Age grades to be voted on by GAA Clubs at Annual Meeting
By Shane Brophy
The annual competition structures meeting of Tipperary GAA County Board takes place next Wednesday night, 26th November in the Dome at FBD Semple Stadium with eight motions set to be debated.
One of the most important motions will be over the underage grades with Tipperary County Board and Boherlahan-Dualla both proposing the Underage Games Programme Structure revert to even age grades, consisting of Under-12, Under-14, Under-16, and Under-18 competitions. The Tipperary motion proposes that any change would come into force for 2026, while Boherlahan-Dualla are looking for it to come into place for 2027.
If passed and reverting to age grades pre-2021, it would see the Under-19 age grade removed, and the Under-21 Championship retained. It would also mean the Under-12 grade be run on a competitive league basis, adhering fully to all Go Games policy guidelines, so no championship would take placed.
Officers of Tipperary County Board have taken part in workshops around the four divisions in recent weeks to seek a consensus from clubs on their preference going forward, with the issue being an annual debate since the change to uneven age grades just four years ago.
Club Championships
There is general contentment with the structures for the adult hurling championships but both Clonmel Commercials and the Tipperary Football Board have submitted motions on the structure for the senior football championship now that the numbers in the grade are down to twelve teams following restructuring over the last three years.
In terms of the Football Board motion, which would also apply to the intermediate championship, it is re-enforcing their existing plan for the twelve teams to be in three groups of four teams with the three group winners, the two best-placed teams of which (based on points total and score difference) will automatically be allocated the semi-final spots, with the remaining group winner joining the three group runners-up in the quarter finals. In terms of relegation, the bottom three teams in each group would play off. The structure is broadly similar to how the Cork championships in hurling and football are run with six weekends required.
Clonmel Commercials are proposing the twelve teams be divided into two groups of six with five group rounds with the top two teams in each group progressing to the semi-finals. The third and fourth placed teams would go onto the Tom Cusack Cup while the fifth and sixth placed teams would go into the relegation playoffs. Their proposal would take seven weekends to complete, similar to hurling, one more than the current structure of six.
Elsewhere, Drom & Inch are proposing changes to the running of County Adult Leagues for 2026 where by promotion and relegation would apply.
They are proposing that the starting point would be the championship grades whereby the Division 1 = Senior (Dan Breen) 16 teams, Division 2 = Premier Intermediate 16 teams and so on.
Divided into four groups of four, all teams would get 3 group games + quarter-final guaranteed between Cup and Shield sections. The leagues would start two weeks later than in previous years (Patrick’s weekend considered too early) and conclude in June before commencement of divisional junior championships etc. Risk of “dead rubbers” reduced from previous years structure. 1 team promoted (Cup winners) from each division and one team relegated for 2027 leagues.
In terms of the Football Leagues, the Tipperary Football Board have also submitted a motion with six teams in each division, with each team playing five round robin games. The top 2 teams in each division contest the league final in their respective division. The winner of each division to be promoted to the next highest division for 2027. The bottom team in their respective division is relegated to the next lowest division. Clubs that didn’t take part in 2025 league but enter in 2026, their allocation to a division to be taken into consideration by the Football Board and the CCC.
Moyle Rovers are seeking amendment to the sequence of how teams are separated in six team groups when they haven’t played all the teams which has been the case in the last two senior football championships. They are proposing where two teams finish on equal points and they have played each other in the group stages, then the head-to-head result shall determine placings, then the higher scoring difference across all games played involving the same opposition only.
Kiladangan, Boherlahan-Dualla, Gortnahoe/Glengoole and Loughmore/Castleiney have submitted similar motions calling for county championship at Junior ‘C’ level, which currently is only a divisional competition.