TIPPERARY GAA SCENE BY COUNTY PRO GER RYAN SWITCHING ON OF FLOODLIGHTS AT SEMPLE STADIUM Semple Stadium's state of the art new floodlights will be switched on officially by GAA President, Nickey Brennan, at 6.45pm on Saturday evening February 14th. The switching on ceremony will precede the Tipperary v Cork National Hurling League game which commences at 7.30pm. The stadium will open at 6pm and musical entertainment from the Thurles Gospel choir will commence at 6.30pm. Patrons are encouraged to come early because there will be plenty of colour and entertainment before the game. Being St. Valentine's night, there will be chocolates for the ladies who arrive in good time. We hope that a trip to the Stadium will be an enjoyable, entertaining and not to say novel way for the romantic amongst our followers to spend St. Valentine's evening and they will still have plenty of time later for the more traditional celebrations of this occasion. Well done to all those who have worked so hard to make Saturday night's event possible. It will be the culmination of several years planning and work led by the Semple Stadium Management Committee, chaired by Con Hogan with Michael Egan as Secretary. We hope that as many as possible will come out to see how well the magnificent sod of Semple Stadium looks under lights. There will be a special souvenir programme for the event. Programme editor, Ger Corbett, has assembled a lot of historic and contemporary material and, as ever with programmes at Semple Stadium, it will be a very worthwhile and enjoyable read. ARRANGEMENTS FOR GROUPS AT SEMPLE STADIUM ON FEB 14TH There has been a strong emphasis on encouraging juvenile groups to attend Saturday evening's events. There has been a big interest so far from clubs and schools and those intending to send groups are reminded to have their application with Andy Ryan, County Youth Officer or Tim Floyd, County Secretary by Wednesday night at the latest. Bus parking spaces are reserved in the Tipperary Institute up to 6pm but cannot be guaranteed after that. Groups only will be accommodated at Stile 18 in the Old Stand and Stile 53 in the New Stand. A steward will meet the groups outside these stiles. All groups should note that only one accompanying adult will be admitted with each ten juveniles. SEASON TICKET HOLDERS Tipperary is the only county that has taken up its full allocation of season tickets for hurling, which is an indication of the great support our hurlers enjoy from the people of the county. On Saturday evening, season tickets will be accepted only at Stile 45 in the New Stand. MOYNE-TEMPLETUOHY IN MUNSTER JUNIOR B FINAL Well done Moyne-Templetuohy's Junior B hurlers who had a hard fought but thrilling 2-8 to 2-7 victory over Scariff in the Munster Junior B semi-final at the weekend in Raheenagh. They will head for West Limerick again next Sunday to play Bruree in the final at 2.30pm in Raheenagh. We wish them every success. DR. HARTY CUP COLLEGES HURLING Well done to Thurles CBS on their victory over Blackwater Community College by 0-15 to 0-7 in the Dr. Harty Cup Semi-final played in Ardfinnan on Saturday last. They must wait the result of the replay between Ard Scoil Rís Limerick and St Caimin's Community School Shannon to know their opponents in the final, which will be played in March. FITZGIBBON CUP COLLEGES HURLING Although the poor weather caused some fixtures to be cancelled, the group stages of the Fitzgibbon Cup got underway last week. Michael Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields) scored 1 point and Shane Bourke (JK Brackens) scored 2 points for UCC in their 2 point victory over GMIT by 0-16 to 3-5. UL defeated WIT by 0-16 to 0-12 with players from Tipperary featuring on both sides. Brian Fox (Éire Óg, Annacarty) was corner back for UL, Thomas Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons - scorer of 1 point) was centre back, Michael Gleeson (Thurles Sarsfields - scorer of 1 points) was midfield, Ryan O'Dwyer (Cashel King Cormacs - scorer of 1 point) was centre forward and Jim Bob McCarthy (Golden Kilfeacle) and Paddy McCormack (Thurles Sarsfields) came on as subs. WIT's players form Tipp were midfielders Martin Dunne (Moyle Rovers) and Stephen Lillis (Thurles Sarsfields - scorer of 3 points, 2 from frees), and corner forwards Timmy Hammersley (Clonoulty-Rossmore) and Ray McLoughney (Kilruane MacDonaghs - scorer of 6 points from frees). TIPPERARY GAA MEMBERS DRAW The Moycarkey-Borris GAA club hosted the Tipperary GAA Members Draw for February on Friday evening last at Corcoran's in Two-Mile-Borris in front of a large attendance. County Board