Dr. Harty Cup Hurling Quarter-Final – Our Lady’s Templemore 3-14 Thurles C.B.S. 1-10

Templemore ease past Thurles in Harty Cup

Report by Jackie Cahill for the Irish Examiner newspaper

LAST year’s runners up Our Lady’s Templemore eased into the last four of the Harty Cup with a ten-point victory over local rivals Thurles CBS in front of a huge crowd at The Ragg this afternoon.

Our Lady’s Templemore 3-14 Thurles CBS 1-10

Justifying their pre-match favourites tag, Templemore turned the screw in the second half as a two-point interval lead became a big win.

Playing against the breeze in the opening half, goals from Ray McCormack and David O’Shea helped Templemore to lead by 2-4 to 0-8 at the interval.

A late goal from sub Odhran Quirke gave Thurles a glimmer of hope but that was quickly extinguished by McCormack’s second major in the final minute.

Darragh Woods bagged all ten of the Thurles points but finished on the losing side as Templemore – with 2016 All-Ireland minor final starters Brian McGrath, Paddy Cadell and Lyndon Fairbrother in their ranks – marched on.

Scorers for Our Lady’s: R McCormack 2-0, B McGrath 0-5 (3f), D O’Shea 1-1, J Kelly 0-3, L Fairbrother 0-2, S Nolan, A O’Meara & A Ormonde 0-1 each.

Scorers for Thurles CBS: D Woods 0-10 (6f, 1 65, 1 sl), O Quirke 1-0.

OUR LADY’S: E Collins; E Ryan, P Campion, D Byrne; N Quinlan, P Cadell, A O’Meara; D Ryan, S Nolan; D O’Shea, B McGrath, J Kelly; A Ormonde, R McCormack, L Fairbrother
Subs: S Ryan for Byrne (57), J Ryan for D Ryan (57), J Gilmartin for Ormonde (59), S Doyle for Kelly (60+1), G O’Connor for O’Shea (60+2).

THURLES CBS: E Bourke; D Carew, E O’Gorman, Jimmy Ryan; James Ryan, M Purcell, K O’Dwyer; S Ryan, B O’Meara; C Bourke, C Bowe, E Barry; D Woods, A McKelvey, D Flood
Subs: O Quirke for Jimmy Ryan (37), C Connolly for James Ryan (57), TJ Butler for Bowe (57), K Ryan for Flood (58), M Nally for Barry (60).

Referee: J McCormack (Tipperary)

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When – Wednesday January 11th at 1:30pm
Where – The Ragg
Referee – John McCormack (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams, Tipperary)
Next Round – Our Lady’s Templemore v Nenagh C.B.S. in the Semi-Final on Saturday January 28th.

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Admission Prices
Adults – €5
Students / OAP’s – €3

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Results to Date

Our Lady’s Templemore
Last 16 – Our Lady’s Templemore 6-27 Árdscoil Uí Urmaltaigh Bandon 0-3
Group F – Our Lady’s Templemore 1-23 St Flannans 1-12

Thurles CBS
Last 16 – Thurles C.B.S. 0-14 Abbey C.B.S. 0-9
Group B Round 2 – Thurles C.B.S. 5-25 Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG 0-13
Group B Round 1 – Thurles C.B.S. 3-17 De La Salle College Waterford 1-8

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Match Preview

The eagerly awaited clash of Tipperary rivals Our Lady’s Templemore and Thurles CBS evokes memories of two Quarter-Final games played in early 2008. Despite early goals by John O’Neill and David Butler which put Thurles in to a 7 point lead at half-time, Templemore rallied and with centre-back Noel McGrath chipping in with 10 points, 8 from placed balls, the sides finished level before Thurles won the replay. Thurles CBS would go on to lose the Harty Cup Final to De La Salle later that year before capturing the Harty title the following season.

The respective centre-backs on that occasion (James Barry – Thurles CBS and Noel McGrath – Our Lady’s Templemore) were part of the Tipperary Senior Hurling team which captured the 2016 All-Ireland title and both players have won All-Star awards in recent years. Other players involved back in 2008 and who have progressed to play Senior with Tipperary include John O’Neill, Kieran Morris, David Butler, Aidan McCormack, Denis Maher and Stephen Maher (Thurles CBS) and Willie Ryan, Shane Bourke and Adrian Ryan (Our Lady’s Templemore).

The path of this year’s teams has seen the schools combine for five games between them with only one of those games a close encounter. This was the meeting of Thurles CBS and Abbey CBS a week before Christmas in a keenly contested Last 16 game which Thurles won by five points. Neither school engineered a goal chance on that occasion and Thurles could have won by more but for an off-day from free-taker Darragh Woods who still contributed 10 points to the Thurles tally.

Up until that game, Thurles CBS had looked impressive in their two previous outings, racking up a total of 8 goals and 42 points against De La Salle College Waterford and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG respectively. Of even more significance perhaps is the Thurles CBS defence which to date has conceded just one goal in three games (a De La Salle penalty). Their second half displays have been most impressive, conceding just 15 second half points in their three games to date. Darragh Woods has been their top scorer to date with 3-28 to his name while at the back, Tipperary Minor All-Ireland winner and Thurles CBS captain Killian O’Dwyer has led by example.

For Our Lady’s Templemore, on paper they have an outstanding team. From last year’s Harty Cup Final defeat to Ardscoil Ris, eight starters remain and these include members of Tipperary’s Minor All-Ireland panel such as Brian McGrath, Paddy Cadell, Lyndon Fairbrother, Jerry Kelly and Diarmuid Ryan. They have learned little from their two games to date, racking up 7 goals and 50 points with the concession of just 1-15 against St. Flannans and Árdscoil Uí Urmaltaigh Bandon respectively. Top scorers to date include Lyndon Fairbrother (0-11, 0-6 frees), Brian McGrath (0-11, 0-4 frees, 0-2 65s) and Ray McCormack who scored 3-1 in their Last 16 game.

With the talent at their disposal, Our Lady’s Templemore would be many people’s favourites to emulate the Templemore CBS team of 1978 and bring back the Dr. Harty Cup to the town for just the second time. To do so however, they will need to get the better of Thurles CBS, winners of this competition just two seasons ago. All in all, this game promises to be a cracker with John McCormack in charge, throw-in at The Ragg is 1:30pm on Wednesday.