Tipperary SHC draw pits champions Loughmore against Holycross in blockbuster showdown
Champions Loughmore-Castleiney required a backdoor route to the Tipperary SHC knockout stages. Pic: ©INPHO/Paul Barrett
The Tipperary SHC preliminary quarter-final draw has thrown up a humdinger as pre-championship favourites Loughmore-Castleiney and Holycross-Ballycahill will battle it out to make the last eight.
Loughmore, the back-to-back champions, defeated Holycross in a hard-fought county semi-final last year, but required a backdoor route to the knockout stage this time around.
They had to rely on their Mid Championship title to gain a preliminary quarter-final berth, having finished third in their group behind Moycarkey-Borris and Borris-Ileigh.
Holycross have since been installed as favourites for the title, but were beaten to top spot in their group by a resurgent Thurles Sarsfields side.
The other preliminary quarter-final will feature West champions Clonoulty-Rossmore, who finished fourth behind Loughmore, facing last year’s defeated county finalists Nenagh Éire Óg.
That’s a repeat of the 2018 Dan Breen decider, which was won by Clonoulty.
Kiladangan, the 2020 and ‘23 champions, were the lucky second-placed team to get a bye to the quarter-finals. Borris-Ileigh also progressed as they couldn't be drawn against either Loughmore or Clonoulty, having met them in the group stage.
An outcome was also due from a CCC meeting late on Monday night into the identity of the final team in the mix for relegation after an incorrectly recorded scoreline plunged Toomevara down to fourth in their group.
The issue arose from the other game in their group, Mullinahone’s meeting with already-qualified JK Brackens.
Initially, the livestream coverage, local media, and Brackens’ X account reported a six-point victory for the Templemore side; 3-23 to 0-26.
Moments after the final whistle, the Clubber commentary team was informed by the linesman that the final score was recorded as 3-22 to 0-27. This was subsequently published as the official scoreline on Tipperary GAA accounts.
That meant Mullinahone and Toome, who drew in their opening game, finished level on a -15 score difference at the foot of Group 4. The South side prevailed on the total scored tiebreaker, having apparently tallied 1-67 in their three games against Toome’s 2-53.
However, a review of match footage demonstrated the correct scoreline was indeed 3-23 to 0-26. Technical difficulties with the scoreboard at Cashel’s Leahy Park meant the scoreline had not been displayed towards the end of the match.
The score was corrected on the Tipperary GAA website on Monday afternoon with an updated table showing Toome in third place. Mullinahone were moved to fourth, below Toome, with their score difference adjusted to -17.
Mullinahone defeated Lorrha in last year’s final to avoid the drop to Premier Intermediate.
Just like last year, those relegation semi-finals will be delayed by Clonoulty’s advancement to the preliminary quarter-finals. The West champions finished bottom of their group, one point shy of Loughmore on score difference, but their divisional title means they gain entry to the knockout stages.
Unless they win the county title, they will have to contest the relegation play-offs upon their elimination.
The draw for those semi-finals, which will include Upperchurch-Drombane and Roscrea, will be made at a later date.
The preliminary quarter-finals will take place on the weekend of September 6, with the quarter-finals the following weekend.
Thurles Sarsfields, Moycarkey-Borris, Cashel King Cormacs, JK Brackens.
Borris-Ileigh, Kiladangan.
Clonoulty-Rossmore v Nenagh Éire Óg, Loughmore-Castleiney v Holycross-Ballycahill.
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