Introduction: 

Thurles Sarsfields GAA Club is a hurling and football club catering for ages 16+. The club has seven different teams competing successfully in various grades. It is Tipperary's oldest and most successful club and welcomes youths aged 16+ with the love of Gaelic Games in either a playing or administrative role. 

Please find attached the updated Thurles Sarsfields Club Constitution adopted on December 12th 2022

Sarsfields clubhouse & field are located in Bohernanave, right beside Semple Stadium in Thurles. New development currently taking place at Toor, Killinan, Thurles consisting of 2 new playing pitches at present.

Club Crest - Thro' the Thatch
Source: (This article appeared in the 2005 Mid-Final programme and explains the significance and history of the Thurles crest)

The sportsgear worn by members of Thurles Sarsfields GAA Club has, for some time now, included a crest containing the legend 'Thro' the Thatch' and the words G.A.A., Thurles.

The origin of the legend dates back to the eighteenth century a time when hurling in the mid Tipperary area was flourishing mainly due to its association with the landed gentry. They were openly and actively involved in the hurling as players, team captains, trainers and powerful patrons. The newspapers of the time leave us in no doubt as to the influence of the landlords and the popularity of hurling, with several references to games played at Brittas, Thurles, Galbertstown, Loughmore etc.

Baron Purcell of Loughmore had his own private team with their hurling field beside his castle. in Thurles Lord Matthew, Earl of Llandaff, whose residence was in the town, also had his own celebrated team of hurlers of which he was justifiably proud. In a hurling match between teams of both of these great hurling patrons, one of the most famous of the Thurles team struck the ball with such force that it went clean through the thatch of a nearby cottage and broke several of the kitchen utensils inside. Ever since then 'Thro' the Thatch' has been a rallying cry for many a Thurles team.

As a crest, it was to be seen on the jerseys of the old Thurles "Blues" captained so successfully by Tom Semple in the first decade of the last century. Many supporters also wore a printed cardboard badge similar to the crest. Luckily, a few of these badges have survived to the present day and are treasured memorabilia of that bygone era. 

The principal designer of the crest was Sarsfield's club secretary at that time, J.M. Kennedy. He was Thurles Town Clerk and he later compiled - A Chronology of Thurles (1945).

The Shamrock, with its traditional Christian and Irish symbolism, acts as a background to the crest. G.A.A founder Michael Cusack, who always held Thurles in high regard, added an extra dimension to the significance of the three-leafed shamrock. At the G.A.A foundation meeting in Hayes' Hotel in 1884, he sought to place the new association under the patronage of Archbishop Thomas Croke, Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael Davitt. As Cusack put it: - "Three names, as the three-leafed shamrock, that go to the heart of every true son of the Green Isle".
Recalling the era of the Thurles "Blues" old hands remember that, during a game, whenever the tan (hurling ball) reached the forwards, the cry would go up - "Now lads 'Thro the Thatch'. it was invariably the signal for an all out Thurles onslaught.

Books about Thurles Sarsfields:

Thurles Sarsfields GAA Story, Volume 1, 1884 – 1959 

Thurles Sarsfields GAA Story, Volume 2, 1960 – 2019 

Tom Semple and The Thurles Blues 

Back in 1956/57 Sarsfields achieved a remarkable grand slam of County Hurling Titles – Senior, Junior and Minor, and it was hurlers these squads which formed the base for the club’s Golden Era, when 10 senior hurling titles were won in 11years – a record unequalled by any other Tipperary club.

Among those to emerge from in that time and who were to become  key members of the senior team from the late 50’s right through the successful 60’s were the brothers Patsy and Michael Barton Dorney.

The lads shared in all the championships from 58 through to 65 and also wore the county jersey at minor and junior level. With Patsy winning a Minor All Ireland in 1955.

On the field they will be well remembered for their support for each other—Shouts of - Good Man Barton and - Well Done Patsy were the norm as they played together.

Patsy was a will o the wisp forward, who brought a huge energy to his game in any of the forward positions. In a highly skilled Sarsfields forward line, Patsy stood four square with the best, his pace courage and ability to pick off a score being a vital part of the Sarsfields armoury.  Patsy captained the Sarsfields to County Honours in 65 and has always remained a staunch supporter of the club, keenly following the exploits of his sons and grandsons in the Blue jersey.

His other great sporting passions were greyhound racing and athletics, in both of which he enjoyed great success and recently he was he was honoured with a Credit Union Person of the Year award for his contribution to athletics in the town of Thurles.

However he is first and foremost a Blue and will long be remembered as a hugely influential part of that all conquering team of the fifties and sixties.

Likewise Barton. Barton generally hurled in defence and such was his versatility that he could man any of the six backline spots and do equally well at midfield. Barton was a strong aggressive defender but also a most skilful one, who lined out with the Tipp juniors in 59 and 60.

At a time when club hurling was supreme in Tipperary, Barton played and matched the best. Colleagues remember him as a staunch backman who was never found wanting, when the pressure was on and who could always be relied upon to give 100%.

The Dorney Brothers brought great honour and glory to themselves and Sarsfields in their outstanding careers – Much as did other Bands of Brothers in Blue such as the Keanes, Mahers, Murphys, Doyles and many others down the years.

It is entirely fitting that the club should salute the Dorney Brothers with this presentation tonight.

Hall of Fame 2010 - Tim Walsh

Over the years, Sarsfields have been well-served by non-natives, who came into Thurles and threw in their lot with the club. Paddy McCarthy, Paddy Kenny and Clare’s Michael Murphy immediately spring to mind. Right up there with the very best is Tim Walsh, who joined our club in 1960 and who through the sixties, was a key figure as ‘The Blues’ strode to their second five-in-a-row of county senior hurling titles.

A big man, fearless and skilled with the camán, Tim’s sweeping and forceful play added a vital dimension to the Sarsfields formation that swept all before it, at that time. His many sterling performances at midfield and in attack did not go unnoticed by the Lee and he wore the Rebel Red at the highest level also.

