Lorrha and Moycarkey-Borris Renew Rivalry
County Tipperary Intermediate Final Program, Nov. 28, 2007
Rivalry is probably too strong a word to use when writing about the meeting of Lorrha and Moycarkey-Borris in Sunday's intermediate county final. More likely 'a bit of history' might be a more accurate description since the two clubs haven't met that often coming as they do from different divisions.
But there are two major years in this history, 1946 and 1984, when the clubs met in county finals, one intermediate and the other senior, one victory going to Lorrha and the second going to the men from the Mid.
The first of these years, 1946, is a very important one in the history of the Lorrha club because it marks the first county final victory in the club's history. It should have been a momentous event but in fact it went almost unnoticed. Only in retrospect did it appear a ground-breaking year. The victory in the intermediate championship sent Lorrha into senior ranks, which they were to retain until relegation sent them back to intermediate in 1998.
Having come out of the North, with victory over Eire Óg, Nenagh in the final at Borrisokane on November 3 by 5-6 to 3-5, Lorrha had to wait until the end of 1947 for the county semi-final and final to be played. They overcame the West champions, Galtee St. Peacaun's, in the semi-final and had as their opponents, Moycarkey-Borris, in the final.
This game was played on December 7 and the venue was Gaile. Lorrha supporters always wondered how the fixtures committee could possibly have fixed the match at this venue, which was described as being as close to the parish of Moycarkey-Borris as it was possible to be, without being actually in it!
Maybe, becuase of this and the fact the match was played in the dead of winter that very few Lorrha supporters turned up. The number is estimated to have been seven, although there was a crowd of one thousand at the game. According to rumour the referee let everything run. A number had to go to the doctor after the game. When Paddy O'Sullivan presented himself to the doctor at Thurles and explained how he had got the injury, the latter said: 'I can expect more so!'
Maybe this is the reason Mid president, Mickey Byrne, quipped some years back at the unveiling of a plaque at the entrance to what was Gaile sportsfield: 'I suppose if you searched these trees you would find some skin attached to them!'
At any rate Lorrha won by 4-4 to 3-3 and the team that played was as follows: Paddy Maher, Des Donohue, Mick Donohue, Mick O'Meara (L), Billy Hogan, Paddy O'Sullivan, Tom Lambe, Hubie Hogan, Eugene O'Meara, Tommy Ryan, Dan O'Meara, Jim O'Meara, Paddy Guinan, Mick O'Meara, Vincent Darcy,
So, after 1946, it was 1 up for Lorrha! Moycarkey-Borris got their revenge in 1984 in the senior final that Lorrha would have dearly loved to win. Not only was it Centenary year, but Lorrha had never won a senior final, having lost at this stage in 1905, 1948, 1956 and 1966.
Lorrha strongly believed in their chances going into the final having accounted for Eire Óg, Nenagh in the North final, Eire Óg, Annacarty in the county quarter-final, and Drom Inch, who had beaten Moycarkey-Borris in the Mid final, in the semi-final. Moycarkey, having lost to Drom in the Mid final, defeated Carrick Swan in the county quarter-final, and Cappawhite, in a replayed semi-final.
The final was fixed for October 14 but Lorrha refused to field, claiming multiple injuries as a result of a tough encounter with Drom Inch in the semi-final. The county board conceded and the game was played on October 21. Lorrha started well and were 0-6 to 0-1 in front after 21 minutes. They led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the interval. Lorrha continued to lead after the resumption and were unlucky not to get a goal from a Willie Fogarty shot after ten minutes. Five minutes later Moycarkey got the goal to level the scores, 0-8 to 1-5. A few minutes later John Flanagan got a second goal and try as they might, Lorrha could not get the scores they needed so badly, and Moycarkey won by 2-8 to 0-9. Jack Bergin was the winning captain and he went on to captain Tipperary in 1985. Eamonn Darmody got Man of the Match.
The teams were: Moycarkey-Borris: Tom Doran, John Hackett, Willie Ryan, Tom Mullins, Eamonn Darmody, Jack Bergin (capt.), Jimmy Leahy, Liam Bergin, Liam Dempsey, Timmy Cullagh, John McCormack (0-1), David Fogarty (0-1), Ned Slattery (1-2), Dick Quigley (0-1), John Flanagan (1-3). Subs: Robert Hayes for J. Leahy, J. Leahy for John Hackett, Jim Flanagan for L. Dempsey.
Lorrha: Ken Hogan, Martin Young, Mick Brophy, Padraig Kennedy, Eamonn Sherlock (0-1), John McIntyre, Eamonn Maher, Pat Kelly, Brian Mannion, Joe Kennedy (0-3), John O'Sullivan (0-1), Kieran Hough (capt.), Aidan McIntyre, John Shelly, Willie Fogarty (0-4). Subs: Cathal McIntyre for Eamonn Maher, Donal Donoghue for Aidan McIntyre.
Referee: Willie barrett (Ardfinnan).
And so, the score stands at 1-1 and each side will be striving might and main today to make it 2-1.