COLUMN: Future of Tipperary hurling in safe hands after day of days in Croke Park

What the hell did we just witness?!

Those were the first words I spoke at the full-time whistle to a Tipperary media colleague in Croke Park, and I would wager that I was far from alone in those thoughts.

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Sport can make a fool out of you. It certainly did for all those involved in local and national media who cover Gaelic Games ahead of Sunday and on the day, and I will challenge any Tipperary supporter who said they predicted what unfolded before our eyes in Croke Park.

The disbelief in the media gantry was palpable, and speaking with many Tipp supporters since the win, it has taken a while for the result to sink in.

A famous quote came to my mind as Tipperary were coasting in the final ten minutes, a man up and holding a double-digit lead. “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.”

That quote rang true in more ways than one after Tipperary’s incredible second-half performance left the 2:1 ratio Cork crowd stunned in the four corners of Croker.

They simply could not deal with the Bryan O’Mara blockade in the defence throughout the game, and the fact that it stumped Cork so, is unforgivable on their part.

Liam Cahill - to my memory - has never adopted a ‘sweeper’ or ‘plus one’ or whatever term you want to use, in his managerial tenure involved with Tipperary teams, and perhaps Pat Ryan and his selectors were banking on stubbornness in their approach to the game.

Was there overconfidence involved? Quite possibly. The narrative around this game was so overwhelmingly in favour of Cork from all and sundry that it must have seeped into the Cork players.

There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and in the lead-up to Sunday’s game, the Cork media, past players, and even the neutrals were bigging Cork up past the point of Pat Ryan being able to quell the hype around his players.

He had a nigh on impossible job in that regard.

That said, the second-half performance of Tipperary was astounding, and even though the improvement throughout the year has been stark, we never really witnessed a full match where Liam Cahill’s men put in the full 70 minutes. It couldn’t have been produced at a better time.

Going six points down at half-time was not a true reflection of the play. Speaking in conference inside Croke Park at the interval, the Tipperary media (myself included) were hugely fearful that, despite playing well and executing the game plan to good effect, the Shane Barrett goal would be a massive blow in the team’s efforts to upset Cork.

So, given the history of the fixture this year, where Cork were coming from as league and Munster champions, and their close call in last year’s All-Ireland final, nobody, absolutely nobody, could have seen the following 39 minutes coming.

You will have read the players' thoughts, as well as those of Liam Cahill on the attitude at half-time within the Tipperary dressing room.

They were comfortable with their position, and it must be said that, even though they trailed by a hefty margin, the game plan was managing to curtail the inside threat of Brian Hayes, Alan Connolly, and Patrick Horgan.

So, they stuck to their guns and managed to heap all the pressure on Cork with the first five points of the half, and when that happened, you could see the demons of 2024 and possibly those of years prior starting to infect the Cork psyche. They completely collapsed in the face of Tipperary’s workrate and attitude.

By the end, it seemed as though Tipperary came to play, while Cork looked like they came to pick up the Cup.

THE FUTURE

This was the sweetest All-Ireland final win in my memory, quite simply because nobody expected it. Liam Cahill and his players have achieved something incredible, and while it is the 29th title won by a Tipperary team, few will ever be celebrated as wildly as this one, judging by the massive crowd that rocked the foundations of FBD Semple Stadium on Monday for the team’s homecoming.

This was a victory earned at least two years ahead of schedule, and with confidence instilled, youth pushing for their chance from successful underage teams, and a support base believing in Tipperary again, this could be the start of something special.
That, however, is a conversation and discussion for another time.

For now, the players and management can enjoy the fruits of their arduous labour over the last year, and given the vitriol that came their way and the number of times they’ve been written off going into games in 2025, boy, have they earned it!

Tiobraid Árann abú!

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