2018 County Adult Hurling League Preview

Our Seniors play their first competitive game of the year this coming Saturday when we take on Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams in the opening fixture of this year’s County Adult Hurling League in Davin Park at 4pm.

The County League is a different beast to Senior Championship. It’s a competition where 200km round-trips to the top of North Tipp on frosty Sunday mornings are common-place, and after you spend 60+ minutes battling in the cold, rain, and muck, you get to share a sandwich and a hot cup of tea or soup with your teammates and opponents in a warm clubhouse. It’s part of what makes the GAA so special.

Last year, we played in Division 2 of the County Adult Hurling League, and finished bottom of the group meaning we were relegated to Division 3 for 2018. We played five games. Won one game and lost four.

If you look at last year’s County League purely from a results perspective, you’d think it was a poor campaign. However, the County League is about more than just results. It’s about performances, building fitness, and blooding young players. In that sense, and looking at what we achieved later in the year, the 2017 County League was a massive success. Hopefully this year’s league will be as fruitful.

Our 2017 County League Results

Round 1 – March 11th – Carrick Swan 0-12 Ballingary 0-14

Round 2 – April 2nd – Toomevara 5-13 Carrick Swan 2-13

Round 3 – April 9th – Templederry Kenyons 0-13 Carrick Swan 2-11

Round 4 – June 25th Carrick Swan 2-09 Loughmore/Castleiney 1-19

Round 5 – July 16th – Moycarkey Borris 2-21 Carrick Swan 1-16

A Brief Look at Our Opponents

ROUND 1 vs Knockavilla Kickhams in Carrick

The West Tipperary men competed in Division 3 of the 2017 Adult Hurling League winning 3 and drawing another of their 5 matches.

In the 2017 County Senior Hurling Championship, they were drawn against Lorrha & Holycross/Ballycahill in their group. They lost to Holycross/Ballycahill  on a scoreline of 2-24 to 0-14. Lorrha also got the better of them on a scoreline of 3-20 to 2-20.

These losses put Knockavilla Kickhams into the relegation playoffs where they lost to Ballingarry on a scoreline of 4-16 to 0-14.

After this result they went on to beat Borrisokane by 12 points and Moycarkey Borris by 3 points to finish the relegation playoffs on 4 points, the same points tally of Ballingarry and Moycarkey Borris. Knockavilla Kickhams, however, were relegated to Intermediate on score difference. A very harsh way to lose your Senior status.

Players involved with Tipp: Ger Browne is currently on the Senior hurling panel.

We last played the men from Dundrum in the 2015 Senior Hurling Championship, in Cahir. Four goals for Colin Waters helped us on our way to a 6-10 to 2-11 win. The score of the game was a James Waters thunderbolt after receiving a superb cross-field ball, and making a 40-yard run before burying it to the back of the net.

Distance from Carrick: 60km

 ROUND 2 vs Ballinahinch in Shalee.

North Tipperary’s Ballinahinch finished 2nd in their Division 3 group in 2017 winning 4 out of their 5 County League games.

The won the North Intermediate Hurling Championship last year.

They were drawn with Thurles Sarsfields, Golden Kilfeacle & Gortnahoe/Glengoole in the 2017 County Intermediate Championship. Ballinahinch drew with Thurles Sarsfields in Round 1. 1-18 apiece. They beat County Finalists Gortnahoe/Glengoole  by 4 points. 2.15 to 1.14 in Round 2.

In the last 12, they beat Cashel King Cormacs while Gortnahoe/Glengoole  got their revenge in the County Quarter-Final to knock them out of the championship.

Players involved with Tipp: None at present. Former Senior hurling captain Shane McGrath hails from Ballinahinch.

Swan haven’t played Ballinahinch in recent memory, if ever, so this fixture will have a bit of a novelty factor.

Distance from Carrick: 105km

 ROUND 3 vs Moyne Templetuohy in Carrick

Mid Tipperary’s Moyne Templetuohy competed in Division 3 in 2017. They finished 3rd in their group winning 3 out of their 5 games. They comfortably beat the 2017 Intermediate County Champions, St. Mary’s, in last year’s league.

In the 2017 County Intermediate hurling championship they were drawn in a group with St. Marys & Boherlahan-Dualla. Moyne Templetuohy topped the group by beating St Marys by one-point on a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-16 and drawing with Boherlahan-Dualla, 1-16 apiece.

In the last 12 of the County, Moyne beat Thurles Sarsfields by 1-point to qualify for the quarter-final where they beat Moneygall by 6. 1-16 to 0-13. In the Semi-Final Moyne played St. Marys for the third time in the space of 6 months. This time, it was the Clonmel team that came out on top to knock Moyne out of the championship. Full time score: St. Mary’s 1-20 Moyne Templetuohy 0-14.

Swan last played Moyne at Senior level in 2015 when the teams finished level in a high scoring game 0-20 apiece. The score of that day came early in the first half when Danny O’ Hanlon pointed from the sideline, 14 yards out, running away from goal, over his shoulder, at the top end in Boherlahan.

Players involved with Tipp: Goalkeeper Paul Maher and defender Tomas ‘Tossy’ Hamill

Distance from Carrick: 65km

ROUND 4 vs Lattin Cullen Gaels in Lattin

Lattin Cullen Gaels are a combination of Lattin Cullen and Aherlow GAA Clubs.

Last year, they competed in Division 3 of the County Adult Hurling League. They finished second from bottom of their group winning 1, and losing 4 games.

Lattin Cullen Gaels were drawn with Cappawhite, Kiladangan & Arravale Rovers in the 2017 County Intermediate Hurling Championship group.

In Round 1, they lost to Cappawhite, drew with Arravale Rovers in Round 2, and lost to Kiladangan in Round 3 which meant they finished bottom of their group and entered the relegation playoffs.

They faced Boherlahan Dualla and Galtee Rovers in relegation. They lost to Galtee Rovers and beat Boherlahan Dualla in a do-or-die fixture to stay up.

Players involved with Tipp: Mark Russell is currently on the Senior hurling panel.

Swan Seniors have never played the Lattin Cullen Gaels combination.

Distance from Carrick: 70km

ROUND 5 vs Cashel King Cormacs in Cashel

West Tipperary’s Cashel King Cormac’s were promoted from Division 4 of the County Adult Hurling League in 2017.

In the County Championship last year, Cashel were drawn with Sean Treacys, Shannon Rovers & Carrick Davins.

Cashel beat Davins by 3-17 to 1-16, lost to Sean Treacy’s by 13 points and lost to Shannon Rovers on a scoreline of 1:18 to 2:12.

Cashel went on to defeat Lattin Cullen Gaels in the West final on a scoreline of 2-23 to 2-13 to get back into the County Series where they were knocked out in the last 12 by Gortnahoe/Glengoole.

Players involved with Tipp: None at present.

We’ve played Cashel in a number of challenge games, and Co League  over the past decade but the teams have never met in in competitive hurling. There are a couple of connections between the clubs, however. Former Swan adult trainer T.J. Connolly hails from Cashel, while former Swan adult trainer Brian Flannery also trained the Cashel team a couple of years ago.

Distance from Carrick: 47km