In his time with us, he played some great games, but Sarsfields followers and his team-mates will particularly remember his key role, when pitted against Mick Roche as ‘The Blues’ overcame Carrick Davins in the replay of the 1965 county final. Sarsfields were fortunate to draw with the Roche-inspired Davins in the first meeting in Clonmel. Tim was assigned the task of curbing the Carrick stylist in the replay in Cashel. His domination of the Tipp star that day was everywhere acclaimed, as the key to that memorable Sarsfields victory.

Not surprisingly for a Corkman, Tim was also an accomplished footballer and he helped Thurles Crokes, who featured many of the Sarsfields hurlers, to county senior football honours in 1960 – a prelude to his five Tipperary senior hurling medals in subsequent years.

In appreciation of the enormous contribution he has made to our club, in his years with us, we are very pleased to induct him into our Hall Of Fame, joining the elite group of Sarsfields legends, of whom we are all so proud, and who are such an integral part of our club’s great history.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand and put your hands together, as we salute Tim Walsh.

Tim Walsh
Hall of Fame 2009 – Benny Maher 

Benny Maher comes from a family which has given outstanding service to Thurles Sarsfields. There was no truer "Blue" than his late father, Paddy (Whitehead), whose contribution as a player, selector and club officer was immense. It was no surprise then that Benny and his brothers, Martin (Musha), Paddy (Kinger), Tony, and Noel should follow in his footsteps.

Benny's talents as a defender first came to light on Thurles CBS teams, where he was a key figure on the team which won the Harty Cup in 1956. Sarsfields enjoyed phenomenal success at minor level about that time, with four county titles in a row from 1954-’58, and Benny was hugely involved. The county minor selectors readily recognised his qualities, and he was on the Tipperary team which won the All-Ireland in '56, beating Kilkenny in the final.

The following two years saw him play for the Tipperary juniors, but Cork ensured that no medals were won.

At this time he was also establishing himself in the all-conquering senior Sarsfields side, which won ten county titles from 1955-’65. Benny won an impressive nine county senior medals to add to the county minor and county junior successes of 1956 and ’57, when Sarsfields made a clean sweep of all the county hurling titles.

Benny's hurling qualities, combined with his sting in the tackle, and his great competitive flair, stamped him as one of the outstanding corner backs at club level in the county, for over a decade.

Benny's commitment to Sarsfields epitomises all that is good about club spirit and loyalty, and that interest and dedication has not waned in the intervening years. No one is more worthy to take his place among the greats who have been honoured in Sarsfields Hall of Fame.

Benny Maher

Hall of Fame 2012 - Fr. Ray Reidy

In the 1955-65 period, when Sarsfields dominated Tipperary hurling and boasted some of the greatest names in the game at club and county level, Ray Reidy stood four square with the best.

But Ray’s hurling story starts some years before then, when in 1951 and 52, he was on the Dean Ryan team with Thurles C.B.S. Playing at corner-back; the team lost the ‘51 final but made amends in ‘52, beating Dungarvan in the final.

Ray played County Minor with Tipperary in 1953, ‘54 and ‘55. Won ‘53, Lost ‘54, and Ray captained the winning side in 1955 Minor All Ireland final. He lined out at centre-back in all three years.

On the local scene in those years, Ray won a Minor Hurling County final with Rahealty in 1953. Not so luck with the Harty in Thurles C.B.S. that year, playing at right half back, they lost to St. Flannans  in first round. They lost the Harty final in 1954 with Ray at  centreback  to  old rivals  St. Flannans.

The following season, Ray was Captain of Thurles C.B.S.Harty team, which Limerick C.B.S. beat by one point, in the semi-final, at Nenagh. There was much criticism of the amount of ‘added time’ played by referee Philly Ryan, Borrisoleigh. The winning Limerick goal was scored in the fifteenth minute of ‘added time’. The referee had to be escorted off the field, having been surrounded by angry spectators.

In 1955-Ray transferred to Thurles Sarsfields and found himself on the senior club panel that beat Borrisoleigh in the County Final that year. He was also captain of Thurles Sarsfields minors that won county final. As Ray Reidy was now a student for the priesthood, at St. Patrick’s, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, he was unavailable for selection in the county-final. In his absence, Jimmy Doyle assumed the captaincy of the team.

1956 - Ray was on Tipperary Senior Hurling Panel and on Sarsfields senior Hurling panel and played the early matches in championship.

1957-Ray was on the Tipperary Senior Hurling Panel, and played some games. For Sarsfields, Ray played centre-field in mid Final beside Fr Bobby Harkin and beat Holycross/Ballycahill.In the county final against Na Piarsaigh. Best for Sarsfields were Michael ‘Blackie’ Keane, Tony Wall and Ray Reidy. Ray, now a student at U.C.C., showed great loyalty to Sarsfields by opting to play with Sarsfields rather than U.C.C., who were also contesting the Cork county final that day.

1958-Ray was on the Tipperary Senior Hurling Panel and played some games. He was a substitute on the All Ireland winning team, captained by Tony Wall. Ray had now won his first All Ireland Senior Hurling Medal. He was one of seven Sarsfields players in that Tipperary squad.

Also that year, playing at right half-back beside Tony Wall and Noel Murphy in Mid Final, they beat Moycarkey 4-8 to 1-8. Ray Reidy, Bobby Harkin and Tony Kelly were unavailable for the county-final, as they had returned to college. It was Thurles Sarsfields 21st county title beating Toomevara in Nenagh, 4-11 to 3-3.

1959-Ray was on the Sarsfields team that won the county final against Kilruane McDonagh in Roscrea, 3-12 to 2-6. The half-back line was Michaell Murphy, Ray Reidyand Noel Murphy. Tony Wall played centrefield with Connie Keane. Sarsfields now had five in a row of mid and county titles. Thurles Crokes had been formed. In Senior Football Crokes lost to Loughmore 1-6 to 1-4, with Ray at right half back.

1960-Ray was on the Tipperary Senior Hurling Panel-played some games. Tipp Lost All Ireland to Wexford. Thurles Sarsfields were going for their sixth title in-a-row, but were comprehensively beaten by a determined Toomevara team, by 3-15 to 2-8. Ray among the subs. History was made as Crokes captured their first county title as they triumphed over Clonmel Commercials, by 1-9 to 0-9. Ray played the early championship games.

