4 Tipp schools aim to keep the Harty Cup in the Premier County
By Shane Brophy
Industrial action in second level schools has forced changes to the opening round of fixtures in the 2026/27 TUS Dr Harty Cup this week.
Traditionally played on Wednesday afternoons, matches have had to be moved as members Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) and the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) commence industrial action on October 14th in the form of a work-to-rule which impacts on extra-curricular activities including hurling.
Sixteen schools will compete for Harty Cup, four of them being from Tipperary including defending champions Nenagh CBS who begin their title defence on Thursday, October 15th, when they face CBS Midleton in Kilmallock at 2.00pm.
Nenagh CBS are returning fifteen of last season’s panel including ten who played in the campaign, with defender Johnny Grace as captain in a team that has Tipperary minors Eanna Tucker, KJ Dunne and Hugo Healy to call on as well as 2024 minor Patrick Ryan.
Cashel Community School will be the first Tipperary side into championship action when they take on Tralee CBS on Tuesday, October 13th, in Feenagh at 12.30pm.
The 2023 champions endured a tough campaign last year but will look to the likes of former Tipperary minors James Finn and Charlie Hall of Golden Kilfeacle, Senan Mackey of Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams and Shane Cooney of Clerihan to backbone their challenge.
Our Lady's Templemore will also be in action on Tuesday, October 13th, when they face traditional St Flannan's College, Ennis, at the TUS Moylish Campus in Limerick at 3.00pm.
They will look towards the likes of Borris-Ileigh’s Jack Bevans, JK Brackens Padraic O’Shea and Upperchurch/Drombane’s Philip O’Dwyer to drive them towards the knockout stages.
Thurles CBS will begin their campaign on Friday, October 16th when they take on De La Salle College, Waterford in Grangemockler at 12.30pm.
The 2025 winners have six players remaining from the team that lost the semi-final to Nenagh CBS in the last campaign including Tipperary minor Chris Dunne who will spearhead the attack along side fellow 2026 minors Zach O’Keeffe and Conor Kennedy (Clonoulty/Rossmore).