The greatest moments of Tipperary's 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer were delivered on the biggest occasions

The hurling league resumes for Tipperary this evening, Saturday with a trip to Croke Park, a venue we’d love to see more of later in the summer. For the moment a league clash with the Dubs will have to suffice, with the hope of building on the bright start to the series in the opening two games.

Tipperary will be hotly fancied, at odds of 1/3, though it’s as well to remind ourselves that the metropolitans won the last two league clashes between the counties – both by a single point and both played at Semple Stadium. Micheál Donoghue and his players won’t exactly fear Tipperary then, will they?

Last year that Dublin defeat was one of two in the series, which kept us out of the knockouts; Waterford delivered the other in quite emphatic fashion down in Walsh Park. The Dubs in Thurles hit two goals, built a five-point lead in the second half before our late push at retrieval fell one short.

A cursory glance at last year’s lineout against Dublin shows that a third of the starting fifteen won’t feature this time. Craig Morgan and Paddy Cadell are cruciate victims while the Flynn brothers and Robert Byrne are out of favour.

Not even the prescient prophets of the Old Testament could predict Tipperary’s formation for this evening. I can’t recall a previous year when so many players got early season play -time. I think the number was 34 after the Munster League and you can add several more since then. Liam Cahill and colleagues have certainly cast the net wide and haven’t been shy about sending fellows into the trenches.

Through all of this, of course, you eventually have to bed down your optimum fifteen – plus reinforcements. Injuries have complicated the picture with the unwelcome news during the week regarding Paddy Cadell and Cathal Barrett, though on the flip side it was encouraging to see Conor Stakelum return on Sunday last in the Dillon Quirke tournament.

Experimentation is fine and necessary but eventually a team has to take shape and in the condensed nature of the modern season, time is limited. Options too are limited. A mouthy “cat” behind us at Nowlan Park a fortnight ago kept urging the Kilkenny forwards to “rattle into” Barry Hogan in the knowledge that the sub ‘keeper was already out injured. Only in Kilkenny!

The Kiladangan man would appear to have that number one spot pretty well secured at the moment, which raises the issue of back-up if Rhys Shelly is unavailable. St Marys’ Enda Dunphy was brought in on Sunday last as cover and may have a role again this weekend if, as expected, the Moycarkey man is still not recovered. Aaron Browne is also mentioned in passing but he suffered a major hand injury in the county Under 21 semi-final against Sarsfields.

The defence has lots of debatable points to be negotiated too. It was great to see Bryan O’Mara and Gearoid O’Connor play leading roles in back-to-back UL Fitzgibbon wins. It may have been controversial against Galway last year but there was no dispute this time. O’Mara will be looked to for half back inspiration. Contrary to others, I don’t see the full back issue as resolved and with Barrett now out there’s a bit of reorganising to be done in this zone.

All the indications are that Michael Breen will remain at number three for the moment, with Johnny Ryan making a very favourable impression in the corner. There may be a further opportunity for Eoghan Connolly in Cathal Barrett’s spot.

There are more options at half back, where you’d expect to see Ronan Maher and Bryan O’Mara on Saturday. Enda Heffernan has been doing well at wing and got a run at full on Sunday, when it was impossible to make any judgement given the nature of the game. Brian McGrath and Podge Campion are other options in that zone.

Midfield can be variable but it’s good to see Conor Stakelum return where he’s attracted much favourable comment in past games. Dan McCormack, forever displaying the time-honoured virtues of hard work and graft, seems to be nailing down a midfield spot also.

In attack then you’d expect to see Noel McGrath and Jason Forde in action with various mix- and-match combinations possible to complete the sextet. Gearoid O’Connor has surely earned more exposure and then you have others such as Jake Morris, “Bonner” Maher, John McGrath, Conor Bowe, Sean Ryan and Seamus Kennedy all in the mix.

Mark Kehoe has surely showcased his claim after his scoring exploits last Sunday. Cian O’Dwyer is another who has been featuring in past selections. Let’s not forget Seamus Callanan, who can also play a role as we saw in the league game against Kilkenny. And Alan Tynan really impressed the last day at Nowlan Park.

A hugely encouraging aspect of the game at Nowlan Park was the leadership assumed by the more senior players, who stepped up when the demands were highest. Jason Forde’s role was particularly pleasing in that regard. Our best hope for the season is that these guys will continue in that mood and, hopefully, five or six newcomers will step up to requirements around them.

That victory in Nowlan Park sees us well set up in the league, where a further win on Saturday evening should see the team well poised for a semi-final. Our historic league record against Dublin is healthy. Out of 37 previous clashes Tipperary won 22, lost 11 and drew 4. The last ten meetings between the counties, however, show Tipperary on 5 wins, Dublin with 4 and one draw, back in 2012.

Those stats certainly don’t give any cause for complacency. Dublin have often found a way to get at Tipperary in latter years. Already in this series they’ve drawn with Waterford in Dungarvan and beaten Antrim in Parnell Park. Micheál Donoghue will be familiar with the Tipperary way and will have his side well-tuned to requirements. It’s not one to be presumptive about.

Last Sunday’s challenge in aid of the Dillon Quirke Foundation was a special occasion for the Quirke family and indeed the Clonoulty/Rossmore club. Their twin aims of perpetuating the memory of Dillon and promoting a very practical initiative on the medical front has met with widespread approval. It’s a worthy cause and they could be proud of arrangements around Sunday’s well-attended event.

The game itself was never going to over-excite; challenge games of their nature usually have training-ground intensity. With both sides fielding thrown-together formations, it was always going to be that sort of a game.

Kilkenny looked to have a slightly stronger make-up. They were certainly the sharper, more purposeful unit and their four goals were game-killers. Gearoid Dunne emerged as the hero. You couldn’t blame any individual on the Tipp side but more of a lack of overall cohesion that saw our defence penetrated so easily.

Mark Kehoe was the individual highlight for Tipperary, hitting seven from play and narrowly missing a pass that could have topped the tally with a supplementary goal. Other than that it was difficult to isolate individuals.

The organisers produced a lovely souvenir programme but with one unfortunate element. The published lineouts bore no relation to the teams that played, with fans left constantly checking numbers in the twenties and thirties to identify players. Is Shane Neville the first Tipperary player ever to play for the county wearing number 40?

This could all have been avoided by delaying the inclusion of the team selections until a few days beforehand, as happens routinely with matches, both league and championship. The most important page in any match programme is the lineout page and, unfortunately, on Sunday it was a work of fiction. Anyway, there’s the rant, which shouldn’t take from the overall fine achievement by the organisers.

In other news, if would be a major omission to pass over the retirement of “Bubbles” O’Dwyer without comment. I guess the announcement wasn’t a surprise but still an item of huge regret for the followers, for whom “Bubbles” brought that special magic that few others could match.

He was the great showman of the team, Croke Park his stage. A big-time player, his greatest moments were delivered on the biggest occasions. His scoring exploits in All-Ireland semi-finals and finals illustrate the point. On other occasions, in routine games, he could often seem indifferent, but once he got into Croke Park this was his theatre.

I guess it’s the wrists that will always be recalled. At a time when the game has embraced greater athleticism, it was the wizardry of the wrists that set “Bubbles” apart. So many of his scores just linger in the memory because of the sorcery of those hands.

Once he was outside the Tipperary panel for a second year it was unavoidable that his career was effectively over. It’s another nod to a departing generation of hurlers who gave us unbelievable moments over a decade and more.

“Bubbles” brightened our days more than most on those occasions. We owe him deep appreciation and wish him well in retirement.