On a side week for the club here are this week’s notes
Action from the under-12 C match against Shannon Rovers
The Late Johnny McGrath
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of one of our all-time greatest hurlers Johnny McGrath during the week.
Johnny was born in 1932 at Pound Street Nenagh. In his youth he attended Nenagh CBS and was a member of the Harty Cup side for two years in the late 1940’s. He played minor for Nenagh Éire Óg for four years and won three north minor medals and two football medals playing at center forward. He played with the 1949 senior team when they were narrowly beaten by Roscrea. Playing at left wing back, he won a minor All-Ireland with Tipperary in 1949 when they beat Kilkenny. He emigrated to the United States in 1950 where he played with Tipperary for a number of years and won three championships. He returned to England in 1954 and played with St Finbarr’s in Coventry with whom he won two English Championships.
On returning to Nenagh in 1956, he won two North senior medals in 1957 against Toomevara at full forward and in 1964 against Roscrea at full back. He was a member of the of the Tipperary senior hurling team from 1958 to 1960 and won both a national league playing at wing back and a senior medal playing at full forward in 1958. He retired from hurling in 1967 at the age of 35.
Johnny McGrath was a fearless and courageous hurler. When at full forward, he was the conductor of the orchestra and when full back he controlled his area and acted as protector in chief of his goalkeeper and younger team mates. He was a powerfully built man who could more than hold his own under the dropping ball. Favouring the first time pull, in one particular match he took a drop shot at an opposition puck out and dispatched the ball back over the opposition bar. In a league match with Tipperary he once scored a truly spectacular goal when despite having his back to goal and a defender wrapped around him, he still managed to double a dropping ball to the net as he was wrestled over backwards.
A class act, who had all the requisite skills to function as a back or a forward, his favourite playing position was the half-back line. The best hurler he encountered was Sean Clohessy of Kilkenny and Terry Leahy who played with Kilkenny in New York. His most memorable game was the 1964 North final and his biggest regret was in losing the 1949 North final by two points. While “The Digger” was his favourite selector, his sweetest victory was Pound street beating Islandbawn in a street league final!
To his loving daughters Carol (Dalton), Marguerite (McGrath), Norma (Costello), Christine (Kiely), son Denis and their mother Margaret, sisters Pauline, Eileen and Noreen, grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews and nieces, cousins, neighbours, relatives and friends we offer our sincerest condolences.
Achievments
All-Ireland senior hurling 1958
All-Ireland minor hurling 1949
North Tipp, Senior hurling 1957, 1964
North Tipp, Minor hurling 1949
American Junior hurling 1952
American 3rd brigade 1952
New York SHC 1952
Croke Cup 1960
London intermediate hurling 1961
London senior league 1962
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
Senior Hurling
Our senior hurlers lost out to Roscrea on Sunday in the Tipperary Water county league on a 1-23 to 0-17 scoreline. Our final game is against Portroe in two week’s time.
Junior-A and Junior-B Hurling
Both our junior-A and junior-B hurlers were due to play championship this weekend but both matches were postponed due to a bereavement.
John Kissane Football Sevens
The Nenagh Éire Óg team who participated in the John Kissane Football Sevens
Bank holiday Monday saw the inaugural John Kissane Football Sevens take place in MacDonagh Park and a fantastic day’s football was enjoyed by all. There were two tournaments, a juvenile and adult competition with Kiladangan winning the adult while both Kiladangan and Newport won the juvenile trophies. Our thanks go to Joe Mulqueen and Andy’s Bar for the great food, Permanent TSB Nenagh for the kind sponsorship, the referees Alan Kissane, Christy McLoughlin and Tommy Ryan, the Tipperary Football Committee for all their help as well as the army of volunteers from the club who left no stone unturned to ensure it was a fantastic occasion.
Camogie News
Some of the under-8s who participated in a wonderful blitz in Toomevara
Under-12
Under-10
Under-8s & Under-6s
Nenagh Eire Og Summer Camp & Cúl Camp
Juvenile News
All that any club can ask of their juvenile players is that they take to the field with pride in their club and parish and a determination to leave everything that they have on that field. That, they most certainly did. We are all very proud of the boys, their mentors and families. Onwards and upwards now for this team as they prepare to represent Tipperary in Féile Peile na nÓg in Mayo at the end of June. Éire Óg Abú!
Square Ball
Under-12
Action from the under-12 C game against Shannon Rovers
We had mixed results from the under-12s this week. On Tuesday we beat Burgess 3-6 to 0-5 while we were beaten by Shannon Rovers on Thursday 6-3 to 1-4. Lorrha and Dorrha beat us 2-7 to 1-4 on Sunday.
The Blues 10km Run
Lotto
This weeks lotto jackpot was not won.
The 5 x €50 lucky dip winners were….
Cissie Russell,Carrick On Suir
Abbie Forde, c/o the HiB
Hugh McGrath, Brooklands Drice
Rory O Farrell, Stoneyhigh – On line Winner
Betty Treacy, Cloughjordan
Action from the under-12 C game against Shannon Rovers
