On Saturday July 8^th at 2pm Tipperary will travel to Kingspan Breffni Park to face Cavan in round 2B of the All-Ireland senior football qualifiers.

 

Following the disappointment of the one-point defeat to Cork in the Munster semi-final, Liam Kearns will be anxious to get Tipperary’s season back on track but face stiff opposition from the Ulster side.

 

Tipperary’s task has been made all the more difficult with the news that All-Star forward Michael Quinlivan is ruled out following an ankle ligament injury picked up in the Cork clash. Also ruled out are backs Shane O’ Connell,Willie Connors, Ciaran McDonnell and goalkeeper Evan Comerford while Liam Casey, Robbie Kiely, Bill Maher, Kieran Bergin and Liam Boland are all doubtful.

 

Speaking to Brian McDonnell in this week’s Tipperary Star Kearns lamented that “we just have too many injuries and we have not been able to get a run at it. We have not been able to get our players fit and we have not been right all year” however he vowed that “we will give Cavan plenty of it in their own back yard”.

Please click here to read the full interview.

 

While Cavan were relgated from division one of the league this year they certainly have plenty of quality players to choose from evidenced from their four-in-a-row Ulster under-21 titles between 2011 and 2014.

 

The two counties have only crossed swords twice in championship action. The most recent was in 1985 when Cavan made the trek to Semple Stadium for the All-Ireland junior hurling semi-final which the Premier county unsurprisingly won 8-20 to 1-3. The game was a particular tour de force for Clonmore’s Seamus Bourke who notched up a personal tally of 6-8 while a young Colm Bonnar lined out at wing-back. Tom Doyle grabbed Cavan’s goal in the first-half. Unfortunately, this team came unstuck in the All-Ireland decider, played in Kilkenny, with Wexford overcoming them 3-9 to 1-13.

 

We have to go all the way back to August 19^th, 1935 for the first encounter which was the senior All-Ireland football semi-final. Played in Croke Park, the Ulstermen emerged victorious 1-7 to 0-8.

The winning score, a Hugh O’ Reilly goal, came in controversial circumstances. Tipperary entered injury time winning by a solitary point and the Tipperary fans were in “jubilant” form as Cavan pressed for a precious equalizer. In one final push for the leveling score the ball went wide but the umpire deemed that it last touched a Tipperary played and awarded a ’45 much to the frustration and protests of the Tipperary backs. Jim Smith stepped up to try and level proceedings but his effort fell short and O’ Reilly fisted the dropping ball past Jim Williams in the Tipperary goal. There was nothing the Clonmel Commericials man could have done to prevent the winning score and moments after his kick-out referee P. McDonnell from Dublin blew the final whistle. The game was witnessed by 11,537 fans with gate receipts amounting to £720. The Cork Examiner reported that “it was a disaster none could have possibly anticpated and it pays a great tribute to Tipperary that it in no way affected their sporting spirit or their morale, for they launched a furious attack upon Cavan” and “their pluck was unquestioned”. To add further woe to Tipperary, Cavan went on to claim the Sam McGuire defeating Kildare by four points.

This defeat has proven to be a massive setback to Tipperary football as we haven’t won a Munster senior decider since but at least last summer we made it back to the All-Ireland semi-final stage when Mayo were our opponents.

Tipperary: J Williams, R. McGann, M. Morrissey, E. Scott, P. Denny, R O’ Brien, T. O’ Keeffe, M. Condon, R. Power, K. Holland, R. Allan, R. Lonergan, W. Scott, J. Noonan, J. Lonergan, T. McDonald.

Cavan: W. Young. W. Connolly, P. Dolan, M. Dinneny, J. Molloy, T. O’ Reilly, P. Phnir, H. O’ Reilly, V. McGovern, D. Morgan, P. Devlin, J. Smallhorn, P. McNamee, J. Blessing, M.J. McGee, P. Boylan.

Referee: P. McDonnell (Dublin).

 

 

Bus

Meanwhile the Friends of Tipperary Football have organised a bus to the game. This will leave Cahir at 9am, Cashel 9.15am, Horse and Jockey 9.30am and Thurles at 9.45am. If you are interested in booking a seat please contact 086 833 4553 as soon as possible as spaces are limited.

 

Dublin Working Group

The Dublin working group of the Friends of Tipperary Football will hold a meeting on Wednesday evening, July 5^th at 8pm in Chaplin’s Bar on Hawkins’ Street. This is an ideal opportunity for Tipperary GAA enthusiasts in the capital to get involved and make new friends along the way. If you are interested please come along on the night or if you can’t but would still like to get involved please email darcyjim@gmail.com 

 

Instagram

Meanwhile we have launched our own Instagram page. Please search for Friends_of_Tipperary_Football and follow us for all the latest Tipperary football news.