The pain for Cork and the joy for Tipperary, this All-Ireland impact will be long-lasting

The 42

5 days ago

THE MIDDLE OF May brought two results which shaped the hurling landscape for the year ahead.
On a Saturday night in Ennis, Clare came charging at Tipperary and drew level by the 63rd minute. Fuelled by the momentum of their second-half revival and emboldened by the presence of Shane O'Donnell on the pitch, the home team appeared poised to complete the job.
The Tipperary response was as startling as it was impressive. They stood tall to outscore Clare by 0-4 to 0-1 in the remainder of the game. The consequences of the result were profound. Clare's defence of their All-Ireland title was over. Tipperary had earned a first Munster championship win since April 2023.
It looked at the time like a victory that could propel them forward, it transpired to be something of far greater value – the catalyst towards becoming All-Ireland senior hurling champions two months later.
Eight days after that encounter, Cork travelled to Limerick. They were walloped by 16 points on an afternoon where they never hit their stride. It reawakened memories of Cork's destruction at the hands of John Kiely's team in the 2021 final.
Their recovery was admirable in qualifying for the Munster final, prevailing in an epic encounter after penalties against Limerick, and dismissing Dublin to reach a third decider in five campaigns.
But the May game hinted that the capacity for collapse still lurked in Cork's system.
On Sunday that manifested itself in an unprecedented fashion on All-Ireland final day.
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Cork's Conor Lehane after the game Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
There is no comparable hurling final experience. Waterford were mowed down by Kilkenny in 2008 and Cork were crushed by Limerick in 2021, but both those games were one-sided from the off and the doubt over the outcome was removed by half-time. Waterford trailed by 17 points in 2008, Cork were behind by 13 points in 2021.
On Sunday, Cork's six-point advantage looked a perfect springboard from which to attack the second half. Instead they wilted in stunning fashion. A complete systems failure made for a devastating defeat, coinciding with the pure hurling joy Tipperary experienced after a second-half display of staggering dominance.
The ramifications of the 3-14 to 0-2 scoreline after the break will be deep and far-reaching.
Two days on, it remains hard for either camp to properly comprehend, how good the winners were and how bad the losers were. A head-spinning half of play to draw the curtain down on the 2025 championship.
It is one of the sweetest All-Ireland victories that Tipperary hurling will ever experience. Their greatest? That tag feels too subjective to firmly attach, yet it will enter that conversation.
Six senior championship wins in succession since the Clare victory. They beat the defending All-Ireland champions, the beaten Leinster finalists, the current Leinster champions, and the current Munster and league champions. That's a significant set of scalps. From a traditional Tipperary viewpoint, to cap the season off with Croke Park victories over historic rivals Kilkenny and Cork, elevates this year to a higher tier.
Liam Cahill completes a unique set of All-Ireland managerial triumphs – minor 2016, U21 2018, U20 2019, and senior 2025. The criticism that rained down upon him over the last couple seasons was ferocious in its intensity. His steadfast belief that he and his coaching staff could turns things around was rewarded. The underage accomplishments, three All-Ireland wins across minor and U20 since 2022, have begun to feed through to senior level, as evidenced by the rich contributions of Darragh McCarthy, Sam O'Farrell, and Oisin O'Donoghue.
The older crew provided the necessary leadership and enhanced their legacies. Ronan Maher, Michael Breen, John McGrath, Jason Forde and Seamus Kennedy provided inputs in different meaningful ways to land their third All-Ireland senior medal. Noel McGrath landed his fourth to enshrine his greatness.
Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Tipperary can bask in the glow of that range of achievements, both collective and individual.
The sense of desolation in the Cork camp will be severe. A defeat like last year's final against Clare informs a team that they are close and on the right upward trajectory, a defeat like Sunday indicates a slide and the need for reset.
The regrets will be plentiful. Withdrawing Eoin Downey in the 23rd minute against Limerick in May 2024 was a ruthless and strong-minded decision when he was on a yellow card, failing to make that change on Sunday in a similar scenario was a call that back-fired. In the modern game leaving an inside defender on when they have been booked is loaded with risk.
Were the second-half substitutions too slow to take place? Four of the five changes occurred in the final quarter when the contest was done, once Darragh McCarthy smashed his penalty to the net.
Cork could have been happy with the interval scoreboard position, while acknowledging their early display had flaws and some players looked off-colour. The warning signs grew in the third quarter that this game was moving away from them and change was required.
The Tipperary curveball of Bryan O'Mara sweeping in the left pocket in front of his full-back line clearly unsettled Cork. At stages in the first half they coped as they worked stylish points for their best two forwards on the day in Shane Barrett and Diarmuid Healy, while Darragh Fitzgibbon was influential at times early on. But the delivery on other occasions was wayward and in the second half it malfunctioned drastically.
Meltdowns on the pitch happen in sport, trying to correct them in-game is not easy. The pressure and expectation that has built up the longer Cork have gone without an All-Ireland title can hang over players and become overbearing. On Sunday afternoon they collapsed in the second half under the sheer weight of it all.
The pain for Cork and the joy for Tipperary will remain for some time. The impact of this All-Ireland final will be long lasting.
How will Cork treat this outcome as they aim to recover?
It feels inevitable that this defeat will be scarring, the third time this group have come away empty-handed on All-Ireland senior final day, while it's the fourth occasion for a few older servants. Will there be turnover in the squad and to what extent? That will be key to observe.
The emergence of Healy in the forward line and Cormac O'Brien in defence this year was welcome. The victorious U20 classes of 2020, 2021 and 2023, offer evidence that Cork have developing talents to call upon. Nurturing them to give the squad a fresh injection could help, particularly given the crushing nature of this loss.
Will Pat Ryan be the man to oversee it? His three-year term has officially closed, but he has always stressed that he is not a fan of talking in such contractual terms and that the the ownership of the team is with the players and supporters of Cork. Ryan has also repeatedly shared his belief that plenty will want a go at the role of Cork boss, and that the key is to whether he is improving the side to then stay in charge.
Two pieces of silverware this year constitued progress before the second half on Sunday rocked Cork back. The players respect and affection for Ryan is obvious. The scale of the potential change ahead for Cork is unclear and will be teased out in the weeks and months ahead.
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For Tipperary the future looks promising, but then again it always has been when they have won the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Retaining that crown has eluded the county since 1965.
When they halted Kilkenny's drive in 2010, they appeared on the cusp of widespread dominance given the profile of their talented squad, but it didn't materialise that they were on top again until 2016.
And yet Liam Cahill has overseen a group that have showcased their resilience and intelligence and hurling class.
The manner of Sunday's success and the journey they have taken this season, will fill the Tipperary group with rising confidence.
Their hurling future looks inviting, Cork must find their way through the fog of this defeat before embarking on theirs.
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