The High School has long been recognised throughout Tipperary & Munster as a great nursery of Gaelic football with players provided from the Clonmel Commercials, Clonmel Óg, Moyle Rovers, Newcastle, Ardfinnan, Clerihan, Kilsheelan/Kilcash, Grangemockler, Fethard & The Nire (Waterford) GAA clubs. Indeed, the High School were the inaugural winners of the Corn Uí Mhuirí (Munster Senior A championship) in 1928 & have a long & decorated history in the Tipperary & Munster Championships.
The High School still competes in the Corn úí Mhuirí & are one of the only Tipperary schools to compete at A level of competition in Munster against schools from Cork & Kerry & St Flannan’s of Clare. The High School has been very competitive in recent years in the Corn Uí Mhuirí, reaching the final in 2016, only to fall to a David Clifford inspired St Brendan’s of Killarney. This marked huge progress for the High School having only rejoined the A grade in 2011, & 2026 saw the High School advance to the ¼ finals once again. The High School won the Corn Uachtaráin (Munster Senior B championship) in 1986, 2003 & 2010 & followed up the victory in Munster in 2010 by defeating St. Attractas, Tubbercurry by 1-10 to 0-12 in the All-Ireland Colleges Senior B Football Final at Portarlington. In December 2024, the High School regained a Munster crown, this time winning the school’s first ever Munster under 17 title in defeating Midleton CBS at Fethard Town Park.
Munster GAA Article - Munster U17 Football Champions 2025
Irish Independent Article - All Ireland 'B' Football Champions 2010
The High School has also competed at A level at under 15 & under 17 level. In 2010, the High School tasted A success at under 15 level by defeating St Brendan’s in the Corn an Bhráthair Choilm Taft Final to win this competition for the first time ever & win a first Munster A title for the school since 1940. Having previously won under 15 B titles in 1967, 1972, 1973 & 2007, the title at A level showed the huge progress being made in Gaelic football in the High School & Tipperary in general. At the under 16 ½ (Now under 17) age group, the High School competes in the Frewen Cup (Munster A championship) & reached 4 finals in recent years, only to agonizingly fall to defeat in each.
The High School has had players represent both Tipperary & Waterford at Gaelic football with former students such as Declan Browne & Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary) winning national acclaim in winning All-Stars & former students such as Michael “Babs” Keating, Frannie Kelly (Tipperary), Thomas & Maurice O’Gorman (Waterford) winning Railway Cups with Munster. in 2010, there were 9 players from the High School on the Tipperary minor football panel as they created history in winning the All-Ireland minor title against Dublin in Croke Park. When Tipperary won their historic Munster senior football championship in 2021, there were 11 former High School students on the panel & the team was managed by former student David Power. We have a huge representation on the current senior, under 20 & minor Tipperary & Waterford football panels.
In recent years, the High School has had huge success in the Tipperary county championships including winning Senior A County Championships, under 15 County A Championships, under 14 A & B county championships & 1st year A county championships. There is huge work put into Gaelic football in the school, with 2 teachers involved with each team, with training sessions, including an introduction to S & C, taking place before & after school on our 4G astroturf pitch.
Munster U17 'B' Football Champions 2025
Andrew Ryan ahead of the Munster U17 football final versus Midleton CBS
High School footballers in a post match huddle