Hurling Dream Turns To Nightmare

SINCE Mullinahone appeared on the hurling scene in the late 1980’s there have been many good days and a few bad ones for their supporters. The pinnacle came when we won the county senior hurling title in that memorable replay with Thurles Sarsfields in Semple Stadium in November 2002. That win followed a brilliant one point victory over Toomevara in the semi-final.

Had Toome not lost that game they could now be aiming for eight or nine county titles in a row. It was a defeat that rankled with them and was always guaranteed to raise them for games against us. They have been masters of Tipperary hurling for over ten years and it was always foolish of us to think that we could beat them if we were anything less than brilliant.

Since that fateful day in 2002 we have met Toome twice in championship. Last year we stayed in the game for 50 minutes even if we were well beaten. On Sunday we were probably out of the game after five minutes.

It was the most disappointing day for years for supporters. It was also the day when our team met with reality head on. We are far removed at this stage from the inspired team which won the county title in 2002. Many of the team still remain but the years have caught up with them while the younger players coming through have yet to reach a man’s estate.

The losses in personnel that we suffered this year definitely holed us below the waterline but surely the biggest change of all has been in attitude to both winning and losing. This year we played five championship hurling games. We won three which weren’t knockout and lost the two which were knockout. These of course were to Ballingarry in the South Tipp semi-final and to Toomevara on Sunday when our supporters didn’t even get a run for their money. Our exits from the county championships since 2002 have become progressively worse.

In 2003 it was to Sarsfields in Cashel, last year to Toomevara in the Stadium and again this year to the same opposition at the same venue. To lose as we did on Sunday by double scores or a point a man is a sore blow to parish pride. Our club strategy of too much concentration on one team has now blown up in our faces and we will have to reconsider if we are to halt the slide.

Some will attempt to say that Eoin Kelly’s injury was the cause of the defeat. Eoin is a great player but he cannot be expected to carry a team on his back. To compete at top level we need the whole panel of 18 to 20 pulling their weight. Earlier in the season we had a senior and junior game one weekend. After the county final of 2002 we awarded 32 hurlers medals. On that weekend earlier this year we had a team (15 at least) who were unavailable to play either at junior or senior hurling.

This hardly showed the spirit that we needed. Back in 1988 when the dream began more people were involved and the parish was happier with the successes that came our way. As we went from strength to strength the bandwagon grew. The winning of our early senior titles in the South were great days and still we grew.

The whole county rejoiced when we won in 2002 but it seems that this was to be the highest point. Different ideas came to the fore and the wheel began to turn. On Sunday last the dream had faded and turned into a nightmare. We have had our time in the sun. We may have to learn to enjoy again lesser victories.

It is time for our club to concentrate again on football and hurling for all our teams and those who look after them. Over the weekend Kildangan who were intermediate status last year, Moneygall and Toomevara moved on to contest the round of last 16 in the county championship. They will be joined there by among others Ballingarry. In the following round (the quarter-finals) they will be joined by Killenaule, the new South Tipp champions. Alas we are out, not even in the last 16, and victory over Ballingarry in the South semi-final would have sent us straight there and the bonus of playing for a South title.

Wedding – Last week we reported on the wedding of Liam Crowley and Majella Power. In the wedding report we inadvertently stated that one of those who brought the gifts to the altar was Phyllis Power (mother of the groom). Phyllis is of course mother of the bride and the slip of the pen is regretted.

Attending the Crowley/ Power wedding on August 18 was James Power of Carrick-on-Suir (grandfather of the bride). The wedding took place in Mullinahone and James was asked had he visited Mullinahone previously. He replied that as a young boy he had come to Mullinahone with his father in 1928 to the centenary celebrations of the birth of CJ Kickham. James and his father had cycled but James was too small to sit in the saddle so he had to ride beneath the crossbar.

It was wonderful to listen to James and his story worthy of Ripley’s Believe it or not, gave no indication of his 90 years. Perhaps James should be awarded a medal inscribed with the immortal words “and the man that was never in Mullinahone shouldn’t say he had travelled at all”.

