Football focus for thriving Upperchurch-Drombane

Embracing the next challenge is a simple mantra for Upperchurch-Drombane who will play in their first Tipperary senior football final next Sunday.

The final is just seven days after most of the panel were involved in the squad that was beaten in the county senior hurling semi-final by Kilruane MacDonaghs.

That loss to their north Tipp opponents, played in shocking weather conditions, was tough to take, but there was little time to dwell.

"It was a case of 'next game is up in seven days'," chairman Michael Griffin states.

"It hurt the lads, but at least they don't have to wait another year to get back out on the field. They can get out against Clonmel Commercials in the football final now, just a week later, and that’s a massive thing for them."

Griffin says that whilst hurling gets much attention in the club, the tradition of producing good football teams and players has always been there.

So too has the ability to make the most of the numbers at their disposal, regularly producing talented players like Gavin Ryan and current Tipp senior footballer, Dean Carew,

Little wonder then that this small, rural Mid-Tipperary club gelled nicely together this season to achieve the considerable feat of reaching both the Tipperary senior county hurling and football semi-finals - falling to Kilruane in hurling, but beating Loughmore in the football semi to make Sunday’s showpiece at Semple Stadium.

"We didn’t set out to copy what Loughmore have done over the past number of years," Griffin says of the reigning dual county champions.

"But they provided a template of how to brilliantly manage the challenges of playing both codes over the past two years and it was there to look at.

"We have essentially played this season with the same group of