A NEW TIPPERARY hurling database launched this week, containing records for every player to line out in blue and gold, from minor to senior, since 1887.
It also allows you to browse by club, ordering those who have contributed the most stickmen to county teams over the decades.
Top of the tree are, of course, Thurles Sarsfields, with 255 players across all grades and 94 at senior level.
But in behind them in second are Moycarkey-Borris, with 160 players across all grades and 81 at senior level.
Thus, Sunday’s Tipperary SHC final is really an old-school pairing between first and third on the roll of honour.
Congratulations to David Costigan whose superb finish for Moycarkey Borris has been voted the Tipperary GAA Score of the Week from last weekends action in the FBD Insurance County Hurling Championships. https://t.co/Z9TV0GohjD
While Sars have been virtually ever-present on Premier panels over the years, Moycarkey’s prominence dates back to the GAA’s foundation when the club champions represented their county.
Tipp’s first eight All-Irelands were won by a pocket of hurlers between the neighbouring parishes of Thurles, Moycarkey, and Boherlahan.
Three came to Thurles in 1887, 1906, and 1908. In between, Moycarkey-based clubs had their day as Horse and Jockey won the 1899 All-Ireland and Two-Mile Borris claimed the 1900 crown.
Once the club championship was over, a sprinkling of Thurles players would’ve guested on those teams, with Moycarkey men doing the same in reverse.
John Hackett’s grandfather, also called John, was on that Two-Mile Borris team and such hurling involvement has carried on through the generations in families across the parish.
Hackett, who served as club secretary and treasurer for many years, was a defender on the last Moycarkey teams to capture the Dan Breen Cup back in 1982 and ‘84. Back then, they had broken a 42-year wait for county honours. This year, it has again been 42 years since the last title.
“There’s a great tradition in the parish of hurling going way back,” he says. “People were hoping that someday we’d get the wheels up again and get into a final.
“There’s a great build-up, even more so than ‘82 and ‘84, because in ‘82 and ‘84. the ladies football and camogie wasn’t as strong. At the moment, we have ladies football senior and camogie senior in the parish, and we have underage boys and girls from the age of six up, so every household is involved in the action.
A local farmer showing his support for Moycarkey-Borris.
“And then we’re beside Thurles, so there’s a lot of people living in Thurles and people from Thurles are living in Moycarkey. It’s all well-connected.”
That friendly rivalry has sustained down through the years. Over 100 years ago, they were representing Tipperary together. That’s still the case for the likes of Moycarkey goalkeeper Rhys Shelly, and his Sars teammates Ronan Maher and Conor and Darragh Stakelum.
David Costigan and Euan Murray are two U20 prodigies with the potential to join them in Liam Cahill’s panel next year.
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Congratulations to David Costigan whose superb point for Moycarkey Borris has been voted the Tipperary GAA Score of the Week from last weekend’s action in the FBD Insurance County Hurling Championships.
It’s a second Score of the Week winner for David this month! https://t.co/G7W10bKvsD
Of the 60 players involved on Sunday, Hackett points out that 57 went through Thurles CBS. Those bonds are still being formed in Harty Cup hurling.
Hackett also notes that club sponsors H&MV Engineering employ players from both clubs.
“They would have played with each other all the time over the years, so they’d be great friends. They’d socialise together a lot. There’d be no aggro at all. Hopefully anyway!” says Hackett with a chuckle.
“We have a history going back with Thurles. We have great respect for Thurles, and Thurles always had great respect for us, so there’s no real bitterness. There’s a good, keen interest in the game. It will be all hurling.”
Those links were there back in 1984 as well. Moycarkey were trained by Sars man Paddy Doyle, the brother of their greatest-ever hurler, Jimmy Doyle. An ex-Sars player, Timmy Cullagh, was also on the Moycarkey team.