1961-In the Mid championship Sarsfields showed no signs of decline as they trounced Holycross/ Ballycahill, by 6-19 to 2-7.   Sarsfield‘s success was launched from the half-back line of Ray Reidy and both Noel and Michael Murphy. Thurles Crokes won Mid Final with Ray among the substitutes.

1962-Ray played Senior Football with Crokes. They won the mid final with Ray-centre-forward.

1963- We read on the Tipperary Star: -Fr. Ray Reidy S.P.S. Kiltegan and Mill Road, Thurles, was ordained to the priesthood and went on the missions to Nigeria in September.

Despite his commitment to his priestly studies, which curtailed his availability, Ray’s contribution to that golden era for Sarsfields club was immense. Simply, but aptly described by a contemporary as “a class player” and a stylish wingback, Ray’s reading of the game, and the quality of his striking, were of the highest order. He played with an elegance that was a delight to watch and was widely admired, but when the going got tough he was never found wanting. The Cork Churches Tournaments of that period provided him with the perfect stage to showcase his special talents in epic encounters against the elite of club teams from the great hurling counties.

Had he not answered a higher calling, Ray would undoubtedly have  amassed much more honours at both club and county level.

 Sarsfields are proud to honour Fr Ray with the Hall of Fame Award. It is a fitting recognition of the standing he enjoys in the club and the esteem in which he is held by our members.

Please stand as we salute Fr. Ray Reidy.

L.Ó D

Fr Ray Reidy

Club Person of the Year 2017 - Connie Maher

The name Connie Maher will always be synonymous with Thurles Sarsfields, having hurled across the length and breadth of the county for many years in our famous blue and white jersey.

Although he finished his days in attack, Connie was regarded as one of the finest centre backs in the county for many seasons and his strength and drive singled him out as one of the toughest in the business.

Connie played it hard and tough - but always fair. Perhaps that is why he is so popular with so many players and GAA supporters even outside of the club.

Connie captained the club on many occasions and was an inspiration. He won several awards but the elusive county honour never came his way. Despite having hurled at senior level for almost twenty years, Connie did not manage to get his hands on a county senior medal.

Despite the disappointments, Connie was always the first to return to training and his influence over younger players became very important to Sarsfields in his closing playing days. He was in a position to impart advice to the young guns and they listened intently. Perhaps that is partly why the Dan Breen finally returned to Thurles in 2005 after a 31 year gap.

As a much sought after hurling coach, over the years, Connie has been spreading the hurling gospel at home and abroad. Perhaps Connie’s greatest attributes are his honesty and his sincerity. These are the qualities that make him so popular with colleagues and opponents alike. His excellent disciplinary record as a player illustrates how fair he was on the pitch, and his popularity shows how decent a man he is off it.

Connie Maher’s contribution to this club over the years is up there with the best. He might not have countless county medals, but he has the respect of countless friends and admirers.

Connie is an outstanding Sarsfields man, who takes immense pride in the club’s achievements, and who is never found wanting when there is a job to be done.

His selection as Club Person of the Year is due and fitting recognition for a life-time of commitment to The Blues.

Please stand and salute our Club Person of the Year – Connie Maher

It is right that, as we celebrate this evening, we pay tribute and express our thanks and appreciation to Michael Maher, who stepped down from the position of chairman, a post he held since 2008.

Michael - During your years as club chairman, Thurles Sarsfields have gone from strength to strength, both on and off the field.

Hurling has always been your sporting passion, always to the forefront in your dealings with the club and you have done everything in your power to strengthen the game in the club and success has followed.

Your record speaks for itself:

During your years as chairman Thurles Sarsfields won 17 major championships

1 Munster Club Hurling Championship (2012)

7 County Senior Hurling Championships (2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 + 2017)

6 Under 21 County Championships (part of the management for 4 of these) (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)

2 Junior B County Championships (2010+2017)

1 Minor County Championship (2010)

Off the field, our magnificent new dressing rooms were completed in 2014 and are now a very important addition to the amenities we offer our players. New Bathrooms, Kitchen and other upgrades to the clubhouse completed November 2017.

As you all know, the club has acquired its own playing field for the first time, with the purchase of 14.8 acres of land at Toor Killinan in November 2014.  For years this major undertaking had been spoken of – now it is becoming a reality. Gladly you are staying on to lead this development and with the financial support of club members, supporters and friends we will see the new pitch and facilities providing for the needs of club players, both male and female.

These things don’t happen by accident. You have presided over all these diverse activities and have ensured that everything was done in a proper manner.

As a player, Michael you never gave less than one hundred percent, you never shirked a challenge or was cowed by the immensity of any task.

Hailing from a family, generations of whom have helped make Sarsfields the great club it is today, Michael is not simply following in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestors, but has put his own stamp on this club and its progress, and has carved his own niche in the club’s history.

Thanks to Nora for her support and understanding through all the years. Thanks Michael for your foresight, leadership, and dedication. The club is now well-placed to face the challenges that lie ahead, both on and off the field.

Please stand as we acknowledge the work of our former chairman- Michael Maher

Hall of Fame 2017 - Martin 'Musha' Maher 

Martin ‘Musha’ Maher was destined to be a hurler. His father, Paddy ‘Whitehead’ was a noted player with both Thurles Sarsfields and Tipperary in the 1930s and 40s. He was a man described as having ‘great hands’, which in hurling circles is a very high accolade. This gift he passed on to his sons, particularly Musha, who from an early age showed great hurling promise. Hurling in mid Tipperary in the 1950s wasn’t for the faint hearted, as the age-old keen rivalry among the clubs was tested on an annual basis. This was when Musha Maher was coming into his own, as a star forward in Sarsfields blue. Both club and county profited handsomely from his uncanny skill of being in the right place at the right time to shoot a vital score. 

Musha was on the winning Tipperary National Hurling League team in 1957 and the following year, 1958, an All-Ireland senior medal came his way. The mid and county titles followed and by the time he retired in the autumn of 1964, he had amassed an impressive ten mid and nine county hurling medals. In 1961, Musha captained Sarsfields to mid and county success. Factory league competitions with his work colleagues at Thurles Sugar Factory were also won as were several tournaments with Sarsfields, particularly the Cork Churches Tournaments of the late fifties.

