Pictured: MIC Thurles GAA coach, Charlie McGeever; MIC student and Tipperary Senior Camogie player, Caoimhe McCarthy; Head of School at MIC Thurles, Dr Finn Ó Murchú; Tipperary Senior Camogie joint-captain, Karen Kennedy; Tipperary Camogie treasurer, Áine Kiely O'Donnell; Tipperary Senior Camogie joint-captain, Clodagh Quirke; Tipperary Senior Camogie manager, Denis Kelly.
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and Tipperary Camogie are delighted to announce a five-year partnership which will see the county side use MIC’s Thurles campus as their full-time training ground. The exciting collaboration will see the Premier’s Senior, Junior, Minor and U16A Championship teams training weekly at the Thurles campus, bringing to an end the practice of continuously moving the location of training sessions to suit availability of facilities.
Speaking as the partnership was announced, Áine Kiely O’Donnell, Tipperary Camogie treasurer, said: “Tipperary Camogie’s partnership with MIC is the foundation for our future development of centralised centre of excellence training facilities. MIC Thurles’ current and future strategies are aligned to our vision in Tipperary Camogie of developing, expanding sports facilities, and providing a platform for sporting success while also benefiting the wider education community in Tipperary. MIC Thurles partnering with Tipperary Camogie is monumental, historical even, as one of the first third level institutions to partner with a County camogie team and furthers their efforts in promoting women in sport.”
Pictured: Head of School at MIC Thurles, Dr Finn Ó Murchú; MIC student and Tipperary Senior Camogie player, Caoimhe McCarthy; Tipperary Senior Camogie manager, Denis Kelly.
Under the agreement, Tipperary Camogie and MIC will both pay 50% of the cost of upgrading the playing field on the MIC Thurles campus, including treatment of the pitch and repair of the goals and protective nets. The camogie teams will also have the use of the on-campus facilities including changing rooms, toilets, meeting rooms and a kitchen. Tipperary’s home games will continue to be played at their pitch at the Ragg in Thurles, with the agreement also allowing MIC Thurles’ teams access to use the pitch for games when it is available.
According to Dr Finn Ó Murchú, Head of School at MIC Thurles: “MIC's partnership with Tipperary Camogie to provide a Centre of Excellence at our MIC Thurles Campus is a significant development for all involved. The School of Education at MIC Thurles seeks in itself to be a centre of excellence in preparing post-primary teachers. The synergy of effort, values and vision between both organisations opens up rich opportunities and the immediate improvement in facilities is but the first step in this partnership. I wish to thank colleagues at MIC who have assisted in realising the vision associated with this initiative and in particular I would also like to acknowledge the work of Ms Áine Kiely O'Donnell, Tipperary Camogie, whose vision and passion has sustained and inspired us in bringing our collective ambitions to fruition in a very short space of time. I wish all involved every success with this new and exciting venture.”
Denis Kelly, Tipperary Senior Camogie manager, praised the partnership as being a progressive one for the sport in the county: “We're delighted to link up with MIC Thurles. It's a wonderful opportunity for Tipperary Camogie to have a centre we can call home. Collaborating with MIC will significantly help our progression into the future and will offer an important link between the college and the wider community in Tipperary for many years to come.”
The pitch at MIC Thurles has already undergone the upgrade work set-out in the agreement and Tipperary Camogie have commenced training on the site ahead of this year’s campaigns. You can find out more about Tipperary Camogie here.
