LONG READ: Surprise or two is likely in intriguing Tipperary county hurling championships

It’s only round 2 of the county hurling championships but already we’re at a crucial juncture in the season. Another heavy schedule of games this weekend will be critical in deciding table positions. For some it could be curtains by Sunday evening.

If there is a flaw in our system, then this is it. With just two teams going forward from groups of four, there’s very little wiggle room. A second defeat could mean adios for the year. In fact, a draw and a defeat sent Clonoulty/Rossmore packing in 2024.

In theory it’s a league-championship but, in reality, it’s often just one game away from straight knockout. Months of training and preparation come down to a handful of matches in August, which determine your fate for the year.

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Of course, it’s not quite as simple as that. There are county leagues, which are played earlier in the season, albeit without county players. They rarely stir much excitement, more a background hum to the inter-county chorus.

Then there are the divisional championships, rushed off at speed to clear the decks for the county series. In some cases, playing three games in just over a week.

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All of this should be borne in mind every time you hear the split season come under attack. Even with the split season, the club is still squeezed. Just a cursory glance at the revised schedule of games in Tipperary this year will show how tight the timetable is. Our county hurling finals are planned for the last weekend in October, with the Munster club series kicking off the following weekend. Fortunately, this time we have byes to the provincial semi-finals two weeks later.

Any dilution of the split season model will eat into this club space even further.

Yet there’s no shortage of voices calling for exactly that to happen. You get lots of empty rhetoric about the club being the cornerstone of the association, yet the very system that gives the club its due is roundly denounced by some, especially in the national media.

Martin Breheny and Eamonn Sweeney, two perennial critics of the split season concept, were at it again during the week.
Sweeney focused in on a decision by the Wexford County Board to cancel all playing activity on the last weekend of August in order to facilitate Electric Picnic fans. This for the Indo columnist offers justification for his argument that there’s ample space for the club scene to be pushed back. Furthermore, he claims it puts another nail in the coffin of the split season.

Actually, it does nothing of the sort. It simply highlights the folly of taking an isolated item out of context and using it as a sweeping justification in a much broader issue.

A few facts might be helpful here. Wexford exited the Leinster championship on May 25, having failed to qualify for the All-Ireland series. They began their club championship a month later on June 28. Tipp began theirs on August 9. Taking Wexford’s scenario as a headline for others is meaningless.

The only thing the Wexford case highlights is the complexity of the fixtures issue. There are 32 counties, varying greatly in size, in club numbers and in championship structures. Finding one size to fit all is virtually impossible.

However, the one common denominator in all counties is the need to have a well-defined structure, which separates the inter-county and club seasons. This is the only way that club players, who make up the vast majority of the playing population, can have surety around their season.

Anyway, back to the urgent business of the Tipperary championship and this weekend’s games. Clonoulty/Rossmore felt the limitations of the system last year but this time, as West champions, they have a safety net, which guarantees a preliminary quarter-final.

It is a back-up option, though one they’ll wish to avoid by qualifying directly for the quarter-finals proper. Remember, if they finish bottom of their table, they’ll still face a relegation battle unless they win out the championship. Currently they’re listed as 20/1 prospects to take the Dan Breen for the first time since 2018.

Their game with Toomevara at the weekend should be one to watch, with the stakes so high. Having lost their opening rounds, both teams desperately need a win here to avoid dropping to the bottom of the group.

An early exit would be a serious blow to Toomevara, who were finalists last year and were hoping to build on that progress this time. Darragh McCarthy was their driving force in 2024 and a potential head-to-head with county teammate, Robert Doyle, at the weekend is a match-up that will fascinate the fans.

The other game in Group 1 is equally intriguing. Holycross/Ballycahill took a notable scalp the last day when defeating Toomevara but now face an even more daunting task against Kiladangan, the 2023 winners.

The North champions are one of the top fancies for the Dan Breen, a rating that was endorsed by their five-point win over Clonoulty in the first round. With John O’Meara managing and Declan Fanning coaching, they’re seen as a well-established and formidable side. By contrast Holycross are an exciting upcoming force who won the last day, despite the absence of Bryan O’Mara and Jim Ryan through injury.

In Group 2 Nenagh Eire Og are the form leaders, following their notable win over Thurles Sarsfields the last day. They’ll be strongly fancied to endorse that impression against Cashel KC at the weekend.

The West side won a crunch tie in the first round against Mullinahone and they’ll hope that the release of pressure will drive them to better form this time. They’ll need to step up against a Nenagh side for whom Sam O’Farrell and Mikey Heffernan were outstanding against Sarsfields.

The Thurles side were stunned by that Nenagh defeat. They were well in it for a lot of the game before the concession of a soft goal signalled a final quarter fadeout. Their followers will be hoping for a bounce back this time and Mullinahone, 90/1 shots for the championship, might well feel the sting.

In Group 3 the standout game should be Loughmore and JK Brackens. The reigning champions sneaked a late winner against Drom/Inch the last day. It came courtesy of a well-worked Aidan McGrath point at the “death”. It was a result that saw them lift above Thurles Sarsfields as outright favourites to win out the championship.

For their part, Brackens are coming off a memorable Mid title win, which was followed up by a victory over Lorrha in round one. Loughmore will be fancied but this should be a real test of just how far Brackens have progressed this year. It should be much tighter than the betting odds suggest.

In the other Group 3 game Drom/Inch will be fancied to pile more misery on Lorrha. The Mid side were annoyed at being outsmarted in the end by Loughmore and will look to rebound here. Again, it should be intriguing.

Finally, in Group 4 Kilruane MacDonaghs, winners in 2022, are the form leaders following their impressive victory over Borris-Ileigh in the first round. They’ll be fancied to add to that impression against outsiders Moycarkey at the weekend.

The Mid team disappointed in the divisional final but got back to winning ways when outplaying Roscrea in their opening round. After their heroics last year when getting to the semi-finals, they won’t want to regress this time. Kilruane should test their whereabouts in the overall order.

Finally, Borris-Ileigh ought to have too much for Roscrea. Borris’ have slipped alarmingly since their glory year of 2019 but should still have enough against a struggling Roscrea.

Of course, as ever we’re likely to have a turn-up or two in this round of games. It’s what makes the championship so intriguing.