The big ball was no stranger to Musha who revelled in the advent of Thurles Crokes winning mid senior football titles in 1960, ’61 and ’62 and that unique county title in 1960.

When his playing days were over, Musha still found time for his club as a team selector for several years and as a committee member for decades. It was no wonder that, when the position of club president became vacant on the death of Musha’s great friend, Mickey ‘The Rattler’ Byrne that it was Musha was given the honour he now holds as President of Thurles Sarsfields.

For the many supporters attending matches, Musha is still a familiar face as a gate checker for years with Munster Council, mid and county Tipperary Boards. Musha is always very popular at social gatherings, where his singing talent uplifts many a celebration.

Musha’s wife, Teresa, is an avid hurling supporter, who will, no doubt, be thrilled that Musha’s contribution to the GAA has been recognised and honoured, as he is inducted into the Mid Tipperary Hall of Fame.

LÓD

Hall of Fame 2018 - Paddy Doyle

Since the inception of the Hall of Fame award, many Sarsfields men have been honoured for their contribution to the club and county, particularly as players, but this year’s recipient, Paddy Doyle, has done so over such a wide range of activities that his selection is a particularly apt choice.

Given his family background and the involvement in the life of the club of his late father, Gerry, his uncles Tommy, Mikey, and Danny, and his brother, Jimmy, it was inevitable that Paddy would follow in their footsteps. Paddy’s prowess as a teenager saw him play for Tipperary minors for three years, winning two All-Ireland medals in 57 and 59 and he was also on the Tipperary minor football team in 1959.He won county minor hurling honours with the club in 1957. His elevation to the great club senior hurling ream of the latter half of the sixties followed with the first of his seven county senior hurling medals won in 1959. Five more followed from 61 to 65 as the club equalled its own record of five county senior titles in a row. Paddy was still a key figure when the club next triumphed in the Dan Breen Cup in 1974 – this time as a defender, having previously operated in attack.

He won an All-Ireland senior hurling medal in 1965 and travelled to the United States with that team. Paddy had all the attributes of a top-class player, and while he will be best remembered as a speedy, skilful, free-scoring forward in the great team of the sixties, he was equally at home at half-back, starring in the number six shirt in the ‘74 win over Silvermines, a versatility which reflected his wonderful natural talent for the game. Paddy always had a “grá” for football and won a county senior football championship with Thurles Crokes in 1960, the only time the title came to Thurles. Going on from that he captained Tipperary in the Munster senior football championship in 1961, a slip of a lad at nineteen years of age – probably the only Thurles man to do so, which in itself  is a significant achievement.

His playing career over, Paddy continued to immerse himself in the life of the club and took charge of the club’s senior hurlers that reached the county final on a number of occasions. The success he longed for with the club eluded him but in 1984 he steered Moycarkey-Borris to county and provincial honours and three years later he went one better as he led Borris/Ileigh to county, Munster and All-Ireland club titles. His talent was also in big demand at inter-county level and he managed the Tipperary team which reached the 1987 All-Ireland minor hurling final. In the early 90s, he was in charge of the Laois team that won division two of the National Hurling League. He was also a driving force in the revival of camogie in town in the sixties and early seventies when the club won several county and provincial honours and were narrowly beaten in the All-Ireland final in 1971.

Paddy also gave generously of his time to club administration and under his chairmanship the club’s social centre here opened in 1978, a hugely significant event in the history of the club which benefitted immensely from the enthusiasm and leadership he provided to bring it to fruition. He is currently Vice-President of the club.

Outside of GAA matters Paddy was a top-class Badminton player who along with his brother, the late Jimmy, and team-mates in the Thurles Badminton club were regarded as one of the top outfits in the country in their time, with a litany of county, provincial and national titles to their credit. In all of these activities Paddy’s commitment was never less than one hundred percent and it can safely be said that he has few, if any, equals in terms of long and distinguished service to the club – a service that continues to this day. We salute him and thank him for his outstanding contribution and loyalty to Sarsfields and congratulate him on joining the ranks of the other “great’s” in the club’s Hall of Fame.

Club History 

Thurles has had a tradition of hurling as far back as the early half of the 18th century when an early patron of the town, Lord Matthew, Earl of Llandaff, had his own private team. Games were played between competing Earls of the time with Thurles noted for being a strong outfit. This may give an indication to the success of Thurles Sarsfields since its foundation.

With the foundation of the GAA in 1884, Gaelic Games were accorded an organisation and a focal point in the town of Thurles. As with many clubs in Tipperary at the time, records do not reveal the exact date and location of the foundation of the club, but tradition gives the year of its inception sometime around 1885. It is thought the club is a descendant of a football club called "Thurles St. Patrick's". Certainly, the Cashel Sentinel lists Thurles as being affiliated to the GAA in 1885, with Hugh Ryan, James Butler and Denis Maher elected as the first president, secretary and treasurer of the club.

The first major contribution of the club was to organise the famous Gaelic Tournament on Easter Sunday, 1886. This was a red letter day for Thurles and it marked an epoch in the history of the GAA. The town had been given the honour of bringing forth the Association in 1884, and Easter Sunday, 1886 was the day of its baptism. The tournament organising committee was Hugh Ryan, Andy Callanan, Denis Maher, James Stapleton, John Gleeson and James Butler, all officers of the Thurles club and all names found around the club to this day. The following clubs took part:

Hurling: Metropolitans, Dublin v. Holycross; Moycarkey v. Nenagh.

Football: Faughs v. Two-Mile-Borris; Bray v. Thurles; Kingstown v. Templemore; Davitt's v. Central Tipperary.

