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Irish Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ashamed to be seen in public just one year ago, Tipperary's redemption story defies belief
After Cork eviscerated Tipperary by 18 points in last year's Munster championship, Liam Cahill fronted up to reporters, as he always does. He ended his press conference by saying Tipperary were 'officially going into a real rebuild job.' Limerick beat them by 15 points three weeks earlier, so by a process of humiliation, they had arrived at ground zero. Cahill also said that he might be laying a foundation for whoever succeeded him and that was a reasonable forecast. Nobody had any grasp of a timeline for Tipp's rehabilitation, though everyone accepted that it would involve pain and patience. Everybody was thinking about worst-case scenarios. As Tipp know from the 1970s and 1980s, time can disappear into a black hole. For Tipp to win an All-Ireland 14 months after that demolition by Cork in Thurles has no precedent in the modern history of the championship. When they won the 2019 All-Ireland, it was only a year after they had failed to win a match in Munster. However, that 2019 team included nine players who had started the 2016 final, which Tipp won. When Liam Sheedy came back for his second stint as manager for the 2019 season, he faced a refurbishment job. To start again, Cahill had to knock down walls and rewire the place. Dermot Bannon might have taken it on, but he'd have blown the budget and fallen out with everyone on site. READ MORE During the off-season, there were 16 changes to the panel, which was more churn than any other elite team. Between the match-day 26 for the Cork game in the round-robin series last summer and the All-Ireland final on Sunday, there were 10 changes to the squad, including seven changes to the starting team. Tipperary's Conor Stakelum savours the moment at the end of Sunday's All-Ireland SHC final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho That was an extraordinary through-put of players in such a short space of time. Even between the first round this year against Limerick and the final on Sunday, there were four changes in personnel and a change at goalkeeper, full back, centre back, centre field and centre forward. Andrew Ormond didn't play a minute against Limerick, neither did Willie Connors. Michael Breen spoke after the match about how 'intense' training had been in January and February. Cahill finished last year listening to complaints that Tipp had trained too hard in the first part of the season and had nothing left for the championship. A similar charge had been levelled at him in his final season with Waterford. Cahill accepted that they had made mistakes in their conditioning programme last year but that didn't mean they were going to ease up. In January, nine days before their first league game against Galway, Tipp played Sarsfields in a challenge match in Riverstown. Sarsfields were building up to the All-Ireland club final and expected to get a hiding, but in the event, they didn't lose by much. Tipperary hurling captain Ronan Maher with Oisín Crowe during the All-Ireland champions' visit to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin today. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho Cahill was so exasperated by the performance that when the game was over, the Tipp players were made to do a block of running before they left the field. By that stage, they had already lost a challenge match against Dublin. Nobody had them tagged as dark horses. Before the quarter-finals, when there were only six teams remaining, they were still 10/1 shots for the All-Ireland with the bookies. 'I remember meeting Jake Morris a couple of weeks after [Tipp were eliminated in Munster last year] and you're nearly ashamed going around to show your face because the manner in which we went out,' said Jason Forde. 