Lisvarrinane

18/07/2025

Clonbeg Pattern & Walking Festival 2025
Great crack at Club Ceoil in Aherlow House Hotel last night
To-night in Lisvernane Village walk @7.30pm
Friday 18th July 2025
Registration in Community Hall Fee €10
Duration 1½ Hours Dis 2½Km

18/07/2025

Stagdale Lodge
A Massy house occupied by members of the Massy family from the late 18th century. It was the home of Hugh Massy, a younger brother of George Massy of Glenwilliam Castle, at the beginning of the 19th century. Held by W. Massy in 1837, Lewis records the "fine avenue of stately beech trees". William Massy was still resident at the time of Grifffith's Valuation holding the property from Hugh Massy. In 1906 occupied by Hugh H.G. Massy and valued at £30.10 shillings
Massy Bridge
Stagdale Bridge built 1773

18/07/2025

Lisvernane Village walk @7.30pm
Friday 18th July 2025
Registration in Community Hall Fee €10
Duration 1½ Hours Dis 2½Km

18/07/2025

17/07/2025

Club Ceoil
Aherlow House Hotel
Thursday 17th July 2025 @ 9.00pm

14/07/2025

Pat McGrath
by Michael O’Dwyer
Pat McGrath was born on 22 February 1866 at Longford, Glen of Aherlow, County Tipperary. He was the fourth of five children of Michael McGrath, a farmer, and Margaret McGrath (née Nagle). His parents got married in the parish of Galbally and Aherlow on 14 February 1857. The first national athletics championships of the newly founded Gaelic Athletic Association were held at Tramore, County Waterford, on 6 October 1885. There were thirteen championship events held and of those seven were won by athletes native of County Tipperary. The winner in each event obtained a gold Celtic cross medal and a prize to the value of three pounds, while the second in each event obtained a silver Celtic cross medal. Pat McGrath won the two events he competed in, the high jump and long jump. Peter Kenny of Carrick-on-Suir won the 100 yards and 120 yards hurdles, and Jim Mitchell of Emly won the hammer (unlimited run and follow), 56 lb weight (unlimited run and follow) and throwing 14 lb weight (with follow, no run). Thomas Ryan of Murroe, a police constable in Clonmel, won the shot-put (7 feet run, no follow) and putting 28 lb weight (with follow, no run). The remaining four championship events were won by Timothy J. O’Mahony, Rosscarbery (440 yards), J. J. Manning, Sixmilebridge (mile), Dan Fraher, Dungarvan (triple jump), and John Hennessy, Cork (3 miles walk). Pat McGrath and Bob Frewen, Gortavoher, are known to have represented Aherlow at the first annual meeting of the executive committee of the Gaelic Athletic Association on 31 October 1885 at Hayes’s Hotel, Thurles. Bob Frewen was the first captain of Aherlow GAA club in 1885 and became national treasurer of the organisation in 1887. Having joined the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1886, and after completing his training in Dublin, Pat McGrath was posted first to Carrick-on-Shannon, and to Derry in 1890. He retained his high jump title at Ballsbridge, Dublin, in 1886 and at the Irish Amateur Athletic Association championships he won the high jump in 1889 and 1890. Pat McGrath resigned from the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1891 and later emigrated.
Titles Won at Senior National Championships:
Irish Amateur Athletic Association Championships
1889 High Jump 5 ft 10 in. (1.78 m)
1890 High Jump 5 ft 7 in. (1.70 m) TIE
Gaelic Athletic Association Championships
1885 High Jump 5 ft 3 in. (1.60 m)
1885 Long Jump 21 ft 6 in. (6.55 m)
1886 High Jump 5 ft 10 in. (1.78 m

12/07/2025

Billie Carroll
by Michael O’Dwyer
Billie Carroll was born on 1 February 1873 at Lisvernane, County Tipperary. He was the fifth son of John
Carroll, a schoolmaster, and Bridget Carroll (née McGrath). His parents got married in the parish of Galbally
and Aherlow on 21 April 1858. Billie was the seventh of nine children in the family. His elder brother, Mickie,
was twice runner-up in the mile at the Irish athletics championships in 1885 and 1887, and another brother,
Tim, won seven national 3 mile walking titles, winning his first title in 1888. At the GAA’s national athletics
championships held on 26 September 1897 in Tipperary town, taking first place in the 880 yd was Dave
Christopher (Waterford), second was Gerald Irvine (Dublin), and third was Billie Carroll (Aherlow). In the
junior national championship of the Cross-Country Association of Ireland held at Elm Park, Merrion, Dublin,
on 7 February 1903 Billie was a scoring member for the Galtymore Harriers team which finished second to
Clonliffe Harriers. The six scorers for Galtymore Harriers were Mick Kirby (Kilross), Pake O’Brien (Donohill),
Watt Myers (Solohead), Jack Howard (Dundrum), Billie Carroll (Aherlow) and Ned Mansfield (Mullinahone).
The last-named athlete was at the time principal of Cullen National School, County Tipperary, and at the age of
thirty-three was elected president of the Irish National Teachers Organisation in 1910. Billie Carroll died on 12
May 1955 at his residence, Lisvernane, aged eighty-two, and is interred in Clonbeg cemetery, Aherlow.

10/07/2025

03/07/2025

Mickie Carroll
by Michael O’Dwyer
Mickie Carroll was born in January 1861 at Lisvernane, County Tipperary. According to local church records he was baptised on 13 January 1861. He was the second son of John Carroll, a schoolmaster, and Bridget Carroll (née McGrath). In the athletics championships, Mickie Carroll was national mile runner-up in both 1885 and 1887.
His brother Tim Carroll (1866–1934) was national 3 miles walking champion seven times, winning his first title in 1888, and three times runner-up, as well as runner-up in the American indoor 1 and 3 miles walk
championships in 1910, and third in the American 7 miles walk championship in 1912. Another brother, Billie Carroll (1873–1955), was third in the national 880 yards in 1897. Mickie Carroll has the credit of being the first GAA Tipperary champion in any sport or discipline when he won the mile race championship of Tipperary under GAA rules on 12 August 1885 at the Cashel athletics sports.
His winning time was 4 minutes 48 seconds, in second place was Dan J. Navin, Cashel, and third was Peter Duffy, and other runners in his race were James Wall of Rathdarby, Bansha, Maurice Morrissey of Dromline, and P. Walsh. Later that year at the first national athletics championships held by the Gaelic Athletic Association on 6 October 1885 at the racecourse in Tramore, County Waterford, he was second in the mile to J. J. Manning, Sixmilebridge, County Clare, and two years later on 1 August 1887 at the championships at Tralee, County Kerry, he was second to Patrick O’Regan, Mourne Abbey, County Cork. Mickie Carroll emigrated to the United States in late 1888 or early 1889.
In the Dublin-based newspaper Sport of 3 August 1889 it is written, ‘We notice that at the sports recently held at Waterbury (of watch fame), USA, the chief event of the day was a mile race between Michael Carroll, formerly of Aherlow, county Tipperary, and Myles Daly, an American crack. The Irishman beat the Yankee easily, and received quite an ovation at the finish. Good old Glen of Aherlow! Many a good man have you turned out.’

01/07/2025

Bus to Croke Park
Sunday 6th July 2025
Departing Lisvernane 9am
All-Ireland Semi Final
Tipperary v Kilkenny
For Further Details Contact
Damien 083 005 2422
Mike 083 884 0336