BREAKING: Tipperary minor hurlers win Munster title in emphatic fashion in Limerick

Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship Final

Tipperary 2-17

Clare 0-16

Tipperary are Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Champions for 2024 after a terrific and composed second-half performance which yielded two key goals won the day, as the Premier lads avenged their round-robin defeat to Clare in TUS Gaelic Grounds on Monday evening.

Stefan Tobin was the match-winner for Tipperary as the Carrick man assisted the first goal before bagging an impressive clincher seven minutes later as the Premier teenagers have given Tipperary GAA a most welcomed and timely boost by winning the Munster crown for the second time in three years.

In what was largely a very close contest, Tipperary found the extra gear at just the right time in the final quarter, with Euan Murray, Tiarnan Ryan, and the aforementioned Stefan Tobin impressing to clinch the game in a real ding-dong affair.

There was a fine Tipperary support present on the pitch at full-time and they watched a very fitting moment unfold on the steps of the Mackey Stand with Holycross Ballycahill player Cathal O’Reilly accepting the newly named John Doyle Cup on behalf of his teammates; a great honour for the young man who no doubt grew up hearing of the exploits of his clubman.

As if to immediately make the point that there was going to be no more than a puck of the ball between the teams come full-time, the first half fare lent itself to a tight game with both sets of young players displaying the nerves you would associate with young lads playing on such a big occasion.

Tipperary burst out of the traps at lightning pace and knocked over the first three points in as many minutes with Stefan Tobin hitting two fine scores while his inside forward teammate Cillian Minogue got in on the act between the two scores from the Carrick player.

Indeed, despite Tipperary motoring further up to the tenth minute and taking a 0-5 to 0-1 lead with Euan Murray and Eoghan Doughan (free) adding to the total, you felt that Clare were always going to be in contention and despite that slow start, the Banner youngsters had the game back to a single point by the 13th minute when they hit three in a row; two Harry Doherty points and a brilliant solo effort from Dara Kennedy the scorers.

The setup of the two teams was certainly a conservative one with the bodies packing their own third to avoid coughing up goal chances and it made the contest somewhat reserved in terms of action and big moments, but the sides were chipping away back and forth with the sides level at 0-1 apiece after 20 minutes of play.

James Woodlock’s charges did re-take the lead twice in the final ten minutes of the first half but neither team looked confident or assured enough to capitalize on dominant spells so far, with Eoghan Doughan pointing two more for Tipp (one free), along with Darragh O’Hora and a massive long ranger from Jake Donnellan Houlihan supplying the Tipp scores.

Liam Murphy was the danger man from a Tipperary perspective coming into the final after he bagged three goals in Thurles in the round-robin clash between the sides, and despite being kept quiet by Cathal O’Reilly for most of the first half, he very nearly goaled on the stroke of half-time but the Tipp defence just about got back to foil his attempt at goal from close range. All square at 0-10 apiece at the break.

The game took a very similar path in the early as the sides traded the first six points of the resumption with Stefan Tobin and Eoghan Doughan (2) bagging those scores but Clare dragged them back again with points from James Cullinan and Graham Ball; Clare refusing to give Tipperary breathing room on the scoreboard.

With so little between the sides and so little quarter being given near shooting range, you felt that a goal was going to be a huge score and Tipperary were the one to get it. 

Stefan Tobin deserves a lot of the credit after the full-forward turned over a ball from a Clare puckout and managed to head through a gap in the middle of the defence at pace and offload a perfect hand pass to Cillian Minogue who stitched the chance from close range. A big moment.

And from here, Tipperary really pushed form home in the remaining 15 minutes with Euan Murray and Aaron Cagney making Minogue’s strike a five-point goal in essence, and when Stefan Tobin showed his pace once again with a class solo goal in the 52nd minute, Tipperary had secured victory as they held out several late Clare attempts to raise a green flag.

A badly needed boost for Tipperary hurling happened in Limerick on a beautiful Monday night, and the John Doyle Cup will rest easy in Holycross Ballycahilll GAA for the next 12 months at least!

Scorers: Tipperary: Stefan Tobin 1-3, Eoghan Doughan (0-6, 0-3f), Cillian Minogue 1-1, Euan Murray 0-3, Jake Donnellan Houlihan 0-1f, Darragh O’Hora, Killian Cantwell, Aaron Cagney 

Clare: Matthew Corbett (0-3, 0-2f), Harry Doherty (0-3, 0-2f), James Cullinan, Graham Ball 0-2 each, Rian Mulcahy 0-1 65, Dara Kennedy, Conor Ralph, Liam Murphy, Ryan Hayes Paul Rodgers all 0-1 each.

Tipperary: Daire English (Fr. Sheehys); Shane Ryan (Killenaule), Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), Patrick Ryan (Borris-Ileigh); David Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Owen O’Dwyer (Killenaule), Jake Donnellan Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg); Tiarnán Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), Darragh O’Hora (Solohead); Adam Ryan (Arravalve Rovers), Euan Murray (Durlas Óg), Billy O’Brien (Nenagh Éire Óg); Eoghan Doughan (Moneygall), Stefan Tobin (Carrick Swans), Cillian Minogue (Durlas Óg).

Subs used: Aaron Cagney (St. Marys) for O’Hora (45); Paul Cummins (Ballybacon Grange) for A Ryan (55); Killian Cantwell (Moycarkey Borris) for T Ryan (60); Joe O’Dwyer (Burgess) for Minogue (61); Kieran Rossiter (Durlas Óg) for Doughan (64).

Clare: Matthew Crotty (Scarriff); Darren Moroney (Éire Óg Ennis), Eoin McNamara (Clooney Quin), Séan Óg Kilkenny (Bodyke); Dara Kennedy (Ballyea), James Cullinan (Ballyea), Rian Mulcahy (Éire Óg Ennis); Graham Ball (St. Josephs Doora Barefield), Matthew Corbett (Clooney Quin); Conor Ralph (Clarecastle), Patrick Finneran (Clooney Quin), Harry Doherty (Clarecastle); Jerry O’Connor (Clooney Quin), Paul Rodgers (Scarriff), Liam Murphy (O’Callaghans Mills).

Subs used: Ryan Hayes (Tulla) for Ralph (37); Michael Vaughan (Broadford) for O’Connor (43); Tadhg Lohan (Cratloe) for Finneran (48); Darragh Ball (St. Josephs Doora Barefield) for Corbett (55).

Referee: Ciaran O’Regan (Cork)