'And we said as a group all year, there's nobody going to come and save us. We had to go back and put in the work and drag ourselves up out of it and thank God we did.' Much has been made of the contribution of Darragh McCarthy , Sam O'Farrell and Oisín O'Donoghue from the Tipp under-20s squad. It flew in the face of all modern trends for players of that age to make such an impactful breakthrough at senior level. On the biggest day of all, McCarthy had his best game of the season. But just as critical was the reinvigoration of Jason Forde and John McGrath. At the end of last season, there was no guarantee that either of them would carry on. Forde met Cahill for a conversation during the off-season and maybe he didn't know which way it would go. Tipperary's Ronan Maher and Bryan O'Mara were both on hand to collect after Cork's Brian Hayes failed to block the sliotar during the All-Ireland SHC final. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'He wasn't talking me around anyway,' said Forde. 'It was a very honest conversation. After the season finished, you were meeting people and they were saying were you going to bother going back, nearly writing you off that you were finished. When I met Liam, I just said we couldn't leave things like that, the year that we had. Having played for Tipp for 13 seasons and winning All-Irelands and things like that, to leave it on that note, it just wouldn't have felt right.' Forde, though, had been a regular starter on the team last year. McGrath had appeared just twice in the championship for a combined total of 40 minutes. The last time he had started a championship game for Tipp was in 2022; the last time he had started and finished a championship match was in 2020. Injuries played a part in that, but form was a greater reason. This year, McGrath was reborn. He finished the championship with 7-16, making him the joint top scorer from play alongside Dublin's Cian O'Sullivan. Nobody else scored seven goals. Not only that, but all his goals were consequential: two against Limerick, two against Clare, one against Kilkenny when Tipp were bailing water, and two in the All-Ireland final, when he plunged the dagger into Cork. In 14 months, their world had gone from night to day. In the second half in Thurles last year, Cork outscored them by 3-15 to 0-7; on Sunday, Tipp won the second half by 3-14 to 0-2. Redemption can never have tasted so sweet.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Can you remember a performance that bad?' - RTE pundits slam Cork's 'collapse'
The Sunday Game pundits pulled no punches as they assessed Cork's second-half horror show against Tipperary in Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Hurling final. Going six points ahead at the break, Cork scored just two points in the second, as Tipperary ran out 15-point winners. And with Donal Og Cusack, Liam Sheedy, and Anthony Daly all on punditry duties, they did not hold back when it came to Cork. Og Cusack tried to strike an optimistic note to begin with, saying: "It's heartbreaking. Pat has been a real servant to Cork over the years. Pat Ryan is like Cork; Cork will find a way back. It feels like winter has gone on for 20 years, and we were hoping that hurling winter would finish today, but it hasn't. Cork will find a way back." But Anthony Daly branded it a 'collapse' as they began to turn the screw in their punditry. "As much as it was incredible. You have to say it was somewhat of a Cork collapse as well," Daly said. And Cusack lamented the timing of the goals and the red card on the day. "The goals were a killer, losing your full back as well, and the whole game going against you. They were the killer in the end, all of Cork's play they needed them goals in the end. And all the goals came at a killer time as well. "Tipp might have gone in with a better mindset, and once the momentum swung, it just felt as if there was nothing Cork could do to get back in the game." While Liam Sheedy asked about the underperformance. "Say what you like Donal OG, that was a massive underperformance from the Cork team in the last 35 minutes. "That level of performance was not something we expected from that Cork team from what we've seen all year. Whether it was the pressure of the All-Ireland final or what, they were a shell of themselves. "Can you remember a performance that was as bad? Over a 35-minute period over the last two years." "Cork have been consistent over the last couple of years, they won the league and the Munster Championship. It was being obscured by Dublin being so bad. Limerick were so bad in giving the opportunity to Dublin, but it was like as if everyone's view was obscured. There was a big difference between what Cork faced a couple of weeks ago and what they got here, and it definitely didn't give Cork any value."