Tractor Club – The Slievenamon Vintage Tractor Club will hold it’s annual vintage weekend on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the circuit of Slievenamon Tractor Road Run will start at Mullinahone Church Car Park at noon proceeding to Cloneen, Killusty, Templeneetny, Ormonde Stores where the drivers and tractors will have a break for refreshments and fuel courtesy of Kitty and Buddy O’Dwyer. The run will continue via Ballypatrick and Kilcash and finish at Grangemockler at 6pm. The craic will continue at the Trap Bar and other venues.
On Sunday a parade of tractors will drive to the Camphill Community field at 1pm. The vintage day will commence at 2pm with a rendition of “Slievenamon” and “The Rose of Mooncoin” by Mr John Steward. A wicker basket making demonstration will be given by Mr Tim O’Dwyer of Thurles. Buttermaking will be demonstrated by Ms Breda O’Donnell, Slieverue and Jimmy Quigley will demonstrate sheep shearing.

Some 120 exhibits of tractors and vintage engines will be on display. The “thrashing” of the corn will begin at 3.30pm and there will be a parade of tractors at 5pm. The committee wish everybody an enjoyable day.

In its five years of existence the club has donated e11,500 to Camphill Community, Grangemockler, Carrick Day Centre, St Patrick’s Special School, Kilkenny; Scoil Chormaic and Scoil Aonghus, Cashel and Chernobyl Holiday Fund.
Enquiries to 052-53144 and a big thank you to all who helped to make this possible
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Club – The results of the June draw were as follows: €150 Maureen Curtin; €70 Cathal and Oisin Brett; €25 Kitty Crosse; €25 Josie Duggan and €20 Mary Brett. The July results were €150 Ann Ward; €70 Martin and Brid Costello; €25 Brenda Tobin; €25 Michael Costello and €20 Tom Kennedy.

Lotto – The local lotto jackpot was not won on August 22. The numbers drawn were 3, 12, 26 and 27. There was no jackpot winner but we had one match three winner of e150. Congratulations to Kitty and Phyllis. The jackpot on Monday could be €3550. Remember to win you must first be in
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Rays of Light – A number of rays of light pierced the blackness of the local GAA gloom over the weekend. On Saturday Joseph O’Meara of Ballydonnell was a member of the Tipperary under-16 hurling panel who battled their way to the semi-final of the Arrabawn Co-op All-Ireland.

Having defeated Dublin and Wexford the team went down to Kilkenny in the semi-final. Hard luck to Joe and the rest of his team mates.

On Sunday Jackie Bolger was a member of the Tipp Masters team which defeated Limerick in the All-Ireland hurling masters semi-final. In the final Tipperary will play Galway. This game could be a curtain raiser to the All-Ireland under-21 hurling final, Kilkenny v Galway.
Niall Curran of Kilvemnon was full back for Tipperary when they defeated Roscommon in the semi-final of the All-Ireland “B” football championship (Tommy Murphy Cup) in Thurles on Tuesday. In the final Tipperary will play Wexford and this game will be the curtain raiser to the All-Ireland football semi-final Tyrone v Armagh in Croke Park on Sunday.

Best of luck to Niall, Declan, Paul and the rest of the Tipperary footballers on Sunday. It’s a few years since we travelled to Birr to see Sean Brett play with Tipperary in the ‘B’ football final against Longford, which we won.

Highlights – Highlights of the recent Kickham Country weekend held in Mullinahone can be viewed on the local website www.mullinahonephotography.com. This website is up dated on a regular basis with local events keeping those abroad in touch with home. The website belongs to Donal O’Brien who may be contacted at (052) 53601.

1945 – Further research into the Mullinahone senior footballers of 1945 has revealed that having defeated the newly formed St Patrick’s in round one Mullinahone played Fethard in the semi-final in Cloneen. The late Phil Shea (Cloneen) was appointed referee. At half-time Mullinahone led by four points to nil. The final score was Mullinahone 1-6, Fethard 0-2. An account of the game survives in the files of the “Nationalist”
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Under-12 – The full details of the forthcoming intercounty hurling competition taking place in Mullinahone in September will appear next week. Meanwhile keep September 17 free for a feast of underage hurling.

Under-16 – Our under-16’s kept their unbeaten record when they travelled to Clonmel last week and drew with St Mary’s. This week they faced a trip to Kilsheelan but by now must have qualified for the last four or semi-finals.