Tipperary County Intermediate Football champions enjoyed a night of celebration

Caption for picture above: The Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club football team who won the Tipperary County Intermediate Football Championship title last year pictured at the Club’s medals presentation and social night in the Minella Hotel in Clonmel. The team are pictured with seated in second row from left: Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club Chairman JJ Crowley, team Captain Mark O’Meara, team manager Shane Comerford, selector and coach Michael Bowe, selector and coach Charlie McKeever and selector and statistics man Tommy Toomey. Picture Anne Marie Magorrian. 

A medals presentation and social night hosted for the Grangemockler/Ballyneale Intermediate County Football Championship winning team was a night of celebration for the parish in the Minella Hotel, Clonmel.

The Grangemockler/Ballyneale team won the FBD Insurance County Intermediate Football Championship title by a single point after a spectacular match replay against Aherlow in Ardfinnan on November 4 last year. Final score was: 0-12 to 1-8.

As it was 20 years since the club had won the Intermediate title, this was a precious victory.

And it was a well-deserved victory given the dedicated performance of the players throughout the season with Captain Mark O’Meara at the helm and Man of the Match awarded to Leon Kennedy.

Retiring Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club Chairman JJ Crowley was Master of Ceremonies at the function last month.

He was full of praise for the team and their Manager Shane Comerford.

“No-one could give the dedication Shane put in throughout the season. He was there in the field an hour before training and always the last to leave.

“Great credit must also go to him and his company for the initiative to build a ball wall,” Mr Crowley added.

He also thanked the management team for their great work including Michael Bowe, selector and coach; Tommy Toomey, selector and stats man; Charlie McKeever, selector and coach; Enda Fogarty, selector and field committee; James Heffernan and his team Mike Holohan and Maggie Holohan and to Bea Cahill who looked after the jerseys.

He praised the Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club Committee for their support and focus all year.

And he congratulated the juvenile section of the Club because without it, they would not have the adult players they now have.

Selector and coach Charlie McKeever presented each player with their county medals as Manager Shane Comerford read out their names adding witty anecdotes for each of them.

Team Captain Mark O’Meara presented JJ Crowley with a framed team jersey signed by all members of the Intermediate football team.

JJ Crowley thanked the Minella Hotel staff for a superb meal and all the sponsors with a special word of thanks to Mark Comerford for his generous sponsorship throughout the year.

There was a huge welcome for incoming Club Chairman Tom Needham who said it was an honour to be present at this landmark celebration and he congratulated the strong skilled team.

He gave a brief history of the club, with its generations of players and its powerful legacy from years past.

Mr Needhan pointed out that the Club continues to grow and develop given the collective dedication and energy of all players, their coaches, management, selectors and committees all backed up with the unwavering support of the parish’s families, friends and volunteers, who are proudly loyal to the club.

Check out more photos from the Grangemockler/Ballyneale GAA Club social in Hotel Minella in this week's print edition of The Nationalist now in local shops