Novel pairing line up in Tipperary county senior football final

There will be celebrations in either a town or a village separated by just five miles on Saturday night following the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship final earlier that day.

South Tipperary neighbours Clonmel Commercials and Kilsheelan/Kilcash will meet in a novel decider at FBD Semple Stadium at 3pm.

Kilsheelan’s participation in the final is particularly significant. Their last appearance at this ultimate stage of the championship was all of 44 years ago, when they were beaten by Galtee Rovers in Clonmel in 1981.

You have to go back even further to 1972 for their last success, when they won their last of their four titles by beating Ardfinnan in the final. Kilsheelan’s other victories came in 1930, 1932 and 1968.

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That record is in stark contrast to the dominance that Clonmel Commercials have exerted over the championship, particularly in recent seasons. They and Fethard share the record for the most senior titles won in the county, with 21 championships won.

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Commercials have won seven of the 13 championships played since 2012, a haul that included back-to-back successes in 2019 and 2020, and 2022 and 2023. Last year and in 2021, their great rivals Loughmore/Castleiney denied them the opportunity to complete a three-in-row for what would have been the first time since 1967.

Commercials go into the game as the raging hot 1/7 favourites, with Kilsheelan/Kilcash rated as a 4/1 chance.

It has been an emotional few weeks for the Clonmel club. They are still coming to terms with the sudden passing of their former player and great mentor, the Tipperary football manager Philly Ryan, who was on the sideline for many of their great days in recent seasons.

Adding to the sense of poignancy at his passing is the fact that Philly’s son Shane also plays in goal in a position from where his late father won several honours over the years.

Commercials weren’t at their best when defeating Upperchurch Drombane in last weekend’s semi-final.
But considering it was the first game they played since the sad events of recent weeks, it’s a hurdle they will have been particularly glad to overcome, given the circumstances.

The teams were level at half-time before Commercials stamped their authority on proceedings in the second half to eventually win by 1-9 to 0-8. Sean O’Connor’s first half penalty offered them a degree of comfort on a day when the experience of Seamus Kennedy, Sean O’Connor, Kevin Fahey and Michael Quinlivan proved key. Peter McGarry and James Morris were also impressive.

Their experience of the big occasion will be a major benefit to the Clonmel team going into Saturday’s final, as will their familiarity with the wide open spaces of Semple Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kilsheelan/Kilcash’s appearance in the final represents a real breakthrough for a team that has been knocking on the door for the past few years.

Reaching the final is a testament to the strength and resilience of a panel that has been without the services of several players such as Brendan Martin, Mark Kehoe and the Maher brothers, Bill and Paul, who have played such influential roles for the team in recent times.

They will also take heart from the fact that they have already taken a notable scalp en route to the decider. They were also rank outsiders when they squared up to Loughmore/Castleiney in the semi-final, with the Mid club chasing another county senior football and hurling championship double.

However, Kilsheelan upset the applecart in a major way, with their storming finish securing a famous victory. They were behind by 1-11 to 2-9 with the game deep in additional time.

They showed tremendous resolve to get across the line, thanks to a glorious two-pointer from Micheal Freaney in the 63rd minute, Senan Butler crowning the win with another point a minute later.

Players such as goalkeeper Evan Comerford, Daire Brennan, Mark Stokes, Jamie Roche, Barry Kehoe and the O’Connors, Billy and Tommy, as well as the aforementioned Micheal Freaney and Senan Butler form the spine of a team that won’t be found wanting for effort on Saturday.

They have also had the benefit of a longer rest period between the semi-final and final than Commercials, and so will be a fresher team taking to the field on Saturday.

If necessary, extra-time will be played and the game will finish on the day.