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Background to the Festival

Thurles International Festival was started in 2011 as an International hurling festival with teams from Ireland, UK, Europe and the US competing for the Tom Semple Cup.  It grew from 8 teams in its first year to 16 teams last year and has become an important week in the GAA calendar in Munster. Road bowling was added in 2013 and last year, camogie, hurl ball and caman abú became part of the festival.

This year, a 7-a-side Ladies Football competition is being added, as well as handball and rounders.  Like the other sports in the festival, this is hoped to grow this competition over the coming years

Enda McDonnell

Enda McDonnell was from Templemore and was chairman of the Tipperary Ladies County Board when the Thurles Sarsfields Ladies Football Club was founded in 2006.  Enda was a great believer in spreading the code of Ladies Gaelic Football in Tipperary and further afield, and the club received much help and encouragement from Enda during its start-up.

Enda was the Chairman of the Munster Ladies Football council when he passed away last October.  In naming the cup after him, Thurles Sarsfields hope in some small way to recognise his enormous contribution to Ladies Football in Tipperary.

For more information on the tournament, please contact Gerry O’Hagan at

(087) 9293197 or at gerry.ohagan@gmail.com