Tipperary All-Ireland wins marked in fine style at special Civic Reception

The achievements this year of the successful Tipperary All-Ireland winning teams were honoured in fine style by Tipperary County Council at a Civic Reception in Bru Boru, Cashel on Saturday morning last.

The victorious minor hurling team and management, the Tipperary minor camogie team and management and the Tipperary junior camogie team and management were all present as the achievements were marked.

Cathaoirleach Councillor Declan Burgess expressed his pride in welcoming the players, management teams, parents and he also acknowledged those who worked tirelessly to bring glory to their county and to thank them for their dedication and hard work.

Councillors paid fine tributes to the achievements of the blue and gold players as well as the management teams and those working behind the scenes to ensure success was a possibility.

The three teams were lauded by officials while those at the helm were too. There were fine trophies marking the wins presented for the mantle piece to the winning managers, John Ryan (minor camogie), Bill Mullanney (junior camogie) and James Woodlock (minor hurling).

The event was attended by Ger Ryan of the Munster Council, Murtagh Brennan the CEO of Tipperary GAA as well as other County Board officers and family members of the players who were honoured.

The venue was packed to capacity for the event which highlighted all the achievements.

It was the highest honour the council could bestow on the players and management team and was a joyous celebration.  
Paul Collins was MC for the occasion and in the course of the morning we heard from Aine Kiely O’Donnell who is the Treasurer of Tipperary Camogie Board.

Jimmy Minogue Tipperary GAA Chairperson also spoke of how well the teams had followed their traditions and represented Tipperary so well on the biggest of GAA stages.

There were also interviews with some players and management on stage as they recalled their journey to glory. The various players and managers spoke of how they overcame obstacles along the way but never gave up.

The running line through the event was that success can be hard to achieve but believing in yourself was key to ensuring that goals were reached and milestones recorded.

Sarah Corcoran, the winning All-Ireland minor camogie captain, recalled their season and said that she is now focused on making the Ashbourne Cup team at UL where she studies Sports Science.

She played centre back on the team and spoke of her thoughts as Ava Bevans and Caoimhe Stakelum hit key strikes during the final to ensure Tipperay won the cup.

John Ryan, the winning minor team manager from Upperchurch, recalled how much effort the families of the players as well as the players themselves put in: “we travelled to matches across Ireland and parents supported our efforts at every step so I would like to thank them for the time they invested too,” he said

The former Tipperary hurler  said that he wasn’t emotional on the sideline during a game but had plenty alongside him who were!

He recalled how the team had lost at Under 16 level and it really stung the group yet they used the hurt as fuel to win the All-Ireland final at minor level two years later.

The week of the All-Ireland final they held a recovery session at the ‘Sand Trap’ then a pilates session with Kellie Harrington. The team  went into Nowlan Park fresh and finely tuned for the test against Waterford where they got a powerful start and at the end of a tough test  Tipperary brought back the cup.

Winning camogie junior captain Sinead Meagher spoke of what winning meant to their group when they claimed the trophy in Croke Park and how people all season supported them.

The manager Bill Mullanney stressed the efforts they put in to win the cup and spoke about how they assessed the situation at half time against Laois at Croke Park in the final. Out of contention at that point, the junior camogie side held their nerve and eventually got the win by a single point.

Winning a close semi final against Armagh had stood to Tipperary in the close final as well, the Newport club member Bill Mullanney said.

All-Ireland winning minor manager James Woodlock spoke of how proud he was of his players that won their All-Ireland minor final in dramatic circumstances with 13 playing against 15 in Nowlan Park against Kilkenny.

He spoke of their efforts and fitness: “The mental strength of the players to come out and do what they did. They trained so well.  

“I’m a firm believer that leaders will always find a way,” he said, adding that “they did it in the most adverse circumstances of all.”
‘Woody’ thanked the supporters too for the time they put into the equation and spoke of how great it was to see his side deal with everything thrown at them and never falter: “The one big thing was that there was never any panic in the players,” the former Drom Inch player said.

All managers and players spoke about how they felt during the respective matches, the feeling when the final whistle blew and realising that they won an All Ireland title.

Sinead Carr of Tipperary County Council, who is also secretary of Knockavilla Kickhams GAA club, thanked the management teams and players for all their work and she said to the players that it was important to give back over time to their clubs:

“I’m hoping the young men and women here today remember that what you get today you give back at some stage,” she said.
The Chief Executive also acknowledged the crucial role that GAA volunteers, players, and management play in the community, emphasising the positive impact they have on their locality.

The Civic Reception was attended by members of clubs from across the county and overall the event ran smoothly with everyone happy with the achievement being marked in such a fitting way.

For those who did not get a chance to view this event on Saturday, it can be viewed on Tipperary County Council’s Facebook page (tipperarycc) online.