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
All Ireland Hurling Final: Top tips for Tipperary fans eager to see the big match
Here are some of the best venues in Tipperary to savour the excitement, or to watch the match on a big screen, around the county. Irwins – Cahir Tipp fans in Cahir shouldn't miss some top class punditry hosted by newly re-opened Irwins bar on Friday, July 18. Irwins Yard is holding an All-Ireland preview night at 8pm, and the guests include Liam Sheedy, Bubbles O'Dwyer, Mark Landers of Cork, and TJ Ryan of Limerick, and a 'special guest'. Who could it be? As well as top class banter, it's all in a good cause with proceeds from the fundraising night going towards the Queen of the Castle Festival in association with Rathkeevin Macra Na Feirme. Tickets went on sale last Friday evening in Irwins and are nearly all sold out. Talbot Hotel – Clonmel Clonmel's Talbot Hotel is the place to be to watch the All-Ireland and cheer on Tipperary on three big screens in the large spacious Poppyfield Ballroom. The bar will be open from 2pm, with a pizza meal deal available. 'And there's even a free ice-cream van at half time for the kids,' said a spokesperson. The hotel has an offer to win a family pizza meal deal. The lucky family will enjoy a tasty bite in the ballroom which includes two delicious pizzas, three tasty sides, and two soft drinks for the kids and two drinks for the adults. To be in with a chance, visit their Facebook page. Winners will be announced on Thursday, July 17. It's 'the perfect day out for families and GAA fans alike,' added a spokesperson. New Anthem Meanwhile, a brand new anthem has been released to rally the Tipperary troops ahead of the All-Ireland final, by Dave Williams. G-O-T-I-P-P-G-O is a powerful call to arms for Premier fans, set to the music of Chapelle Roan's H-O-T-T-O-G-O. The chorus says it all: 'fill the hill with blue and gold'. The video features some of Tipperary's greatest goals from this year's championship, and commentary clips from Brendan Cummins. David Williams is primary school teacher at St Mary's CBS Clonmel, a Ballylooby Castlegrace U9 coach, and former Cahir GAA player. The song continues a proud tradition. In 2010 and 2019, David released Tipp hurling anthems that brought joy to fans and players alike, according to the Pod Premiership. 'I'm blown away by the response to the song,' said Dave. The song can be streamed on Last minute tickets Fans still hoping to get a ticket are being urged to watch out for scams. But lucky punters could be in with a chance of getting their hands on a ticket with Dún Bleisce CLG, who are raffling two Cusack Stand tickets for the chance to see Tipperary take on Cork. 'Enter now for your chance to win,' said a spokesperson. 'Nothing beats being there.' Entry is €10 per ticket, with the draw on Friday, July 18, at 8pm, live on Facebook. Entries must pay Doon GAA the €10 on Norebrook Lounge in Clonakenny While many pubs and restaurants will be showing the match on screen, Clonakenny village between Templemore and Roscrea is the place to be to watch Tipperary versus Cork in the All-Ireland Final, 'live on our big screen next Sunday at 3.30pm,' said a spokesperson. 'Enjoy the great atmosphere and supper served after the match at the Norebrook Lounge. Great atmosphere is guaranteed and all are welcome.'
Irish Times
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
TV View: Hurling's Bruce Springsteen sings Cork's praises before Tipperary's glory day
Cork made the sport of hurling look like a decidedly easy pursuit on Saturday. When Dublin staged a mini-revival, what did they do? Inserted a pin in their balloon of hope. Without as much as perspiring. 'Around the 25-minute mark, Dublin started to claw it back a little bit, how did ye guys reset?' Damien Lawlor asked man of the match Alan Connolly after the game. 'I dunno, really,' he shrugged, 'we just went and scored a goal, like.' Which they did, seven times. Not to mention the 26 points. There was smoke coming out of the Croke Park scoreboard, it never stopped ticking over. READ MORE To a man, 'lethal' was the verdict of our panellists on Cork's attack, even if they conceded that the Dubs' defence had been a bit on the loose side. Jamesie O'Connor, over on the BBC, was left purring, although that was probably as much to do with Mark Sidebottom describing him as 'hurling's Bruce Springsteen'. But Cork bossed it, so by Liam Sheedy's reckoning, when Sunday game, Tipperary and Kilkenny were playing for All-Ireland silver. Will there there even be any point in the victors turning up for the final? The 2025 hurling championship had, after all, already been decided. Granted, he made this observation with a grin, his eyes rolling heavenwards, such had been the nature of the appraisal of Cork after their dismantling of Dublin. 