PREVIEWS: Tipperary camogie club championships ready for take-off in bumper opening weekend

Senior

The senior championship involves two groups of five, with the top four teams in each group reaching the quarter-finals. Drom & Inch’s bid for an impressive fifth county title in a row took a huge setback recently with the news that goalkeeper Caoimhe Bourke has suffered a cruciate ligament tear ruling her out for the season. 

One of Drom & Inch’s top players last year, her loss will be immense as she has produced some of the standout moments of the championship in recent years. 

They still have huge talent in the McGrath sisters Aoife and Eimear, Niamh Treacy and Mairead Eviston but whether they can cope with the loss of Caoimhe along with keeping the hunger and drive going for another season remains to be seen. 

Clonoulty Rossmore poses their biggest threat in recent years pushing them all the way in last year’s final. Younger players such as Kate Ferncombe and Lorna Ryan are improving with every season and along with the more experienced Cait Devane, Courtney Ryan, Clodagh Quirke, and Eimer Loughman they will be hoping 2023 is the year they can make the breakthrough. 

Éire Óg Annacarty and Cashel both reached last year’s semi-final and boast plenty of county talent. Annacarty’s Ciannait Walsh and Jean Kelly in particular had great years with the Tipp Juniors while Cashel's Karin Blair cemented her place in Denis Kelly’s starting team. 

Cashel can also call on the experience and talents of Una O’Dwyer and Philly Fogarty but it’s whether Irish senior hockey talent Caoimhe Perdue is available that could be the difference between going one step further and reaching a senior final in 2023. 

Outside of last year’s top four is Thurles Sarsfields, Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams, Silvermines, Burgess Duharra, and Nenagh Eire Og; five teams more than capable of beating any team in the championship on a given day. 

Kickhams will be stronger with the return of Caoimhe McCarthy from injury, Sarsfields have arguably the best player in Tipp in Karen Kennedy while Silvermines had strong representation on the Tipperary Junior panel this year. 

Consistency will be key for all in order to be at the business end of the championship. The final team to key a watchful eye on in this year’s senior championship will be Borris-Ileigh who put down a serious marker by winning the league earlier in the year to continue their winning ways after Intermediate championship success in 2022. 

Julieanne Bourke, Tess Ryan, and Nicole Walsh are household names with Tipp seniors while Katie Fitzgerald was key to Tipperary Juniors' great run to an All-Ireland final. A fascinating championship awaits.