Arravale Rovers GAA () is Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club in County Tipperary, Ireland. Based in the town of Tipperary, it competes at senior level in Tipperary GAA county and divisional hurling and Gaelic football championships and leagues. Now part of the West Division of Tipperary GAA, it formerly played in the South Division Up to 1930. The Club has an illustrious history and was one of the leading clubs during the foundation era of the GAA, winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in its formative years.
History The club was founded in 1885, a year after the formation of the GAA and within 10 years were All-Ireland Senior Football Champions. During their first decade, it was said that Tipperary Town had the strongest clubs in Ireland due to the presence of Bohercrowe and Rosanna. Bohercrowe winning the All-Ireland SFC in 1889, thus paving the way for Arravale's glorious year of 1895.
Gaelic football In 1895, Arravale Rovers won the All-Ireland Football Final, representing Tipperary.Munster GAA - Senior Football winning teams This was the first football final played at Jones' Road (later Croke Park).Football results 1887-1910 - GAA website
In 2011 Arravale Rovers beat Éire Óg Annacarty by 1-7 to 0-7 to win the West Tipperary Senior Football Championship for the first time since 1993. The Title was lost in 2012 to Éire Óg, Annacarty who won their first Divisional title in that year. However, Rovers came good again in 2013 when defeating old rivals, Galtee Rovers of Bansha in the final, played at Lattin. This win brought the club's tally in the Divisional Senior Football Championship roll of honour to 11, including the often disputed victory of 1942 which the club always claim to have won, though a scarcity of records give credence to the notion that they were the only team affiliated at senior level in that season. The Club also won further championships in 2015 and 2017 has now surpassed the Lattin-Cullen Club near the top of the honours list, with Galtee Rovers topping the roll of honour with 25 wins.
Honours All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1) 1895 Munster Senior Football Championship (1) 1895 Tipperary Senior Football Championship (6) 1894, 1895, 1896, 1899, 1941, 1985 Tipperary Intermediate Football Championship (2) 1988, 2007 Tipperary Junior Football Championship (1) 1997 Tipperary Under-21 Football Championship (3) 1972, 1973, 2011 Tipperary Under-21 'B' Football Championship (1) 2002 Tipperary Minor Football Championship (11) 1933, 1959, 1966, 1972, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1997, 2004, 2007 West Tipperary Senior Football Championship (14) 1942, 1948, 1955, 1972, 1973, 1981, 1984, 1992, 1993, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2022. South Tipperary Senior Football Championship (2) 1936, 1941 West Tipperary Junior Football Championship (9) 1933, 1945, 1953, 1965, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1997 Tipperary Junior B Football Championship (1) 2016 West Tipperary Junior 'B' Football Championship (2) 2008, 2016 West Tipperary Under-21 Football Championship (16) 1959, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016 & 2019 West Tipperary U-21 'B' Football Championship (1) 2002 West Tipperary Minor Football Championship (25) 1933, 1942, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1964, 1967, 1969, 1972, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 South Tipperary Minor Football Championship (3) 1934, 1939, 1949 Tipperary Man's Cup County Senior Football League (1) 1936 West Tipperary Senior Football League (O'Donoghue Cup) (6) 1973, 1975, 1987, 1992, 1993, 2004 West Tipperary Junior Football League (2) 1984, 1985
Hurling In 1997, Arravale Rovers won the Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship final with a very experienced team which had challenged for a number of years before. A period followed without success. In 2009 the Rovers reached the Intermediate county final against Carrick Davins, but lost 1-13 to 1-6. They also reached the Minor hurling final against Loughmore-Castleiney.
Honours Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship (1) 1997 Tipperary Junior Hurling Championship (2) 1926, 2020 Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship (1) 2012 West Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship (2) 1966, 1970 West Tipperary Intermediate Hurling Championship (8) 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2013, 2026 West Tipperary Junior Hurling Championship (3) 1934, 1964, 2020 South Tipperary Junior Hurling Championship (1) 1926 (amalgamation with Solohead) West Tipperary Junior No. 2 Hurling Championship (1) 1958 West Tipperary Junior 'B' Hurling Championship (1) 2011 West Tipperary Under-21 Hurling Championship (2) 1959, 2011 West Tipperary Under-21 'B' Hurling Championship (1) 2004 West Tipperary Minor Hurling Championship (4) 1933, 1958, 2006, 2009 West Tipperary Minor B Hurling Championship (4) 1984, 1996, 2011, 2012
Notable players John O'Donoghue (hurler) Johnny Ryan: All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship winner, 2025
References
Further reading Tom O'Donoghue, Arravale Rovers H. & F. Club: the Arravale Rovers story: the G.A.A. in the parish of Tipperary (1995) Marcus De Búrca, The GAA: a history (1999)
External links Tipperary GAA website Arravale Rovers GAA Club website