EDITORIAL: Tipperary support was crucial in momentous All-Ireland victory

What we saw in Croke Park on Sunday will unquestionably go down as one of the most iconic days in Tipperary GAA history, and was a perfect showcase for what the GAA is all about, writes Seán Ryan.

Last week, I wrote about how the Tipperary support could arguably be as influential on the game as the players themselves, and this proved to be the case.

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The Tipperary supporters put on an absolute clinic on Sunday afternoon.

Being six points down against the favourites at half time would have been enough to have most team’s supporters ready to admit defeat, but come the start of the second half, the blue half of the crowd was deafening, and it did not stop until the final whistle.

Every ball pucked came with cheers from the crowd. Every score had people on their feet. The Cork support tried to rival the Tipperary support, but were drowned out by their old rivals.

A standing ovation upon Noel McGrath’s entrance onto the field could only be topped by his point at the end to see out the game, as he solidified his place among Tipperary’s greats securing his fourth All-Ireland medal.

‘Tipp are back,’ was the phrase of the day, echoing all the way around the stadium as the whistle blew. Few could believe what they had just witnessed.

The Tipperary faithful stuck around in great numbers to watch Ronan Maher deliver his winning speech, and paying special tribute to his late former team-mate Dillon Quirke.

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The support for the team never died throughout the game. And they must have felt this presence behind them. They weren’t just playing for themselves. They were playing for the 40-odd thousand people who travelled up to Dublin full of hope to see the blue and gold rain supreme once more.

Tipperary hurling is once again in a good place. The supporters know this, are fully behind it, and are not shy about showing their support.