COLUMN: Belief growing in Tipperary GAA with big games coming down the tracks
Saturday night last was certainly a throwback to the Tipperary and Cork rivalry of old with one of the most exciting matches in the county’s recent history in the Munster Championship.
It had a bit of everything. Goals aplenty, brilliant points, heavy hits, talking points, injuries, yellow cards, and all that in front of a packed house in a resplendent Pairc Ui Chaoimh with the crowds really embracing the helter skelter nature of this Munster Hurling Championship.
The Premier County crowd present on the banks of the Lee last Saturday were outnumbered in a big way but the fans who did make the journey were treated the latest instalment of a Premier revival which is gathering pace much quicker than any of us, even the most staunch and optimistic of supporters could have predicted.
A lot of the talk ahead of this year’s fare was how Tipperary were in the first year of a transitional period for the senior hurling team, but the way in which the players are applying themselves and buying into the new management team was clear for all to see on Saturday.
However, the endeavour on the field isn’t being matched by the support in the stands at the moment and Liam Cahill referenced after the Cork game (see page 70 inside) that he feels this group of players deserves the support of the Tipperary public, especially heading into the Limerick game.
In last year’s round robin championship it was a sorry sight during the home games in FBD Semple Stadium, with Cork and Clare supporters outgunning the local support and with the All-Ireland champions coming to town in a wounded state, it would be a massive shame to have more green jerseys in the stands than blue and gold.
Back to the game last Saturday though, Tipperary really laid down the gauntlet with some terrific performances around the field and really should have left Cork with two points, but they still find themselves in a good position with three points from two games, with two home fixtures to come.
CAMOGIE
Elsewhere, Tipperary camogie are in the early stages of a recuperation of their own, qualifying for the Munster final with an impressive display in downing Waterford last Saturday, and with the heavyweights in Cork being beaten by Clare it sets up a very winnable game this coming Saturday as it will be the curtain raiser to Clare and Waterford’s clash in the third round of the Munster round robin in FBD Semple Stadium.
Denis Kelly is the man in charge this year and the Toomevara man is very familiar with the players at his disposal having worked as a coach under Bill Mullaney for several years, and he looks to have them purring nicely indeed.
Tipperary have shown huge promise in the past four or five years but haven’t converted that into winning silverware, so Saturday represents a big opportunity to get the monkey off their back heading into the All-Ireland series.
Meanwhile, our senior footballers will begin their Tailteann Cup campaign this Saturday with a very tough opening away tie in Pairc Tailteann in Navan as they look to get the better of a wounded Meath team.
From the outset of the Munster draw late last year it was clear that Tipp were going to end up in this position with Kerry on their side of the draw, but the poor league form in the intervening period will mean confidence is low in the camp, and around Tipperary football in general at the minute.
They haven’t been helped with a tough group draw as along with Meath, they have to face Down, and an all too familiar face off against Waterford.
But they will be hoping they can utilise the low morale in the Royal County this Saturday and with a home game against Down to come the following week, before finishing off in a neutral venue fixture against Waterford in the final group game, they will feel that it is not out of the question to get out of the group and salvage something from what has been a disappointing 2023 campaign so far.