Tipperary hurlers march into All-Ireland semi-final for first time in six years

Tipperary 1-28  Galway 2-17

Tipperary have reached their first All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final since 2019, where they will meet Kilkenny on Sunday July 6, following this relatively comfortable victory over Galway at TUS Gaelic Grounds this evening.

Played in front of an attendance of 15,414, this wasn’t the greatest game in terms of quality, but the result is all that matters for Tipperary, after they broke a sequence that had seen Galway win the previous three championship meetings between the counties.

Only one score separated Galway and Tipperary in twelve of their previous fifteen championship meetings stretching back to 1988, but this was a different affair.

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Tipperary had lost their previous three quarter-finals in 2020-2021 and 2023, leaving them seeking their first win since beating Laois in 2019, and they duly delivered.

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They were in charge for most of this game, from the time they took the lead after nine minutes.

Six points ahead at half-time, Tipp were wary of the sort of kickback that Galway produced late in the Leinster final against Kilkenny. But they needn’t have worried.

That was despite Galway scoring the game’s opening goal five minutes into the new half, when Colm Molloy outfoxed Robert Doyle before drilling a low shot to the net from a tight angle to trim the deficit to just two points.

Tipp’s response was immediate and effective, as they had the next six points through Andrew Ormond, Darragh McCarthy’s free, Darragh Stakelum, a long range sideline from Jason Forde (his second of the game), Andrew Ormond and Willie Connors to regain control.

Jake Morris and Darragh Stakelum were denied a goal by Galway 'keeper Darach Fahy in the same movement in the 51st minute. But Tipp finally found the net 11 minutes from the end of normal time.

Willie Connors started the move with an incisive pass to Noel McGrath. The obvious option seemed a point, but there is nothing obvious about Noel McGrath, who spotted Oisín O’Donoghue in a good position. His pass was collected by the Cashel player, who held off a challenge before smacking a shot to the net.

That was the decisive score of the evening, as it pushed Tipp 12 points clear, with one foot firmly planted in the semi-final.

Galway huffed and puffed for the remainder of the game but they never looked like getting back into it, although they had the consolation of a goal from Declan McLoughlin at the end.

Tipp will need a major improvement if they’re to beat Kilkenny, but they will build on the performances here of Andrew Ormond and Jake Morris, who scored five points each; Jason Forde, who scored seven points, and John McGrath, who was another influential figure.

Ronan Maher directed operations from centre back, while Bryan O’Mara, Michael Breen and Craig Morgan were in good form in defence.         

In a tentative opening, the teams were level three times in the opening eight minutes, before Tipp seized the initiative. They went ahead for the first time in the ninth minute courtesy of a spectacular line ball struck from all of 45 metres by Jason Forde, which was one of five first half points that the Silvermines player scored, the other points all coming from play.

With the help of scores from Forde, John McGrath, Jake Morris and Sam O’Farrell, Tipp extended their advantage. 

When Andrew Ormond picked up a loose ball and sent a shot between the posts, Tipp were six clear after 26 minutes. They were seven points clear when John McGrath made a great point for himself in the 29th minute, 0-15 to 0-8.

Yet for all of Tipp’s dominance on the scoreboard, Galway posed the greatest goal threat in the first half and they almost breached the Tipp defensive cover on the stroke of half-time, when Kevin Cooney’s shot was deflected for a 65 by Rhys Shelly’s diving save, after the Tribesmen had built impressively from midfield.

Cathal Mannion, the scorer of all but two of Galway’s 11 first half points, converted the 65 to leave them five points adrift at the break, 0-16 to 0-11.  

Galway's cause wasn't helped by their 14 wides over the hour, while Tipp had 16.

Tipperary: Rhys Shelly, Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan, Ronan Maher (captain), Bryan O’Mara, Willie Connors (0-1), Peter McGarry, Jake Morris (0-5), Andrew Ormond (0-5), Sam O’Farrell (0-1), Darragh McCarthy (0-3 frees), John McGrath (0-3), Jason Forde (0-7, 2 sidelines, 1 free).

Substitutes: Darragh Stakelum (0-2) for Peter McGarry (half-time), Noel McGrath (0-1) for John McGrath (48 minutes), Oisín O’Donoghue (1-0) for Darragh McCarthy (52 minutes), Conor Stakelum for Sam O’Farrell (59 minutes) and Seamus Kennedy for Willie Connors (66 minutes).  

Galway: Darach Fahy, Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Darren Morrissey, Cianan Fahy, Gavin Lee, Ronan Glennon, Sean Linnane, David Burke, Conor Cooney (0-1), Cathal Mannion (0-13, 8 frees, 3 ‘65s) Colm Molloy (1-0), Conor Whelan (captain 0-1), Brian Concannon, Kevin Cooney.

Substitutes: TJ Brennan for Sean Linnane (half-time), Tom Monaghan (0-2) for David Burke (50 minutes), Declan McLoughlin (1-0) for Conor Cooney (51 minutes), Tiernan Killeen for Kevin Cooney (58 minutes), Rory Burke for Ronan Glennon (66 minutes).

Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin)