A blip or a concern?

IN ALL FAIRNESS

And just like that we are down to county finals in the top four adult grades with the parishes of Moycarkey, Littleton & Two-Mile Borris, Thurles, Clonmel, Killenaule, Ballingarry, Tipperary Town, Fethard and Lattin-Cullen all within touching distance of glory on the weekend after next.

What is noticeable on the list of teams is that none of the finals contain a North division representative. It might well be just a one-year blip, particularly with Newport and Naomh Eoin (Borrisokane and Shannon Rovers) into upcoming minor hurling finals and Toomevara and Moneygall winning under 16 titles last weekend, but it does provide a pause for thought about where hurling is among the eighteen clubs in the division at the moment.

It is still in a healthy state with Roscrea ensuring it has six clubs in the senior championship once again next season, second to the Mid with seven. However, it is below that is the worry with Lorrha (rose out of it quickly to get to senior and now back to premier intermediate), Portroe, Newport and now Templederry Kenyons having fallen out of the second tier in recent years while Silvermines and Burgess have had nervous moments in recent years.

First of all, credit is due to the work going on in all clubs around the county at the moment. Another all-Mid senior final has been in the offing for quite a while, particularly with their dominance in the minor and under 21 grades over the last decade with Holycross/Ballycahill, Moycarkey/Borris and Durlas Og, the latter feeding extensively into Thurles Sarsfields.

Much of that is down to good coaching in the clubs but the impact of Thurles CBS cannot be understated with the quality of coaching in there that feeds out to the neighbouring clubs which has seen the rise of the likes of Boherlahan-Dualla, Upperchurch/Drombane and Gortnahoe/Glengoole in recent years, with tentacles extending into the West into the likes of Clonoulty/Rossmore, Sean Treacys and Golden Kilfeacle.

However, Nenagh CBS’ rise to become a consistent contender on the schools stage at Munster and All-Ireland level should feed off in time to its feeder clubs who will start contending again for county adult honours in the near future.

To that end, for all the woes in the North division at the moment, it is good to see areas like Clonmel, Tipperary Town and Fethard involved on county hurling final weekend, urban areas that have had little success in terms of the small ball over the years but are gradually bridging the gap.

And maybe that is all this is for the North clubs who previously would have taken West and South opposition a little for granted but they cannot anymore as they are putting in as much work now in hurling, while also keeping Gaelic football strong.

Apart from Ballina, Borrisokane and Shannon Rovers, there isn’t much passion for football in the division at the moment, and I feel that is a mistake from the other clubs, and one of the reasons why North clubs are slipping off in hurling. It’s not because of just playing Gaelic football but the skills of football that are transferable to hurling, particularly in the modern game where you have to be able carry the ball comfortably, receive and lay-off the ball, breaking tackles, peripheral vision to receive and give a pass, being able to take and give a strong tackle, all aspects of football that any good hurling team needs, as well as being fit.

The majority of clubs in North Tipperary like the schedule at the moment where they have two weeks between hurling championship game to recharge and prepare but when you look at the eight clubs through to the four adult hurling county finals, all have a strong dual element, even Thurles Sarsfields who are a senior football club again.

Now, do I see Moycarkey/Borris fielding any senior hurlers in their intermediate football relegation final against Clonmel Og next Saturday a week out from the county final, I majorly doubt it but that isn’t the point as in such a situation, you have to prioritise.

To their credit, the North Board try to facilitate clubs by playing divisional junior championships midweek in May and June during the county hurling leagues, but not all clubs take up that option, even just to play games to make up the monotony of training during the doldrum part of the club season between the latter stages of the league and the start of the championship, and even if your hurling campaign falls short, there is still something to go after as in the case of Shannon Rovers who won the North Junior ‘A’ Championship during the summer and are in a county semi-final next weekend.

We tend to be critical of parts of the country that don’t promote hurling as they do Gaelic football but it would be hypocritical as it is the opposite for large parts of the county here in Tipperary.