Rathcormac is marking a historic time as they prepare to see Cork and Tipperary clash once more, harking back to 1741 when a game involving the two teams was widely regarded as the first ever hurling match between two counties, which was played near the village.
A nine-acre field located in Glenagoul, which is now divided up and owned by three Kildinan based families, the Fitzgeralds, Cahills, and Walshs, was the site of the inaugural match.
“It’s of massive significance for Rathcormac and the Bride Rovers GAA club. In terms of the rivalry between Cork and Tipperary, the very first championship and organised GAA match was in 1880s but the very first hurling match between the two counties was here in 1741,” Tom Fitzgerald told The Avondhu.
In a book penned by local historian John Arnold, he said that the game was in essence a challenge between a side drawn from Tipperary, organised by Donnacha McGrath of Kilbehenny and a Cork side organised by Colonel McAdam Barry of Lisnagar in Rathcormac.
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