Overview

The club was known as Clonoulty in its formative years and were the second winners of the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship, in 1888. The club, in the name of Clonoulty-Rossmore had to wait 101 years for its second title in 1989 when TJ Ryan (Rody) lifted Dan Breen following a narrow victory over neighbours Holycross Ballycahill in front of over 20,000 people. We won our third Championship title in 1997, with Noel Keane as captain.

The Club’s first champion team in 1888 (21 aside) was Thaddeus Ryan, John Ryan, Pat Butler, Thomas Harney, William Kennedy, Patsy Hennessy, Cornelius Ahearne, James Garrett, James Ryan, Pat Harney, John O’Dwyer, Joseph Gould, Martin Condon, Edward (Ned) Kennedy, John Murphy, Patsy Kennedy, Thomas Byrne, Daniel Ryan, James O’Dwyer, Pat Ryan, Pat Harney. Substitutes: William Ryan, James English, Jim Quirke, James Ferncombe and Tom Hennessy.

The club acquired its club grounds in 1936, through the policy of reassignment of estate lands by the Irish Land Commission and completed its pavilion in 1957 mainly through the voluntary effort of the members of the Club Committee. A major re-development of the grounds began in 2008 with the opening of a new fully floodlit training pitch, quickly followed by the renovation and extension of the pavilion, levelling and resurfacing of the main pitch, erection of spectator stands on both fields, and the opening of an 80 metre Astro Turf and Ball Wall facility which opened in 2021. An 800 metre walking track and playground ensures there are facilities to cater for the whole parish.

In 2023, the Club grounds were officially renamed the Dillon Quirke GAA Grounds in honour of the late Dillon Quirke, who died captaining his beloved club in a Senior Hurling Championship match vs Kilruane MacDonaghs on August 5^th, 2022 in famed Semple Stadium.

Eight club players have won All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medals with Tipperary – Tony Brennan (1945, 49, 50 & 51), Joe Hayes (1989 & 91), John Kennedy (1989 & 91), Declan Ryan (1989, 91 & 2001), Aidan Butler (2001), Timmy Hammersley (2010), John O’Keeffe (2016) and Conor Hammersley (2019). Declan Ryan also won two All-Stars with Tipperary in 1988 (No 10) and 1997 (No 11).

On 21 October 2018, Clonoulty-Rossmore won their first championship since 1997 after a 0-23 to 2-13 win against Nenagh Éire Óg in the final. John O’Keeffe had the honour of lifting Dan Breen on this occasion.