'I'm not sure if they gave them the cup on the way home,' he said. Form-wise, then, Cork are in the pink, which, incidentally, Liam was too. Literally. That jacket of his was like something you'd have seen on a dashing saxophonist in a 1960s showband. An energy-saving item of clothing it was too – every time he appeared on our screens, he lit up the room, so there was no need to switch on the lights on a dreary day. But, yes, that Cork attack was a sight to behold. Ruthless too. At times it was akin to watching a cat acting the maggot with a mouse. Back on RTÉ, Dónal Óg Cusack was trying to stay humble, even under sustained provocation from Anthony Daly and Henry Shefflin, refusing to rule out the possibility of Tipp or Kilkenny putting it up to his lads in a fortnight. Tim O'Mahony gives a demonstration of Cork's lethality against Dublin. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'It's a fierce game to look forward to,' he said of Sunday's semi-final, 'it's like two royal estates going back to war with each other.' And come Sunday, Jackie Tyrrell echoed that view. 'What's going to happen out here today?' Joanne Cantwell asked him. 'Absolute world war three,' he said, almost like there was some hurling history between the counties. All concerned, though, while not wanting to be offensive, intimated that the Tipp fans needed satnavs to find Croke Park, so long had it been since they were there for a championship game. And after the start Kilkenny had, you'd a notion it'd be a while before they'd see it again. But. In a half of two halves, Tipp woke from their slumber, their ability to insert the sliotar in the onion bag no small help, their lead at half-time 3-11 to 0-16. The second half? A zinger. Some day someone will be able to explain how Oisín O'Donoghue scored that 70th-minute goal for 14-man Tipp with next to zero backlift, but it won't be any day soon. 'Some finish, some finish, some finish,' as his comrade Noel McGrath said when RTÉ showed him the replay. Jackie and Ursula Jacob's jaws were on the floor too, but that might still have been due to Liam's pink jacket. As for Robert Doyle's goal-line save, ah here. It was very tremendous stuff. Although in their post-match chats with RTÉ, it was hard to tell whether Liam Cahill or Derek Lyng was the winning manager. Drained, the pair of them. So, just the 13 goals and 97 points in the two semi-finals, the RTÉ panel buzzing for the final. And even if Liam suspected that Liam MacCarthy was on the bus to Cork, neither Ursula nor Jackie ruled out his county's hopes of redirecting its journey. 'Tipp,' said Jackie, 'have the ability to come out of nowhere every so often, pinching an All Ireland ... and then hibernating for 20 years.' Liam came close to decking him. He's clinging to the hope that come July 20th he'll be, well, tickled pink.
The 42
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Absolute warfare: The return of Kilkenny and Tipperary after six years
IT WAS AN ugly saying to Kilkenny ears, but the inability of the Cats to beat Tipperary in a national final between the years of 1922 and 1967, during a time in which county hurling became a mass pastime and passion, gave rise to the expression, 'Kilkenny for the hurlers, Tipp for the men'. In some eras, one or the other wasn't quite at it. Tipperary went from 1971 to 1989 without an All-Ireland title, indeed, their 1988 defeat to Galway they only time they reached the final. During which time Kilkenny amassed six Liam MacCarthys to make themselves feel a whole lot better about themselves. The first meeting came in the final of 1895, a bit of a whitewash it was too as Kilkenny won 6-8 to 1-0. Another handsome Tipp win arrived in 1898; Tipp 7-13 Kilkenny 3-10. Kilkenny got one over on them, winning 4-6 to 0-12, in 1909. There were wins again for the Cats in 1911, 1913, before that spell from 1922 and 1967. Meanwhile, Tipp lifted the canister in 1916, 1937, 1945, 1950, 1964, 1971 and 1991. It took until 2009 for the pair to next meet in a final. The next three years were consumed by their rivalry that brought huge controversy and incidents. Take 2009. Tipperary came up the rails under Liam Sheedy. A few years of turmoil had bottomed out after another spell