That was a great era for the red and yellow. They defeated Roscrea in the replayed ‘82 final before going on to claim a Munster title against Patrickswell. In ‘84, they defeated Lorrha in a final delayed by a week when their opponents were unable to field.
“Lorrha had injuries and we agreed to postpone it for a week. There was a bit of controversy allowing it to go back a week, but it turned out okay,” Hackett recalls.
“There was a small number that wanted to take it in the boardroom, but all the players wanted to win it. There’s not much point in winning if you don’t win on the field. You’d never get much praise for it, would you?”
That team was led by their captain and centre-back Jack Bergin. A strong spine included Tom Doran, who spent around a quarter-century in goals, full-back Willie Ryan, who played in the 1971 National League final, and star forward John Flanagan, a goalscorer in Tipp’s 1971 All-Ireland triumph.
The club also won an intermediate football title in 1980, a minor hurling title in ‘83, and Hackett captained their second team to the 1985 intermediate hurling title.
“They (the county titles) were huge events in the parish,” he says. “A lot of older people craved success. It was mighty. There was great celebrating for a while.
“It brought on the club a good bit, but it’s hard to keep it going in rural clubs. It’s hard to keep the show on the road.”
They went down intermediate for a time and it would be 40 years until the Littleton-based club featured in another senior semi-final in 2024, when Eddie Brennan was in charge.
Tipp camogie manager Denis Kelly took the reins this year and maintained that upward trajectory. They toppled Loughmore-Castleiney in their opener before producing remarkable late rallies to defeat Kiladangan and JK Brackens in the quarter- and semi-finals.
Throughout the conversation, Hackett references many of those who have contributed to the club’s growth. Current president Liam Hennessy played in the 1962 final between Sars and Moycarkey, won by the town side, before serving as chairman during their ‘80s successes.
John Corcoran and Lorenz Egan have spearheaded the development of the club grounds. Liam McCullagh has led a hurling resurgence in Two-Mile Borris school. Mayo-native Joe Moran and Christy Clancy, a former Cork minor from St Catherine’s, have guided underage teams.
He also recalls men like Conor Kennedy and Harry Ryan. “They lived and died for the club every day,” says Hackett. “It’s a pity they’re not around, but they’re well remembered now.”
It takes many hands to produce a team fit for a county final, so Sunday is a day for a whole parish.
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'It will be all hurling': Traditional giants back on Tipperary's biggest stage
A NEW TIPPERARY hurling database launched this week, containing records for every player to line out in blue and gold, from minor to senior, since 1887.
It also allows you to browse by club, ordering those who have contributed the most stickmen to county teams over the decades.
Top of the tree are, of course, Thurles Sarsfields, with 255 players across all grades and 94 at senior level.
But in behind them in second are Moycarkey-Borris, with 160 players across all grades and 81 at senior level.
Thus, Sunday’s Tipperary SHC final is really an old-school pairing between first and third on the roll of honour.
While Sars have been virtually ever-present on Premier panels over the years, Moycarkey’s prominence dates back to the GAA’s foundation when the club champions represented their county.
Tipp’s first eight All-Irelands were won by a pocket of hurlers between the neighbouring parishes of Thurles, Moycarkey, and Boherlahan.
Three came to Thurles in 1887, 1906, and 1908. In between, Moycarkey-based clubs had their day as Horse and Jockey won the 1899 All-Ireland and Two-Mile Borris claimed the 1900 crown.
Once the club championship was over, a sprinkling of Thurles players would’ve guested on those teams, with Moycarkey men doing the same in reverse.
John Hackett’s grandfather, also called John, was on that Two-Mile Borris team and such hurling involvement has carried on through the generations in families across the parish.
Hackett, who served as club secretary and treasurer for many years, was a defender on the last Moycarkey teams to capture the Dan Breen Cup back in 1982 and ‘84. Back then, they had broken a 42-year wait for county honours. This year, it has again been 42 years since the last title.
