Tipp v Cork on the double in Munster opener
By Shane Brophy
Tipperary and Cork will face off on the double in the opening round of the Munster Championship in both camogie and hurling in 2026.
All-Ireland senior hurling champions Tipperary were already scheduled to host defending provincial champions Cork in a blockbusting opener to the Munster Championship at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday, 19th April but the occasion will also host the quarter final of the provincial senior camogie championship between the same counties as a curtain-raiser.
On the same day, Clare and Waterford will meet in the second quarter final and that will be the curtain-raiser to the senior hurling opener between the same counties in Ennis.
The winner of the Tipp v Cork quarter final will take on Limerick in the semi-final which will be the curtain-raiser to the Cork v Limerick senior hurling clash at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh on April 25/26. Kerry await the winners of the Clare v Waterford clash with the Munster final scheduled for Sunday, 17th May at either FBD Semple Stadium or the TUS Gaelic Grounds as curtain-raiser to the round 4 Munster hurling championship games, Tipperary v Clare or Limerick v Waterford.
The first round of the All-Ireland Championship will get underway the following weekend and the Camogie Association have confirmed the format with Tipperary in a group of four along with All-Ireland champions Galway, Cork and Waterford. They will play in a round-robin format with the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals with the third and fourth placed teams going into quarter finals with the top two teams from the other sixteam group.
Under 23
Tipperary have been drawn straight into the semi-finals of the Munster U23 Championship where they will be away to Waterford for the second year in a row on March 7/8. Limerick will play the winner of the sole quarter final between defending champions Cork and Clare with the Munster Final pencilled in for 21/22 March.
The group stage of the All-Ireland Championship will begin the following weekend with Tipp, Cork and Waterford joining Galway, Dublin and Leinster in a round-robin format.
The Tipperary management have also been confirmed with Nenagh Eire Og clubman Bryan Darcy succeeding Billy Mullaney in the role in what will be the second year of the new grade.
He will be joined in his management team by fellow Eire Og clubman David Minogue who has worked with Tipperary GAA underage academies, as well as St Mary’s Secondary School in Newport. Former senior coach Kevin Moran from Moycarkey/Borris and Philip Ivors from Ballingarry is also part of the brains trust. Ciaran Boyle is the strength & conditioning coach with Burgess/Duharra’s Seana Grace the physio and Drom & Inch’s Bridget Bourke the female liaison officer.
The Tipperary minor and under 16’s will be quickly into action in the new year. In the Munster Minor ‘A’ Championship, Tipperary have secured direct passage to the semi-finals on the weekend of January 17/18 when they host the winner of the quarter final between Limerick and Waterford. Cork and Clare will meet in the other semi-final with the Munster final scheduled for January 24/25.
The first round of the All-Ireland Championship begins the following weekend with Tipperary hosting Cork.
Tipperary will field a second team in the Munster ‘B’ Championship where they travel to Cork on January 3-4 with the winner progressing to play Kerry in the final.
Both of Tipperary’s under 16 teams will be in action on the first weekend in January. In the ‘A’ Championship, Tipperary will be away to Limerick in the semi-final. The U16 ‘B’ team host Cork in their first game on 3-4 January.