Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club Notes:

Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club Notes:

51 teams completed the course in the 16th annual Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club King of the Hill Road hurling challenge in dry cold conditions on St. Stephen’s Day.

Adult competition winners were the team of Jack Mulqueen, his father Shane and Jack Giltinane.

Family section – first cousins Darragh Casey, Alex Condron and Paudie McKenna won the twelfth annual family section.

Thank you to all 51 teams who completed the course, our hosts Seamus and Janet Twomey and family of the Rock Bar, Granagh.

Thank you also to John Carroll of Laochra Sports Gear for their kind sponsorship, co-ordinator Niall Carroll, Saoirse O’Sullivan for taking photos and David Condron and all the other volunteers who helped on the day. The total amount raised was over €1,500 which goes towards the club’s training fund.

Any Granagh/Ballingarry player wishing to be regraded from Intermediate to Junior B Hurling for 2026 should contact club secretary John Lynch on 087 2912356 as soon as possible as forms must be returned t the county secretary by the end of January.

Limerick County GAA Board launched their 2026 season tickets recently. The tickets will entitle the bearer entry to all Limerick County Board Club games in 2006 for €150. It would make an ideal Christmas or New Year’s present for a family member or friend can be purchased online at limerickgaa.ie Tel 061 335576

Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club membership fees for 2026 are fixed at €100 to include membership of the club draw. Bord na nÓg players €40 (€90 maximum for two or more players), no family membership. Players to register online to pay fees through Foireann at gaa.ie as per official guide before training and playing season commence. Note All membership fees to be paid on or before Tuesday 31st March.

Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club will hold their first special general meeting of 2026 on Thursday 15th January in the clubhouse Ballingarry at 8pm sharp. Your support at this meeting would be appreciated as a lot of business will be dealt with that night to help with the running of the club for 2026.

Granagh/Ballingarry GAA Club are promoting the 2026 national club draw. There is no financial cost to the club to get involved as all costs of tickets and prizes are covered by the Central Council. In addition to maintaining the proceeds for all tickets sold by the club, any club who sells a minimum of 200 tickets automatically gets into a draw for €1,000, a prize won by Granagh/Ballingarry in March 2024. Prizes include: 1st Toyota Corolla Hybrid, 2nd €20,000, 3rd €10,000, 4th €5,000, 5th €5,000, 6th €2,500 holiday voucher, 7th and 8th prize All Ireland and Football Final package, 9th All Ireland Football Final package 2026 10th All Ireland Hurling Final package 2026.

A draw will take place whereby three clubs receive €5,000. Another draw will take place whereby one club in each county will receive €1000. The club with the highest ticket sales in each province will receive €1,000. To qualify for these draws a club must sell a minimum of 200 tickets, record all sold on the online ticketing system account for all funds raised through the draw separately on the club account, adhere to all terms and conditions of the draw which was outlined on the back of the tickets. The draw will take place on Wednesday 25th March in Croke Park and tickets are currently on sale online in local shops/bars and from promoters. For further information contact Niall Carroll at 085 102663 or club treasurer David Condron 086 3482210.

Tipperary Ease to 11 point Cup opener win

Senior Football (McGrath Cup) Group 1 Round 1

Tipperary 0-15 Limerick 0-4

Tipperary eased to a comfortable 11 point 0-15 to 0-4 victory over an experimental Limerick side in the opening round of Group B in the Senior Football (McGrath Cup) competition on Friday night in cold dry conditions at Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale with a negative score difference points. The result severely dents the Limerick boys’ chances of progressing to the McGrath Cup final ahead of their final Group B game against Cork on this Sunday 11th January in Páirc Uí Rinn at 2pm.

Munster Senior Hurling League Group B Round 1

Clare 3-20 Limerick 3-18

Hard luck to the Limerick senior hurlers who suffered a two pint 3-20 to 3-18defeat to Clare, courtesy of a late Mark Rodgers’ penalty goal in the opening round of Group B in the Munster Senior Hurling League in bitterly cold conditions at Tulla on Saturday. Limerick will now have to defeat Munster champions Cork in round 2 on Wednesday 7th January in Pairc na nGael to keep their hope for a place in the Munster Senior Hurling League Final alive.

Hearty congratulations to our own Seamus Twomey who was confirmed as the new Limerick County Bord na nOg chairperson in place of Denis Carroll of South Limerick at the first Limerick County GAA Board meeting of 2026 at Na Piarsaigh GAA Clubhouse on Tuesday night. This is a great honour for Seamus, his family and the Granagh-Ballingarry club. We wish Seamus the best of luck in his new role.

Granagh Ballingarry Club tops, hoodies, tracksuits, shorts and socks can now be ordered online at www.laochrasports.ie/product-category/clubs/granaghballingarry

14 titles – Galway (6 clubs), Pearses 5, Sarsfields 4, Athenry 2, Mullagh 1, Oranmore 1, Killimor 1.

13 titles – Kilkenny (4 clubs) St. Paul’s 5, St. Lachtains 3, Lisdowney 1, Dicksboro 1.

9 titles – Wexford (3 clubs) Bufferys Alleys 5, Oulart The Ballagh 3, Rathnure 1.

8 titles – Cork (3 clubs) Glen Rovers 4, Milford 3, Killeagh 1.

5 titles – Limerick (3 clubs) Granagh-Ballingarry 3, Croagh-Kilfinny 1, Ballyagran 1.

5 titles – Dublin (4 clubs) Austin Stacks 2, Celtic 1, Eoghan Rua 1, cuchulainn Crumlin 1.

4 titles – Tipperary (2 clubs) Cashel 2, St. Patrick’s-Glengoole 2.

3 titles – Derry (1 club) Slaughtneil 3.

1 title – Antrim, O’Donovan Rossa.

There was no winner of the €13,400 jackpot in the Granagh/Ballkingarry GAA Club lottery held on Saturday 3rd January in the Rock Bar, Granagh. The numbers drawn were 6, 7, 15 and 31. The lucky dips of €20 each went to: Vicky Fitzgibbon, promoter online; Joshyua and David Meehan, promoter Paddy Hennessy; Edwad Kennedy, promoter Andrew Holmes; Aoife Kennedy, promoter Eoin Kennedy.

The next draw will be held on Saturday 10th January in Buckley’s Bar, Ballingarry for a jackpot of €13,500.

Tickets are €2 each or three for €5 and are on sale in local shops, bars and from promoters. You can now also buy the weekly draw online available on the club’s Facebook or Twitter page, which finishes at 6pm every Saturday.

Check out our website at www.granagh-ballingarrygaa.ie for all the latest club news. Our club website is updated regularly and is well worth a visit. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/granaghballingarrygaaclub and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/granaghballingarry

Wednesday 7th January: Munster Senior Hurling League Group B Round 2 Limerick v Cork in Pairc na nGael at 7.35pm.

Sunday 11th January: Senior Football McGrath Cup Group B Round 2 Limerick v Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn at 2pm.

Thursday 15th January: Granagh-Ballingarry GAA Club first special general meeting of 2026 in Ballingarry Clubhouse at 8pm sharp.

Wishing a happy new year to all in our club, to our friends in the Weekly Observer and Vale Star and to those everywhere who have read our column over the years.