Tipperary Supporters Club Newsletter 05-11-2026

TIPPERARY GAA SCENE
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THE CLONMEL COLOSSUS LEAVES THE INTER-COUNTY STAGE
The image is often painted of the hero bestriding his native territory like a colossus and in local sporting terms that concept is personified by Séamus Kennedy, who has announced his retirement from intercounty activity. He will be greatly missed by the county which he represented at every grade of hurling & football: minor, U21 and senior.Séamus attended Thurles CBS and played at Harty Cup level for the school. He was called into the Tipperary minor hurling panel in 2010 and played at wingback on the unsuccessful 2011 team (albeit one that produced 6 AI senior winners) but struck gold on the minor football team in 2011 which beat Dublin in the AI final. A little known fact is that he represented Ireland at the tender age of 12 as part of the Clonmel Town team in the Danone Nations Cup, held in Lyon in 2005.

Séamus at the 2025 Celebration Night in Malahide with TSC Officers (l - r) John Sheehy, Billy Coman, Jim Reidy & Bryan Maher
Séamus was a member of the under-21 hurling team from 2012 to 2014 and a member of the U21 football team from 2013 to 2014, captaining the side in 2013. He made his senior football debut during the 2015 season. He joined the Tipperary senior hurling panel the following year and made his (winning) Championship debut on 22 May 2016 against Cork.Although not the first St. Mary’s player to win an All Ireland hurling medal, he was the first to win one as a starter on the day. He won three, the last coming on in 2025: all three, interestingly, won under different management. If memory serves correctly, he lined out for Tipp in championship hurling on every line except the full forward line and goalkeeper. Séamus was nothing if not versatile.With Clonmel Commercials, Séamus won eight Tipperary Senior Football Championships, captaining them in the 2023 and 2025 successes. He was of course a key member of the Commercials team which annexed the Munster Senior Club Football title in 2015. And the story is ongoing: he captained St. Mary’s to the Tipperary Premier Intermediate Hurling title on October 11 and victory over Ballincollig last Sunday in the Munster q-final…hopefully more to follow. Of note recently has been St. Mary’s rise to hurling prominence in the county: runners-up in the minor final this year and winners of the U19 last year in addition to achieving senior status. Séamus’s influence through his dedication, character and commitment is being felt.While sadly we won’t see him line out in the blue and gold again, perhaps we may see more of him as commentator on TG4 where he has impressed with his knowledge and blas. Or even as a scribe: his All-Ireland Diary in the Examiner in 2019 showed that he is as adept with the pen as the hurley. In the concluding words to Peadar Kearney’s famous song: “We may have brave men, but we'll never have better.”
TIPPERARY HURLER OF THE YEAR 2026
In a time of elections, the results in the most important one of all are in: the selection of the Tipperary Supporters Club Senior Hurler of the Year for 2026.The winner of the Supporters Club Hurler of the Year Award for 2026 and the Tony Reddin Perpetual Cup is Jake Morris of Nenagh Éire Óg. Congratulations to Jake. He will be presented with the trophy at a future date. The Supporters Club Hurler of the Year Award and the Tony Reddin Perpetual Cup have been previously awarded to Ronan Maher of Thurles Sarsfields for 2024 and to John McGrath of Loughmore Castleiney for 2025. Many thanks to Derek Cagney of Quirke Jewellers, Cahir for his continued support of this award and to the Reddin family for their kind donation of the cup.

TIPPERARY GAA 50/50 DRAW
The next Tipperary GAA 50/50 Draw will be held on Sat, 07/11/26.The draw gives supporters the chance to win serious cash while supporting the development of Gaelic Games across the county.Grab your ticket on the Tipperary GAA App or hit the link: