Club of the Year
Kilruane MacDonaghs have been named North Tipperary Club of the Year for the first time since 1985. This will be fifth occasion for the club to receive the coveted MacDonagh Trophy. Thanks to all our players, coaches, mentors, officials and supporters for their hard work during 2018. The club will host the Awards Night on Friday, 11th January.
Player of the Year
Congratulations to Justin Cahill who has been selected the 2018 North Tipperary Senior Hurler of the Year. In 2012 Justin picked up the North Tipp U21 Hurler of the Year accolade.
Dinner Dance
Ashley Park House is the venue for the Dinner Dance which will be held on Friday, 18th January at 8.00pm. Guest of Honour will be Sean Kelly MEP former GAA President (2003-2006). The senior hurlers will be presented with their North Tipperary medals. Special guests on the night will be the Kilruane MacDonaghs 1993 U21 hurling team that won the North and County ‘B’ titles. Tickets, costing €50, are now available from Joe Whelan, Mary McLoughney, John Mulcahy, Michael O’Meara, Susan O’Brien, Brian Gaynor and Gilbert Williams.
Adjourned AGM
The Adjourned AGM will take place in the Clubroom on Thursday, 10th January at 8.00pm. Everybody is invited to attend.
Juvenile AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Juvenile Club will be held in the Clubroom on Thursday, 24th
January.
Charity Fundraiser
On Saturday, 22nd December nineteen of our U12 panel attended a coaching session in Nenagh College with Shane McGrath and Jerome Cahill as part of the Four Divisions Charity Fundraiser in aid of Running for Josie and the Amanda Stapleton Benefit Fund. The boys really enjoyed the session with Shane and Jerome.
Ray of Sunshine Foundation
On Thursday, 27th December Niall O’Meara headed out to Mombasa in Kenya to work with the “Ray of Sunshine Foundation.” Niall will return on 7th January.
Engagement
Congratulations to our senior coach Cormac McGrath on his recent engagement to Marie Floyd who is currently teaching in Ardcroney School.
Mikey McDonald RIP
The late Mikey was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1964, the fourth eldest child of Mary Bowe and Hughie McDonald. The same year his family returned to Ireland and settled in Main Street, Cloughjordan. Hughie McDonald was a native of Cornafean, Cavan. Cornafean was the home club of legendary Cavan footballer John Joe Reilly. Hughie brought his love of football to Tipperary and in 1975 he teamed up with another Cavan native Frank Brady and Paddy Quinlan in guiding the Kilruane MacDonaghs senior football team to win the County title.
Mikey played his first game with the MacDonaghs U12s in 1974. Two years later he was goalkeeper on the U14 team, captained by Michael Conway, that overcame Toomevara in the North Rural final.
In 1978 Mikey collected his second divisional U14 medal when he lined out at corner-forward on the team that got the better of Borris-Ileigh in the North final. That side, captained by Jack Darcy, went on the claim the County title and the Harty Shield with a victory over Ballingarry in Semple Stadium. Mikey raised a green flag in both finals. In 1980 he filled the corner-forward spot once more when MacDonaghs, captained by Tommy Byrne, saw off the challenge of Toomevara in the North U16 decider that was played in Roscrea. Mikey reverted to wearing the goalkeeper’s jersey at minor level but his career petered out after that and he moved to Streatham, South London in the mid eighties. In 1998 Mikey returned to Cloughjordan and made his home in Church Road. He was one of the most likeable, roguish and colourful characters in the village and Cloughjordan will be a duller place without his presence.
On Mikey’s final journey to Cloughjordan Church club members formed a guard of honour. To his daughters Melissa and Sinéad, son Daniel, mother Mary, sisters Sheila and Moira, brothers Tommy, Joe and Seamus and extended family sympathy is extended.
Sympathy
The club extends sympathy to Fiona Conroy, Ballinamurra on the death of her father Peter Mulligan, Sallygrove, Nenagh and the Burns family Bricana on the death of Tess Burns.
