Tipperary hurling club wins €5,000 county award under Texaco Support for Sport initiative

St Mary’s Hurling Club have been chosen as winners of the Tipperary County award in this year’s Texaco Support for Sport initiative, and have received a large donation to help with funding.

The €5,000 donation was presented to the club at Texaco's Clonmel service station to help fund new playing facilities at its sports ground.

A thriving club at the heart of a sports-loving community in Clonmel, St. Mary’s takes its energy from the ever-growing juvenile ranks with an emphasis on inclusion and fostering a love of sport at all ages. Recently it completed the second year of its sports programme for children between the ages of 3 and 6 with additional needs.

Now in its fourth year, the Texaco Support for Sport initiative – organised by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – donates €130,000 annually for allocation in equal amounts of €5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.

Previous Tipperary winners include Cullen Lattin AFC who picked up the award in 2021, Cloughjordan Football Club (2022) and Nenagh Hockey Club (2023).

Congratulating the winners on what he termed "the invaluable contribution that sports clubs make to the heart of community life in Ireland", James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy Limited praised the unstinting work of club officials and volunteers, stating that "since its inception, in excess of €500,000 has been distributed to a variety of more than 100 sports clubs under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative".

Overseeing the judging process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and well-known broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan.

Commenting, Donncha said: "As adjudicator, the most heartening aspect of the Texaco Support for Sport initiative is the benefit it brings to Irish sports clubs by providing rare access to funds which are not linked to the popularity, membership size or success of any given club."

Describing the Tipperary club as "a very deserving recipient", he went on to add: “The fact that everyone from the community, both young and old, can benefit from this club makes St. Mary’s Hurling Club stand out as a club for all. The Texaco funding will help develop new facilities that will allow this fantastic club to continue flourishing and playing a pivotal, and inclusive, role in the Clonmel area.”

Entries for the 2025 Texaco Support for Sport initiative will open in the Autumn for all clubs, including those whose application may have been unsuccessful previously.

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