under Michael 'Babs' Keating and a generation of hurlers hadn't experienced what it was to be part of the preparation of an elite group of athletes. Kilkenny were chasing four-in-a-row. They had a settled management in Brian Cody, but as he was fond of saying, he cared little for a settled team, more a settled spirit. Sounds good, but what it meant was men gutting each other for their place on the team. The finals of 2007 and 2008 had been one-sided encounters as Kilkenny dispatched of the innocent Limerick and Waterford. This was different. An instant entry into the Hall of Fame. It looked to be heading Tipperary's way too. The odd thing was that they had substitute Benny Dunne dismissed in the 52nd minute for a wild pull on Tommy Walsh. Yet they upped their game and when Noel McGrath pointed ten minutes later, it left Tipperary two up. A minute later, Richie Power made a dash for goal. He was being fouled outside the square but referee Diarmuid Kirwan didn't blow. As he got inside the square, Kirwan felt Power was fouled by Paul Curran. Henry Shefflin stepped up and crashed to the net. And with that gale in their sails, Martin Comerford arrived a minute later to pilfer their second goal. Advertisement In 'Whatever It Takes', Richie Hogan's autobiography, he doesn't sound convinced about the penalty award. 'It was a soft penalty for sure, and if it was given the other way we would have been up in arms. We didn't often get those fifty-fifty decisions from referees, but we were happy to take it when it came,' wrote Hogan. Tipp manager Liam Sheedy was somewhat sanguine about it. 'It was a big call and matches are won on big calls. I've watched it again and it looked like a tight call. He started outside the square and finished inside it. Did anyone count the steps? These are big calls and the day you get those calls is the day you win the match.' Marty Morrissey was in puckish form in his day's work for RTÉ. In the television interview, Cody was praising Shefflin for burying his penalty when Morrissey came in, 'And was it a penalty, Brian, do you think?' Cue Cody asking Morrissey if he felt it was a penalty himself, and after a little more probing, Cody had enough. 'Ah Marty, please! Give me a break, will you?' was a highlight. The cameras cut back to the studio pundits where Ger Loughnane exclaimed, 'Will someone please pick up Marty off the floor there?' Brian Cody. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Anyway, Kilkenny goalkeeper PJ Ryan was named Man of the Match and his reflex saves from Seamus Callanan and Eoin Kelly early in the second half went a long way to keeping Tipp down. What did it mean to Kilkenny? They weren't getting blasé about such achievements. Indeed, there was a plan that day in Croke Park of presenting Liam MacCarthy to the winning captain in a specially constructed platform. Those plans had to be shelved, stewards moving to 'Plan B' as fans spilled onto the pitch at the final whistle despite repeated requests from the GAA the week beforehand. The year after, we got our first sight of what we would soon come to understand was Total Hurling. Tipperary dragged Kilkenny players all over the defensive lines and their attack became not so much about hurlers taking shots, but the places and positions they found themselves in. Lar Corbett helped himself to a hat-trick of goals. The first came after Shane McGrath caught a PJ Ryan puckout and leathered it back in the same direction. All alone were Corbett and his marker, Noel Hickey. Corbett showed great strength to hold off Hickey and slipped the shot below Ryan's dive. His second came with a delivery to Noel McGrath. Hickey was tight to him but he produced a no-look handpass to the unmarked Corbett who dodged the thrown hurl of John Tennyson to net again. His final goal deep into injury time was the sweetest of touches. A ball inside was fielded by Bonner Maher. Lying on the turf he noticed Corbett had peeled off and, after taking a touch on the bás to kill the ball, lashed it home. Think of that touch and the aplomb that Corbett applied. Now take yourself 12 months on to the next final. Eddie Brennan streaming through the middle of the Tipperary defence. Richie Hogan has backpedalled into a position just left of the posts on the Hill 16 end. Brennan handpasses. Hogan takes a touch and then wallops it into the top corner. All that artistry wasn't the only thing about the rivalry. There were some bizarre moments too. Top of the list in that category was certainly the role that Corbett was handed in 2012; turning from an artist to a man-marker of Tommy Walsh. It took a surreal turn when Kilkenny refused to let it become a straight battle between Walsh – who was marking Pa Bourke anyway – and Corbett, so Jackie Tyrrell stayed on Corbett, which made for a bizarre quartet running around Croke Park. 