Chairman, Barry O'Brien, and County Board Secretary, Tim Floyd, were present and paid warm tributes to the outgoing Draw Chairman Gus Fitzgerald (Fethard) who was attending his last draw as Chairman. Gus served as Chairman for the past six years during which time the draw has gained 2,000 additional subscribers. Gus thanked everyone involved with the GAA draw for their help and assistance and wished his successor well in the future. In the February draw, Tom & Angela Mackey from the Carrick Davins club won a car or ?15,000 while Liam Ryan (R) from the Templederry Kenyons club won a car or ?12,000. The Ballyporeen GAA club won the set of jerseys while there was no winner of the Lotto jackpot of 5,000 euro. A full list of the winners on the night can be found elsewhere on this week's paper. The next monthly draw will take place on Friday, March 7th at a venue to be confirmed. COUNTY INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR HURLING LEAGUES Clubs are reminded that applications to participate in the County Intermediate and Senior Hurling Leagues must be with the CCC Secretary, Tom Maher by Wednesday, February 18th. Both leagues will commence in March. FEBRUARY COUNTY BOARD MEETING The next County Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 24th in the Sarsfields Centre, Thurles. Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Officers MEETING All clubs are reminded to send their A.S.A.P. Officer to a training / information evening on Monday next in Lár na Páirce at 8pm. National A.S.A.P co-ordinator, Brendan Murphy, and Munster A.S.A.P. Officer, Diarmuid Gowen, will attend the meeting. Tipperary Supporters Club Junior Mascot Winner Congratulations to Aidan Carroll of Clonoulty-Rossmore who was the lucky winner of the draw to be Mascot for the Tipperary SH Team at the game against Cork next Saturday evening. Adult and Junior Members of the Tipperary Supporters Club will be entered in to a draw for two pairs of tickets for the match v Cork. For adult members, anyone who has joined for 2009 by 11pm on Friday 13th February will be entered in to the draw for a pair of tickets. For junior members, anyone who has joined by 11pm on Friday 13th February will be entered in to the draw for a pair of adult tickets for the game. TIPPERARY SUPPORTERS CLUB MEMBERSHIP Adult membership of the Tipperary Supporters Club is available on line (by credit card or laser card) or by direct debit (from your bank account) on www.tippsupportersclub.com. If joining by post please send a cheque or postal order for ?30 payable to Tipperary Supporters Club to John Coman, 52 Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W (or phone 087 9087105). Membership will also be available in Semple Stadium on Saturday 14th February before the game. Beside the membership area in both stands there will be free offers for any children who come with a 2009 adult member. From 6pm there will be free facepainting, team posters, spot prizes etc on a first come, first served while stocks last. So don't miss out, come early and wear the blue and gold with pride. MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES 2009 On Sunday May 24th Tipp's senior footballers kick off their championship campaign with a quarter-final tie against Limerick in Semple Stadium. This game will be preceded by Tipperary v Limerick in the junior football championship. Winners of both games play Clare in the semi-finals. The senior hurlers will play their quarter-final against Cork on Sunday 31st also in Semple Stadium. This will be preceded by the Intermediate clash between Tipp and Cork. As with the footballers, Clare will be the opposition for the winners of both games. In U-21 Hurling, Tipperary will play Cork in a quarter-final in Semple Stadium on Wednesday June 3rd with the winners playing Waterford in the semi-final on July 15th. In U-21 football, Tipperary will play the winners of the Clare v Limerick quarter-final in a semi-final clash on Saturday March 21st. The minor footballers play Kerry in Thurles on Wednesday April 15th and the minor hurlers play Limerick in Limerick in a quarter-final on Wednesday, April 29th. TIPPERARY GAA SCENE Information concerning all areas in the GAA will appear in this section in the future. If you wish to include any item of interest in future articles, please contact the County Public Relations Officer Ger Ryan at 086-8149146 or via e-mail at [email protected] on or before 3:00pm on Monday. Visit the Tipperary GAA web site at http://tipperary.gaa.ie to keep up to date with all the latest news in Tipperary GAA circles. Tweet

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