Tipperary Senior Football Championship

For information on the hurling equivalent see: Tipperary Senior Club Hurling ChampionshipInfobox GAA championship main


name=Tipperary Senior Football Championship
first= 1886
firstwin= Templemore
sponsors= Enfer
irish=Comórtas Péil Sínsear Thiobráid Árainn
current=Moyle Rovers
currentordinal=6
super=
most=Fethard
mostordinal=20

The Tipperary Senior Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the top Tipperary Clubs. The winners of the Tipperary Championship winners qualify to represent their county in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship and in turn, advance to the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. Over the decades, the championship has been dominated by teams from South Tipperary, though Loughmore-Castleiney from Mid Tipperary strongly challenge in most seasons and were champions in 2004. Kilruane McDonaghs were the last North Tipperary team to be victorious in 1975, while teams from West Tipperary have also figured in the honours list, including Aherlow who won their first championship in 2006. Other teams from the West to have won the championship are Galtee Rovers, who were last victorious in 1980/81, and Arravale Rovers, champions in 1985. The latter have been promoted from Intermediate level for 2008, thus providing Tipperary Town with a senior team once again, a welcome development for such a town steeped in the ancient history of the game. Alas, the game's administrators are struggling in Clonmel to keep abreast of population growth where the town has about 20,000 people, yet boasts just one senior club, Commercials with Moyle Rovers located in the outer suburban fringe.

Over the years, prominent senior football Clubs include Fethard, Clonmel Commercials, Moyle Rovers, Ardfinnan, Grangemockler, Kilsheelan and Cahir from South Tipperary. West County teams who are consistent participants in the championship are Aherlow, Arravale Rovers and Galtee Rovers while in most years, Loughmore-Castleiney almost unfailingly represent mid Tipperary while Templemore represented by J.K. Brackens and Templetuohy-Moyne also occasionally compete. The most successful teams to date have been Fethard and Commercials, though in recent years, Moyle Rovers have been to the fore with a number of wins. The champions in 2005 were Ardfinnan who made a winning return to the roll of honour after an absence of 31 years, while 2006 will be recorded as a notable year in West Tipperary when their divisional champions, Aherlow lifted the laurels for the first time and brought the title to the storied glen. The old order was restored in 2007, when Moyle Rovers triumphed once again.

Roll of Honour

North Tipperary

While there is currently no senior divisional championship, an occasional presence is maintained in the county championship by one or two teams, often representing an amalgamation of junior clubs who play in the divisional junior championship. Best known teams from the past have been Inane Rovers from Roscrea, St. Flannan's and Kilruane McDonagh, the latter two having won the county championship on one occasion each.

Mid Tipperary

The Mid Tipperary Championship will be contested by three teams in 2007:J.K. Brackens, Loughmore-Castleiney and Moyne-Templetuohy. The following is a list of winners of the Mid-Tipperary Football Championship.

West Tipperary

The West Tipperary Championship was contested by four teams in 2008: Aherlow, Éire Óg Anacarty, Galtee Rovers and Arravale Rovers with Galtee Rovers winning their 24th title to consolidate their place at the top of the roll of honour which they have maintained since the inaugural year of he championship in 1947. The championship is a knockout competition with the winners advancing to the quarter final of the County Championship. The following is the list of winners of the West Tipperary Senior Football Championship since the inauguration of the championship in 1947:

Galtee Rovers: (24) - 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008.

Lattin-Cullen: (10) - 1958, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1994.

Arravale Rovers: (8) - 1948, 1955, 1972, 1973, 1981, 1984, 1992, 1993.

Solohead: (4) - 1956, 1957, 1970, 1977.

Golden-Kilfeacle: (4) - 1986, 1988, 1995, 1996.

Emly: (3) - 1959, 1960, 1987.

Aherlow: (4) - 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007

Cappawhite: (1) - 1978.

Cashel King Cormacs: (1) - 1990.

Knockavilla Kickhams: (1) - 1998.

St. Ailbe's ( Aherlow/Emly): (1) - 1968.

Golden-Rockwell (Golden/Kilfeacle & Rockwell Rovers): (1) - 1980.

South Tipperary

The South Tipperary Championship is contested by nine teams: Ardfinnan, Cahir, Carrick Swans, Clonmel Commercials, Fethard, Grangemockler, Killenaule, Moyle Rovers and Mullinahone.The championship is a 'knockout' competition.

External links

* [http://tipperary.gaa.ie/ Official Tipperary Website]
* [http://www.hoganstand.com/Tipperary Tipperary on Hoganstand]
* [http://www.clubgaa.ie/tipperary/index.htm Tipperary Club GAA]