Sarsfields chasing immortality

Saturday, February 09, 2013

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SHC SEMI-FINAL Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) v Kilcormac-Killoughney (Offaly) EVERY club has a driving force in its past. Not too many can count including the man who gave his name to the most famous hurling pitch in the country, though.

By Michael Moynihan

Tom Semple was a great leader, says Liam ODonoghue. He was a great hurler but he was also a leader off the field. He saw that there was a showgrounds in the town which had gone bust, so he led the group which bought it and it eventually became Semple Stadium.

That wasnt the end of his involvement in local matters. He took an active role in the War of Independence as well, but he deserves huge gratitude from the GAA for being the driving force behind the acquisition of whats now Semple Stadium.

ODonoghue is one of the men in Thurles Sarsfields who are putting together the history of the club. Theyre not short of material. Ten times club members have led Tipperary to All-Ireland success, for instance; more than any other club in the county.

They can also point to some dazzling names who have worn the Sarsfields blue and white: Mickey The Rattler Byrne, the great defender who told Christy Ring, well have to shoot you (Youve tried everything else, was Rings answer); Tony Wall, the cornerstone of the greatest Tipperary team; and the great stylist, Jimmy Doyle.

No wonder they were so successful, though collecting 32 senior county titles means disappointing a lot of opponents, of course.

There would have been great rivalries over the years, with the likes of Moycarkey and Holycross, and Boherlahan going back a bit further, says ODonoghue.

Originally posted here:
Sarsfields chasing immortality