'For ideal match-ups that was the plan that Lar would pick up Tommy and obviously Jackie Tyrrell didn't agree and he wanted a piece of it as well,' said Tipperary manager Declan Ryan. 'Tommy Walsh finished the game and his last 20 minutes was probably his best period of the game. I don't know how good he was in the first half. 'But I think ultimately results proved that it backfired to some extent on us.' It was a role that Tyrrell relished. For the 2011 final, he was handed the role of marking Corbett for the final. The week before, the Kilkenny coach Martin Fogarty handed Tyrrell a DVD of Corbett in action and what to look out for. Tyrrell himself put a photograph of Corbett as his mobile phone screensaver. Every time someone called, he would see Corbett's face. 'When I was in meetings or in other people's company, I would turn the phone in towards my body before I answered it. I didn't want people thinking I was a complete nut-job but the picture was there as a constant reminder to myself that something big was coming,' he wrote in his autobiography, 'The Warrior Code.' Fun and games. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO In 2013, they played a knockout qualifier in Nowlan Park with 23,307 present. It being only early July, they had been unaccustomed to meeting each other at this time. Henry Shefflin made a dramatic return for the last five minutes as Kilkenny prevailed 0-20 to 1-14, the Tipp goal inevitably coming from Corbett. Years later, a player from each side were on an All Stars tour and recalled that game. They admitted they had never played in a game with as feverish atmosphere. The 2014 decider came down to Hawkeye. In the first game, they drew Kilkenny 3-22 Tipperary 1-28. Kilkenny prevailed in the replay 2-17 to 2-14. But that it went to a replay was the incredible thing. The first game has frequently been described as the greatest game of hurling ever – a title that seems to get passed on every week or so in the last few seasons. The final play came down to John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer. He had been on fire that day with seven points, two from frees. He caught his last free sweet but at the very end of its flight it kicked outwards. Off to HawkEye for adjudication. 'I felt he had a chance,' said Tipp manager Eamonn O'Shea. Related Reads 'We keep everything in the circle... everything outside it is just irrelevant to us' Cork make three changes for All-Ireland hurling semi-final against Dublin Tippeary selector rejects suggestion that Liam Cahill 'flogs his teams' 'I thought it was over but obviously HawkEye said no. He got a great strike on it and he was unlucky.' Wide. No score. Replay in three weeks time. Kilkenny got the business done. By this stage Tipperary were wondering what hurling Gods they had upset. They got their vengeance in 2016. Seamus Callanan went bananas with 0-13 scored and a 2-29 to 2-20 win for Tipp manager Michael Ryan. It was the fifth final between these two since 2009. But Tipp badly needed to correct the record as it was the seventh meeting in eight years in championship, Kilkenny winning five up until that point. The final meeting of the decade was also the last time they have met: 2019. The Tipperary management of Darragh Egan, Liam Sheedy, Eamon O'Shea and Tommy Dunne after the 2019 final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO And arguably, the biggest talking point of all. The game was warming up coming into half-time when Richie Hogan caught Cathal Barrett with a raised elbow. Some days it might have met with a stern ticking-off, or a yellow. Referee James Owens sent Hogan off. It led to Kilkenny's heaviest defeat under Brian Cody, 3-25 to 0-20. Naturally, the James Stephens man felt there were questions to be answered. 'Unfortunately, we lost a player and that is what is being spoken about. It is spoken about in general because there are divided opinions on what should or shouldn't be. 'Obviously, that is what happened to us. And we weren't able, we weren't good enough to take on Tipperary down a player. It's that simple.' Six long years have passed. It's time to take up the cudgels and let them go at it again. 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