clubs in division 2 divided into a group of six and a group of five.
Burgess got their campaign underway last weekend away to St. Mary’s in Clonmel where an understrength team fell to a 0-18 to 0-10 defeat. Brian Hogan remains in charge with Limerick’s Natal O’Grady as coach.
Silvermines have gone back local for their management team with Declan Corcoran taking over as manager with former Nenagh Eire Og player and manager Hugh Maloney in as coach.
Newport survived relegation to the intermediate grade by the skin of their teeth last year with former county board secretary Timmy Floyd entering his second year as manager but had enlisted a new coach in the form of Kevin Butler from Drom & Inch. Butler was involved with the Charleville CBS Harty Cup team this year.
Ballina have new management for the coming year with Adrian Hurley taking over as manager with Nenagh Eire Og’s John Brennan. Kevin Byrne stays at the helm of their senior footballers but has added former Clare goalkeeper Joe Hayes as coach.
Ballina start their hurling league campaign away to Sean Treacys next Sunday morning where Toomevara’s David Young is in as coach under manager Ger O’Toole.
Division 3
There are four North Tipperary teams in division 3, headed up by Portroe who will look for an upturn in fortunes after being relegated to the intermediate grade for 2024. They have joint-managers in their own Damien Ryan and Jim Browne.
Moneygall have new management with Paul O’Brien moving on after three years as manager and has been succeeded by Willie Greene and Donal Doughan, with Kiladangan’s Dan Hackett as coach.
Borrisokane will have their own John Egan as manager and have secured the services of Burgess’ Niall McGrath who was coach of the Boherlahan-Dualla team that won the intermediate county title last year.
Shannon Rovers will look to build on the high of their junior ‘B’ football successes over recent months into their hurling fortunes for the coming year and have returned the same manager in John Tierney and Burgess’ Darrel Tucker as coach, while also enlisting former Lorrha trainer Conor O’Sullivan as S&C Coach.