“There’s a great tradition in the parish of hurling going way back,” he says. “People were hoping that someday we’d get the wheels up again and get into a final.
“There’s a great build-up, even more so than ‘82 and ‘84, because in ‘82 and ‘84. the ladies football and camogie wasn’t as strong. At the moment, we have ladies football senior and camogie senior in the parish, and we have underage boys and girls from the age of six up, so every household is involved in the action.
“And then we’re beside Thurles, so there’s a lot of people living in Thurles and people from Thurles are living in Moycarkey. It’s all well-connected.”
That friendly rivalry has sustained down through the years. Over 100 years ago, they were representing Tipperary together. That’s still the case for the likes of Moycarkey goalkeeper Rhys Shelly, and his Sars teammates Ronan Maher and Conor and Darragh Stakelum.
David Costigan and Euan Murray are two U20 prodigies with the potential to join them in Liam Cahill’s panel next year.
Of the 60 players involved on Sunday, Hackett points out that 57 went through Thurles CBS. Those bonds are still being formed in Harty Cup hurling.
Hackett also notes that club sponsors H&MV Engineering employ players from both clubs.
“They would have played with each other all the time over the years, so they’d be great friends. They’d socialise together a lot. There’d be no aggro at all. Hopefully anyway!” says Hackett with a chuckle.
Those links were there back in 1984 as well. Moycarkey were trained by Sars man Paddy Doyle, the brother of their greatest-ever hurler, Jimmy Doyle. An ex-Sars player, Timmy Cullagh, was also on the Moycarkey team.
That was a great era for the red and yellow. They defeated Roscrea in the replayed ‘82 final before going on to claim a Munster title against Patrickswell. In ‘84, they defeated Lorrha in a final delayed by a week when their opponents were unable to field.
“Lorrha had injuries and we agreed to postpone it for a week. There was a bit of controversy allowing it to go back a week, but it turned out okay,” Hackett recalls.
“There was a small number that wanted to take it in the boardroom, but all the players wanted to win it. There’s not much point in winning if you don’t win on the field. You’d never get much praise for it, would you?”
That team was led by their captain and centre-back Jack Bergin. A strong spine included Tom Doran, who spent around a quarter-century in goals, full-back Willie Ryan, who played in the 1971 National League final, and star forward John Flanagan, a goalscorer in Tipp’s 1971 All-Ireland triumph.
The club also won an intermediate football title in 1980, a minor hurling title in ‘83, and Hackett captained their second team to the 1985 intermediate hurling title.
“They (the county titles) were huge events in the parish,” he says. “A lot of older people craved success. It was mighty. There was great celebrating for a while.
They went down intermediate for a time and it would be 40 years until the Littleton-based club featured in another senior semi-final in 2024, when Eddie Brennan was in charge.
Tipp camogie manager Denis Kelly took the reins this year and maintained that upward trajectory. They toppled Loughmore-Castleiney in their opener before producing remarkable late rallies to defeat Kiladangan and JK Brackens in the quarter- and semi-finals.
Throughout the conversation, Hackett references many of those who have contributed to the club’s growth. Current president Liam Hennessy played in the 1962 final between Sars and Moycarkey, won by the town side, before serving as chairman during their ‘80s successes.
John Corcoran and Lorenz Egan have spearheaded the development of the club grounds. Liam McCullagh has led a hurling resurgence in Two-Mile Borris school. Mayo-native Joe Moran and Christy Clancy, a former Cork minor from St Catherine’s, have guided underage teams.
He also recalls men like Conor Kennedy and Harry Ryan. “They lived and died for the club every day,” says Hackett. “It’s a pity they’re not around, but they’re well remembered now.”
It takes many hands to produce a team fit for a county final, so Sunday is a day for a whole parish.
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friendly foes GAA horse and jockey Hurling Littleton Moycarkey-Borris Thurles Sarsfields Tipperary GAA Tipperary hurling Tipperary SHC Two Mile Borris