The fact that the club fielded a team in the football tournament only, gives credence to the belief that Sarsfields were originally formed as a football club, changing in 1887 to hurling. The reason for the switch of codes? Jim Maher (part of the Killinan dynasty of Mahers and whose nephew John captained the 1945 All-Ireland winning Tipperary team) tells Raymond Smith in "Decades of Glory", that when Thurles played Loughmore in 1886 at football in Templemore, J.K. Bracken (one of the seven present for the founding of the G.A.A. in Hayes's Hotel) was on horseback trying to keep the huge crowds off the field. Thurles were pressing hard for a winner late in the game when a certain goal came back off the flank of Bracken's horse, who had ridden across the goalmouth. The Loughmore backs cleared the rebound and won the game. "Thurles were so fed up at this stroke of ill luck", recounted Jim Maher "that they came away from Templemore vowing that they would put all their efforts into hurling after that"

In the early 1900's the club became known as the "Thurles Blues", but it was in their original colours of green and gold that it had the honour of winning the first county championship in 1887 (see team photo below). Teams consisted of twenty-one players and Thurles under the captaincy of Denis Maher defeated a North selection in the final by the rather dull sounding scoreline of 0-3 to 0-0. The club then represented Tipperary in the All-Ireland series and had the unique distinction of winning the first All-Ireland senior hurling final by beating Meelick of Galway by 1 goal, 1 point and 1 forfeit point (a forfeit point was given if a defender's clearance went straight out over the sideline) to no score.Jim Stapleton, from Bohernamona Road, was captain of the team for the final;The teams powerful play helping to see off Clare's Smith O'Brien's and Kilkenny's Tullaroan in the semi-final. In the final itself, Coolcroo's Tommy Healy struck the winning goal set up by captain Stapleton and so Tipperary had title number one.

Seventeen years were to pass before the club regained the county championship. This was partly due to a Parnellite split in Ireland, which meant there was no championship hurling played for three years, but the main reason Thurles were kept off the county roll of honour was the dominance of the legendary Tubberadora team of the 1890's. During these seventeen years, Thurles were to suffer a couple of bad defeats. In the county final of 1894 Drombane beat Thurles by 4-4 to no score and worse was to follow when they made it back to a final of 1901 where they were thrashed 7-11 to 0-1 by a strong Ballytarsna outfit.

Sometime during these intervening years the club adopted the colours of blue and white and became better known as the "Blues". Tom Semple was installed as captain for the 1904 campaign and the club went about redressing and reversing their fortunes on the field. They won back the championship in 1904 by defeating Lahorna De Wets (a team representing the parish of Cloughjordan and later to be renamed Kilruane MacDonaghs) by five points. Thurles had the upper-hand on De Wets at this period in time, and faced them in county finals of 1906 and 1907, running out convincing winners in both games. Thurles defeated Racecourse/Grangemockler in 1909 by double scores and trounced Toomevara by fourteen points in 1911 to cap an exceptional run.

Semple was the focal point of the team and his influence can't be emphasised enough. In eight years, he led Thurles to a phenomenal six county titles , three Munster titles and two All-Ireland titles. He was a leader in the real sense of the word and dragged the club up to his high standards using innovative tactics and training methods. The team favoured a ground hurling style and worked hard to perfect it. Jack Mockler (back row extreme right in the photo above) recounts how training under Semple involved the players lining up outside the Confraternity Hall, marching out to the Ragg, back in again to spend an hour or two skipping, some work on the punch-ball and then a practice match. It certainly puts Ger Loughnane's training of the Clare hurlers on the Hill of Crusheen in the ha'penny place! Semple also led the line well using his huge strength and strong ground stroke off either side to good effect. He was handy with the ball in hand too. He won the 1906 All-Ireland long-puck championship, hitting a 9oz ball (twice the weight of a modern day sliotar, see photo below) 96 yards.

 

Semple's Blues, in large part back-boned by his own clubmates but with a sprinkling of Moycarkey and Jockey players, won the All-Ireland championships of 1906 (defeating Faughs of Dublin) and 1908 (defeating Kickhams of Dublin). In Munster, the Blues biggest rivals were Dungourney of Cork, with the 1909 Munster Final perhaps the pick of the matches between them. In an epic, Thurles were trailing 1-2 to 2-6 well into the second half with a bloodied Semple off the field getting treatment for a nasty cut on the head. As was the tradition of the day, the Cork fans present were letting off pigeons to signal the near-certain win. They were in for a shock! A bloodied and bandaged Semple returned to the play and dragged the "Old Blues" back into the game near single-handedly. Thurles laid siege to the Cork goal scoring 1-8 to win an incredible match 2-10 to 2-6. They came unstuck in the All-Ireland final against Mooncoin of Kilkenny when a near-waterlogged pitch didn't suit the Blues ground hurling style.

The team of this era was truly an exceptional one and Tom Semple, although born a Drombane man, came to symbolise the Old Blues hurling team and Thurles Town in general. In recognition of his exploits on the hurling field and his contribution to the G.A.A as an administrator at all levels from club through to national level, Thurles Sportsfield was renamed Semple Stadium in his honour in 1971 (see programme below).

After 1912 the club entered the first lean period of its history. The Blues were out of the county honours list until 1929 and in that time won just two Mid titles in 1915 and 1925. Although competitive, they came up against another strong Boherlahan (previously called Tubberadora) side, who won six Mid titles in seven years during the 1910's, led by the original Johnny Leahy. Wider political events like the 1916 Rising and War of Independence unsettled the playing of hurling in Thurles and Tipperary, with no Mid championship played in 1921 for example. A Thurles/Moycarkey outfit did land a Mid title in 1920 however.

1929 - 1946: A great rivalry with Moycarkey!

In 1929, Sarsfields, under the captaincy of Jack Stapleton, ended an eighteen year wait to win the county title for the first time since 1911.John Joe Callanan (already an All-Ireland medal winner with Dublin in 1920) captained Tipperary to the 1930 All-Ireland, beating Dublin in the final 2-7 to 1-3, with John-Joe scoring 1-1 from corner-forward. Alongside him was the great Martin Kennedy of Toomevara, and later Kildangan, who matched John Joe's scoring exploits on the day. Sarsfields had seven players on the starting team with another Tom Butler on the substitutes bench.

