Harty Cup Preview – Feb 16th

By Joe Bracken

All eyes this weekend will be focused on MacDonagh Park, Nenagh as Our Lady’s Secondary School Templemore take on Ardscoil Ris at 2pm this Saturday in the Dr. Harty Cup Final.

gaa results

We send best wishes to Our Lady’s for Saturday as they seek to emulate the Templemore team of ’78 and claim the second Harty title for Templemore. Ardscoil Ris with three recent titles under their belt in 2010, ’11 and ’14 will prove stern opposition and it promises to be an intriguing contest. Both sides were made to work hard in their respective semi-finals with Our Lady’s needing extra time to see off DLS Waterford by 2 points while Ardscoil Ris had 1 point to spare over St. Colmans.

Current team manager of Our Lady’s  Noel Fogarty scored two second half goals for Templemore CBS in the 1978 Harty Cup Final, helping them to come from nine points down and defeat St. Flannans by 3-5 to 2-5 in front of 6,500 spectators at Emly. Afterwards, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly Dr. Thomas Morris presented the Harty Cup to Templemore captain Martin Bourke (Clonmore).

With more family connections between the ’78 team and the current side it will be an historic day for Our Lady’s who look to put recent losses in 2000, ’02 and more recently ’13 firmly behind them.

Patrons are advised to come in good time to the Harty Cup Final. There will be no parking in MacDonagh Park GAA grounds other than that for teams and officials. Ample parking is available on the approach roads to the grounds. Patrons are requested to respect neighbours of the ground and local areas and not to obstruct property access gates and roadways.

Patrons should be aware that public car parks in the town centre are free only for the first 2 hours on Saturdays.