One of Thurles Sarsfields or Loughmore/Catleiney will be joining Toomevara in this year’s county final. Toome will be appearing in their first senior decider since 2008 after two Darragh McCarthy goals just before the break set them up for a 2-19 to 0-20 point victory over Moycarkey-Borris in Thurles yesterday evening. Thurles and Loughmore meet in the second semi-final in FBD Semple Stadium at 4 o’clock. The sides are very familiar with each other, having played in this year’s Mid championship and also last year’s county semi-final. We’ll have live commentary of that game here on Tipp FM with thanks to De Faoite Restaurant at The Arch Bar , Liberty Square, Thurles. That ‘s part of a live double header live here on Tipp FM this afternoon after commentary of Carrick Swan and Gortnahoe-Glengoole in the premier intermediate hurling semi-final at 2.15pm.
EAMONN KELLY says managing the Loughmore-Castleiney hurlers can be scary at times. The mid-Tipperary club are closing in on more dual success with just two steps to heaven in both codes. Kelly’s hurlers will take on Thurles Sarsfields tomorrow in the second of the county semi-finals at Semple Stadium. Win or lose, the majority of the same players will head to Cashel the following Sunday for a county football semi-final against Moyle Rovers. Veterans like Noel McGrath are used to the grind. The Premier icon was part of football and hurling teams that remarkably won BOTH county titles in 2013 and again in 2021. His uncle Frankie was in charge of the 2021 football and hurling teams. But he handed the hurling reins over to ex-Offaly, Laois and Kerry chief Kelly this year.
A whopping 11 players lined out in the club’s recent football and hurling quarter-final wins — making for some interesting training schedules. Kelly told SunSport: “The way we work it is that right up to the start of the football championship, it was nearly all hurling. Then what we do is on a football week, the lads train two nights of football and then come back to us hurling. We’re not training them in two different codes on the same night. We tried that once or twice but it’s difficult to make it work. I’ve found it very interesting. I’d be so nervous at times. For example, we did well to beat Kilruane MacDonaghs last Sunday week but then it was into a football week and so the first time I get the players back is ten days later, which is a few days before a semi-final. You just have to manage their workload. You can’t just throw in another night of training because you’d lose more than you gain in terms of losing that freshness and risking injuries.”
Kelly admits he is blessed with mature players who know the drill and make sure they stay sharp with the hurl — even on football weeks. The Kiladangan man, who guided Patrickswell to the Limerick senior final last year, said: “They are so self motivated, very genuine, no egos. That’s why they’re as successful as they are. They’ve set very high standards for themselves and that makes any manager’s job easier.” But the much-travelled Kelly, who has previously guided top clubs like Loughrea and Sixmilebridge, said it is still a delicate balancing act. He said: “If we’re beaten on Sunday, all the question marks will come back at us — why didn’t we do it this or that way? We’re going to be playing a Thurles Sarsfields team that, yes, they have a few dual players. They wouldn’t be playing at as high a level as the Loughmore lads and they would have a lot more hurling sessions put down than the Loughmore lads would have at this time of year.”
By the time next weekend is over, Loughmore-Castleiney will have played championship games in ten out of 11 weekends, stretching back to July. But they are enjoying the journey and reeling off the wins. Kelly’s hurlers won the local Cahill Cup in May and more recently the mid-Tipperary championship — knocking out holders Thurles Sarsfields along the way. But Kelly said: “Thurles disposed of Loughmore quite easily in the county championship last year. Thurles are a team that comes to life when they get to Semple Stadium because they’re all such good hurlers. They are wristy, very fit and have great movement so the stadium suits them. They are very difficult to tie down there. We have a huge task ahead.”
Loughmore/Castleiney’s Quarterfinal Win
Loughmore/Castleiney are too good a team to give them a helping hand and that is how Kilruane MacDonaghs will rue on their defeat in this County Senior Hurling Championship quarter final on Sunday. Kilruane MacDonaghs, after the disappointment of the 2023 championship where they ended up in a relegation battle, to get back on the front foot is a positive from the year and with good under 19 and minor teams coming, if they are moulded correctly they would be regular contenders for years to come but on this occasion they just came up a little short. The final six point margin is harsh on Kilruane, but Loughmore/Castleiney have been doing this all championship, finishing strongly, and here reeled off the last five points as they picked off the 2022 champions on the counter-attack to stay on course for a fifth Dan Breen Cup.
Kilruane MacDonaghs’ Missed Opportunities
One thing that Loughmore/Castleiney don’t do is panic and when Willie Cleary goaled on 37 minutes to give Kilruane a 1-13 to 0-12 lead, certainly they went on heightened alert. However, they were gifted a route back into the game when following a converted free from John McGrath from the subsequent puckout, Kilruane goalkeeper Paidi Williams somehow failed to see Liam McGrath with a short puckout, from where Ciaran McCormack, just on a sub, goaled with his first touch and suddenly Kilruane’s lead and momentum was gone. They conceded a second goal three minutes later, again Kilruane turning the ball over in defence when they could have cleared their lines, and Liam McGrath punished them in ruthless fashion.
MacDonaghs will reflect on their inability to sustain their first half performance, particularly in attack where Thomas Cleary was particularly effective on the forty, but Loughmore managed to negate him, as well as Kian O’Kelly in the second half, with Jerome Cahill their only regular threat with three points from play, but needed more support with Cian Darcy held to one point in the second half, after two in a bright first half.
Loughmore/Castleiney’s Strength in Depth
Loughmore/Castleiney are too good a side not to figure things out as a game goes on with John Ryan particularly effective under the high ball in the second half at wing back while Brian McGrath swept up effectively in the middle. Noel McGrath had one of his least impactful games in the championship as Kilruane man-marked him with Aaron Morgan to good effect, with Morgan actually outscoring him, two points to one. However, McGrath came to the fore late on as Loughmore held onto their lead and it was his precision passes which created the openings for the pull-away points, the last for his brother John which brought his tally to ten, two from play, but was hugely impactful overall in getting on the ball. Their better use of the ball was the reason Loughmore progressed with ten different scorers with all players comfortable won the ball. The return to fitness and form of Ciaran and Ed Connolly is a huge boon to them this year plus with Liam Treacy returning from injury as a second half sub, the Mid champions have everyone available that they would want going into the business end of the championship which makes them formidable indeed.
The Road to the County Final
The semi-final draw has thrown the favourites and second favourites together in a tasty pairing. Toome’ and Moycarkey will both fancy their chances in the other semi. Sarsfields are outright favourites on 11/10 with Loughmore on 9/4, Toomevara 7/2 and Moycarkey 7/1. Those Loughmore odds seem attractive. Loughmore/Castleiney will face Thurles Sarsfields in a clash of titans, while Toomevara will lock horns with Moycarkey-Borris. Both semi-finals promise to be thrilling contests, with the stakes higher than ever as the teams fight for a spot in the county final.
Facing the Dual Challenge
While Loughmore/Castleiney are enjoying their dual success, it comes at a price. The team’s manager, Eamonn Kelly, has a delicate task on his hands. He must balance the demands of two demanding sports without compromising the players’ fitness or well-being. The team’s ability to navigate this dual challenge will be crucial to their success in both codes. Their commitment to both hurling and football is commendable, but the question remains: can they achieve their goals in both sports?
A Test of Endurance
The upcoming weeks will be a test of the team’s endurance, as they prepare for two crucial semi-finals. They will need to maintain their focus and their physical conditioning to perform at their best. The pressure will be immense, but Loughmore/Castleiney have proven their ability to rise to the challenge. Will they triumph over their opponents and claim the ultimate prizes in both hurling and football? Only time will tell.