Indeed, this was Tipperary's Triple Crown Year, with wins in the Junior and Minor Finals also. Sarsfields players were prominent in all panels with — Junior: (2) M. McGann and Timmy Connolly; Minor: (6) Jack Russell (captain), John Lanigan, Johnny Semple, T. Semple, G. Heaphy, L. Bourke; Senior: (8)J. J. Callanan (captain), Tommy Butler, Jimmy O'Loughlin, Michael Maher, John Maher, Jim Lanigan, Mick Ryan and Jimmy Harney.

Still, with all the talent available to the club, it meant very little in real terms as they came up against an exceptional Moycarkey-Borris outfit, who won five Mid-titles in-a-row between 1930 and 1934. Unlike Boherlahan in the 1910's, Moycarkey seemed to bring the best out in Thurles Sarsfields, and they regrouped to topple the might of the red and green.

There were other barriers though. The structure of GAA in Thurles had begun to change in 1934. Wrensboro Kickhams (earlier known as the Black & Ambers in Thurles and based at the Well Lane field on Mitchell Street in the early 1900's and later to be renamed Thurles Kickhams) were officially formed in 1934, weakening Sarsfields with no less than forty-one(!) players transferring "across the river" - the River Suir acted as a natural geographical divider in Thurles then, with the Kickhams representing the east of the town for many.

Nevertheless, Sarsfields shrugged off this blow and won the 1935 county title against the odds, ironically defeating the Kickhams in the Mid-Final after a replay, in front of a huge crowd in Boherlahan. Many people travelled from neighbouring parishes to see these matches, such was the novelty of two teams from the same town playing against one another. It also illustrates the strength of hurling in the town and the pull it had on the people of the town. Tommy Doyle describes in his book how the town was virtually deserted for both games, as people travelled out to the matches any way they could. Sarsfields were that bit sharper in the replay and won through. In the county semi-final Newport were beaten 7-7 to no score and a Jim Lanigan inspired Sarsfields thrashed Carrick Swans 6-5 to 0-2 in the final.

Sarsfields won the 1936 county title easily enough, defeating Roscrea 2-10 to 0-3. In 1937 though there was a huge shock when Wrensboro Kickhams, in perhaps their finest hour, defeated a Thurles Sarsfields team looking for a county three-in-a-row, by 3-9 to 0-2 with both Sarsfields scores coming from frees! This defeat prompted a lot of soul searching amongst Sarsfields people of the time. Returning from the 1937 Munster Final, Jim Lanigan asked Tommy Doyle if he would consider switching allegiance and play for the Blues. Doyle promised to "change horse mid-stream", so to speak for the 1938 campaign along with his highly-rated brothers Gerry and Danny.

It was a brave move, as the town was divided along fairly strong lines at the time. You were a "Blue" or a "Wren". It proved a wise move as the addition of such high calibre players seemed to do the trick for Sarsfields, as they destroyed all-comers in the next two years. In 1938 Moycarkey were beaten 7-3 to 2-6 in the Mid-Final and Kildangan were overwhelmed 7-7 to 2-2 in the county final.

In the quest for county honours, the club were again victorious in 1939 (see team photo below) against a dogged Cashel in the final. Jim Lanigan captained the side as he had done in '35, '36 & '38 and captained Tipperary to All-Ireland honours in 1937. In perhaps Tipperary's finest hour, they annihilated Kilkenny 3-11 to 0-3 in Killarney.

Sarsfields, county champions 1939.

After a three year wait, the club were county champions again in 1942, with Lanigan captaining the side to county honours for a fifth time. Sars destroyed Killenaule in the 1942 final by 8-5 to 0-1, after overcoming Moyne-Templetuohy in the Mid-Final. 

Sarsfields then completed the second three-in-a-row in its history between 1944 and 1946, (the first was completed between 1906 and 1908) to notch the club's sixteenth county title in total. The 1944 final was a particularly bad-tempered one with Kilruane finishing the game with 10 players after a goalmouth melee ensued involving players and spectators. The game was held up while the pitch was cleared and then awarded to Sarsfields by the referee when Kilruane couldn't field a full team. Roscrea were defeated in 1945 in less controversial circumstances after a replay, and Carrick Swans were thumped 4-5 to 0-3 in the 1946 final. On the national stage, John Maher of Killinan captained Tipperary's All-Ireland winning team in 1945 (see photo below).

1929 to 1946 was a productive period for Sarsfields with the team winning nine Mid titles and nine county titles. It was certainly a good conversion rate on Mid titles in the county series! Mid hurling was probably at its strongest between 1929 and 1946 than at any other time in its history, as along with Sars' nine county titles, Moycarkey won six, and Boherlahan one. Out of the eighteen county titles on offer, a Mid team had won sixteen of them. Competition was ferocious in the division, with some huge battles between Sarsfields and Moycarkey in particular, the winner normally going on to become county champions.

1950-1975 A Golden era

In 1949, the Thurles Fennellys club was formed in Bohernanave, at a time when there was an abundance of hurlers in Thurles. Hurling was at its peak in the town with all three clubs competitive to varying degrees. Indeed, Fennelly's Larry Keane and Jimmy Moloney won minor All-Ireland medals that year with Tipperary, while Connie Keane and Paddy Brolan were selected on the Tipperary junior team. After a dispute in 1950 however, there was a mass exodus from the club with most players transferring to Sarsfields, and the Keane brothers, like the Doyles before them in 1938, went on to star for the Blues in key positions in the years that followed.

In 1952, Tommy Doyle captained Sarsfields to victory in the county final over a strong Borris-lleigh team, winning 5-6 to 2-8 in Nenagh, before 15,000 spectators. 1952 also saw the introduction of Tony Wall to the senior grade at club level, while he also captained the Tipperary minor team to All-Ireland success that year.

1955 heralded in a really dominant and golden era in Sarsfields history, with the club going on to win ten county titles in eleven years. A very strong Sarsfields team, captained by Mickey Byrne (now in his 15th year playing for Sarsfields), signalled their intent for the years ahead by thrashing Borris-lleigh 4-10 to 0-6 in the 1955 final. This was no scratch Borris-lleigh side with the likes of Jimmy Finn, Liam Devaney, Ned Ryan, Tim Ryan, Philly Ryan and Phil Kenny playing for the Maroon and Whites. All had been part of Tipp's three-in-a-row team between '49 and '51, and had been on Borris-lleigh teams that had won five North titles in six years between 1950 and 1955, along with county titles in '49, '50 and '53. There could have been yet more silverware for Sarsfields, but owing to a dispute over expenses with the Mid board, the club didn't take part in the 1954 championship!

