Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship redraw takes place

Kildangan’s Alan Flynn lifts the Dan Breen Cup after the Tipperary SHC final replay victory over Thurles Sarsfields. Picture: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton

The re-draw of the Tipperary senior hurling championship took place on Monday night after last week’s original event was deemed null and void.

As a result of a genuine error made during last Thursday’s process, the county’s competitions control committee ruled that it had to be redone.

Last year’s premier intermediate champions Lorrha-Dorrha had been initially drawn out but not assigned to a group and were not put back into the lot, only mentioned as the final team in Group 4. Tipperary GAA apologised “unreservedly to all those affected by the mistake”.

It is the second county championship draw in three years known to be ruled null and void. In 2021, the Wexford premier intermediate hurling quarter-finals had to be redrawn following an objection about the manner in which the teams had been pulled out.

In the redraw, last year’s senior winners Kiladangan will be in Group 4 with Templederry Kenyons, Clonoulty-Rossmore and JK Brackens.

Meanwhile, West Tipperary club Clonoulty-Rossmore have written to the county board expressing their interest in competing in one of the other three divisional competitions as there is unlikely to be a senior championship in their division this year.

The 2018 senior county champions have won the last eight West Tipp titles and a team comprising other clubs in the region was set to face them in a divisional final next month.

However, the club have been informed that game is unlikely to happen and as a result Clonoulty-Rossmore might not be eligible for a preliminary senior quarter-final. Divisional champions who are senior are facilitated in the knock-out stages of the championship if they have not qualified for them via the groups.

“It now appears that there will be no Senior Hurling Championship in West Tipperary,” they have written to the county board. “This seems to imply that Clonoulty-Rossmore will not be eligible to contest a Preliminary County Senior Hurling Quarter Final in 2024.

“If this is the case, it puts our club at a serious disadvantage compared to the other 15 clubs in this championship who can qualify for the County Senior Hurling Quarter Finals through the preliminary route.” 

The club have stated they are also prepared to being facilitated in the Mid, North or South Tipperary championships. They have also suggested they be awarded a walkover in the event they have no team to face in next month’s West Tipperary final.

Group 1: Toomevara, Drom and Inch, Kilruane MacDonaghs, Borris-Ileigh.

Group 2: Thurles Sarsfields, Roscrea, CJ Kickhams Mullinahone, Moycarkey-Borris.

Group 3: Loughmore-Castleiney, Holycross-Ballycahill, Lorrha-Dorrha, Nenagh Éire Óg.

Group 4: Templederry Kenyons, Clonoulty-Rossmore, Kiladangan, JK Brackens.