1956 saw the club win an incredible "Triple Crown" of senior, junior and minor county titles. The '56 team (see below) defeated Lorrha in the final by 3-8 to 1-4, to claim title number nineteen. It's interesting to note that Toomevara decided to field a team at senior in '56 after failing to do so for a number of years as they were to end Sarsfields' winning streak in county finals in 1960. Jimmy Doyle, winner of six All-Ireland senior medals, created a record in 1956 when in one week he won four championships: Sunday, 23rd September, All-Ireland minor; Wednesday, 26th September, mid Tipperary minor; Sunday, 30th September, county minor and county senior championship.

Sarsfields, county champions 1956

Senior and minor county titles were won in 1957, the seniors beating a southern "combo" called Na Piarsaigh, 4-14 to 4-4 and another double was added in 1958, with a 4-11 to 3-3 win over Toomevara. As with a lot of wins around this time, opponents were neck and neck with Sars going into the final quarter, but a supremely confident team, full of self-belief pulled away and obliterated the challenge put up to them nearly every time. A club treble was missed out on in '58 when Sars minors were beaten in the county final by Roscrea.

In the 1959 county final, Kilruane were on level terms with about ten minutes left, but ended up beaten by nine points for Sarsfields to claim a five-in-a-row, the first Tipperary club to do so (see team photo below). Sars were denied a six-in-a-row when beaten by Toomevara in the 1960 decider, but there was some consolation when most of the players (Sean McLoughlin, the Keane and Doyle brothers plus Michael McElgunn among them) on the losing hurling side, had the honour of bringing the one and only county senior football title to the town with Thurles Crokes.

Many thought the 1960 defeat would be the end of the road for this team, instead it made them more determined to keep on winning. Another five-in-a-row was done between 1961 and 1965. In the years from 1954-1965 the club had won ten senior county championships, four county minor championships and three county junior championships, a record unrivalled in the county and very unlikely to be repeated by any club.

In 1961, Sarsfields needed a replay to get past Borrisokane in the county semi-final, and were set fair to gain revenge against Toomevara in the final, but the match was overshadowed by the death of Toome's Gerry Hough. Sarsfields (see team photo below) ran out four point winners in front of a somewhat muted crowd in Templemore.

1962 was a game that bore a lot of resemblance to the 2005 county final, as there was an all Mid pairing in the county final when Sarsfields met Moycarkey. It was a dour and tense affair much like the 2005 equivalent, where Sars eked out a one point win over the Moycarkey men, on a scoreline of 1-7 to 1-6.

1963 saw Sarsfields win their ninth straight Mid title with a win over Moycarkey, and they went on to defeat a coming Roscrea in the county final. On the 1963 team, Sarsfields had three sets of brothers; Michael and Noel Murphy, Jimmy and Paddy Doyle and Michael and Larry Keane. The team went on to make it ten Mid titles in-a-row the following year and pulled out all the stops in the county final to hammer Holycross, 5-13 to 1-4, with a supreme display of hurling. In 1965, the team's long run of Mid titles came to an end when Moycarkey got the better of the Blues after a replay but Sars regrouped and came through the backdoor to get to the county final, where they held Carrick Swans to a draw after a tired display. There was a sting in the tail however, when the Swans were blitzed 3-10 to 0-7 in the replay.

In this golden era for Thurles hurling, Ray Reidy captained the Tipperary minor All-Ireland team of 1955; Tony Wall the senior All-Ireland team in 1958 along with the 1952 minors; Jimmy Doyle did so in 1962 and 1965 and Michael Murphy had the honour in 1964. The "ten in eleven" team were blessed with leaders up the spine of the team and had many players well used to winning on the national stage which stood to them in moments of crisis.

Many believe the Tipperary team of the late '50's, early '60's was the best there ever was. Current Waterford manager, and 1966 Hurler of the Year Justin McCarthy says in his book "Hooked", "That Tipp team were as much a machine as the great Kerry football team of Sheehy, O'Shea and Spillane ever were. They too seemed relentless, invincible, overwhelming. That Tipp team of the 60's was the best i've ever seen". On that great Tipp team, you had regulars in Tony Wall, Jimmy Doyle and Sean McLoughlin from Sarsfields with other Blues, like Paddy Doyle, along with brothers Noel and Michael Murphy appearing occasionally in a very competitive hurling set up. Unquestionably, other Sarsfields players would have made the breakthrough onto the county team in any other era except this one. Eight-time All-Ireland medal winner, John Doyle, alluded to this in an interview with the Sunday Tribune's Enda McEvoy, in January 2005,

"The late Noel Murphy (see photo above) of Thurles Sarsfields he nominates as a player who’d have made a name for himself anywhere else had he not had the misfortune to emerge in the right county at the wrong time."

1965 brought down the curtain on the golden era and what an era it had been! It was also the end of the road for one of the club's most loyal players, Mickey "Rattler" Byrne, who had contributed no less than twenty-three years of his life playing for Sarsfields, and who from 1942 to 1965 won fourteen senior county championship medals, a record unequalled to this day.

Mickey is Thurles Sarsfields to the bone, and is still a huge figure at the club and a constant reminder of the high standards the club has set itself.

As when the first Gaelic tournament was hosted by Thurles on Easter Sunday 1886, the town was afforded the privilege of hosting the first Féile na nGael in 1971 (see photo below). This competition has gone from strength to strength with Thurles hosting the competition on a number of occasions since.

Back on the hurling fields of Tipperary, other clubs like Roscrea were building gradually to take on Sarsfields' mantle of top-dog in the county. Roscrea had already won a six-in-a-row of minor titles between 1958 and 1963, and along with Carrick-on-Suir and Moyne, they held the county senior title between them from 1966 to 1973. Sars landed Mid titles in '68 & '69 and were beaten by Roscrea in a close game in the 1970 county final. There was no shame in the defeat as Roscrea went on to win the All-Ireland club title that year and were in the middle of winning five county titles in six years. Sarsfields regained the county title in 1974 (see photo below) by beating Silvermines in the final by 3-6 to 1-10 with Jimmy Doyle captaining the side in the twilight of his career. The club had won a minor county final the previous year against Cashel, and a number of that panel featured in 1974.

The Lean Years 1975 - late 90's

It is difficult to pinpoint why the fortunes of the club slumped over the next number of years, maybe it was inevitable that the unprecedented success could not continue, maybe social changes were felt that bit more keenly in a town like Thurles, thus making it more difficult to interest young people in hurling. Whatever the exact reasons the club had to wait thirty-one years to lift the Dan Breen cup again. 

When GAA President Con Murphy opened the club social centre, Áras Na Sáirséalach in 1977 however, it didn't feel as if the club was regressing. From that year on, all monthly meetings and annual conventions for the Tipperary County Board were held on the premises, with the bar not only became a focal point for club members and local people in Thurles, but also for GAA supporters country-wide on major Provincial and National match days. 

In the GAA's centenary year of 1984, the clubhouse hosted many functions and Semple Stadium next door hosted the Centenary All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Offaly in recognition of Thurles' place in the GAA community. Many club members played vital roles in the running of the occasion and continue to do so at Ireland's premier hurling venue.

1977 also saw Michael Gleeson represent Tipperary at corner-back on the team that lost to Clare after a replay in the Munster Championship. Current Tipperary selector Tom Barry (see photo below) played wing-back on the 1981 team that lost to Limerick, but both club and county were going through lean spells on the field, particularly Sars who were beaten in the 1979 county final by Kilruane. It looked promising earlier in the year, after Sarsfields destroyed Moycarkey 2-20 to 1-1 in the Mid final, but a strong finish by the Kilruane men in the county final deprived Sarsfields of a county crown. 

In the GAA's centenary year of 1984, the clubhouse hosted many functions and Semple Stadium next door hosted the Centenary All-Ireland hurling final between Cork and Offaly in recognition of Thurles' place in the GAA community. Many club members played vital roles in the running of the occasion and continue to do so at Ireland's premier hurling venue.

977 also saw Michael Gleeson represent Tipperary at corner-back on the team that lost to Clare after a replay in the Munster Championship. Current Tipperary selector Tom Barry (see photo below) played wing-back on the 1981 team that lost to Limerick, but both club and county were going through lean spells on the field, particularly Sars who were beaten in the 1979 county final by Kilruane. It looked promising earlier in the year, after Sarsfields destroyed Moycarkey 2-20 to 1-1 in the Mid final, but a strong finish by the Kilruane men in the county final deprived Sarsfields of a county crown.

 The formation of Dúrlas Óg in 1979 to cater for all juvenile players in the town was a major step in the right direction for Thurles GAA. It filled a void in the town and was a badly needed step to interest young people in hurling again. This great club soon got into its stride, culminating in a Féile na nGael title in 1990, along with ten U-16 county titles in hurling between 1986 and 2005. This sort of underage success was sure to reap reward down the line as far as Sarsfields were concerned, and indeed it did, when three (Gary Mernagh, Pat Lawlor and Johnny Enright) of the 1990 Féile winning team were represented on the 2005 Sarsfields county winning side.A Mid title was added in 1980 but the Sarsfields challenge was faltering as the quality of player that the club had been able to call on for near on ninety years, just wasn't there anymore. Instead, between 1981 and 1993 Moycarkey, Drom, Loughmore and Holycross dominated in the Mid Championship with the Blues out in the cold. When the Tipperary senior team did make the breakthrough in 1987, winning five Munster and two All-Ireland titles between 1987 and 1993, the rising tide of Tipp hurling didn't lift the Sarsfields boat with it.

The 80's Era

The 1980s, while a relatively lean time for the club at senior level, nevertheless saw minor hurling success in 1985, with the same group of players winning the U-21 county crown in 1988, a first for the club. The junior hurling title was also added in 1987 along with numerous Mid titles.

Sprouts of regeneration were beginning to appear here and there. Sarsfields bridged a thirteen year gap by winning the 1993 Mid-final and repeated the win in 1996 with Jim Moloney captaining the side. Brendan Carroll represented Tipperary at left-half back in 1995, 1996 and 1997, bridging the fourteen year gap to our last representative Tom Barry in 1981.

Regeneration of the 90's

The late 1990s and early part of the new millennium has seen a regeneration of the clubs on-field fortunes. In 2000 the club landed the Mid title (see photo below) but fell to Toomevara in the final who were by far the most dominant team in the county over the previous decade.

Eddie Enright became the club's first All Star (under the new All-Star system, first begun in 1971) in 2001 winning his spot at midfield alongside Toomevara's Tommy Dunne. Larry Corbett also represented the club at half-forward and corner-forward throughout the victorious 2001 Inter-County campaign, landing both Munster and All-Ireland titles in a blemish free year in all competitions for the Premier men.

 

At club level, a three-in-a-row of minor county championships was done between 1999 and 2001 followed by an U-21 County crown in 2002. County senior final defeats between 2000 and 2003 slightly dented the notion that Thurles Sarsfields stood on the threshold of a very bright future but one felt that all that was needed was a change of fortune.

Backboned by a very young senior hurling team and hugely supported by the creation of a productive sponsorship deal with Dew Valley Foods (sponsoring the club generously since 2003), Thurles Sarsfields finally achieved their quest for glory in 2005 with Dan Breen returning home in the hands of Ger “Redser” O’Grady. Sarsfields also made a first foray since 1974 into the AIB Munster Club Championship, bowing out at the semi-final stage to Newtownshandrum.

With exciting redevelopment plans in the pipeline for the club, that includes new pitches, a ball alley, new dressing rooms, bar facilities etc, the club seems to be going from strength-to-strength in its bid to become Tipperary's premier club again. Hopefully victory in the 2005 county final will only be start of another successful chapter for the club as it tries to maintain the high standards set over the past 121 years of its existence.