Tipperary hurlers aiming to write new, successful chapter in county's illustrious history

Tipperary’s pedigree as one of hurling’s centres of power is without question.

With 28 All-Ireland senior titles to their credit, they are just two behind Cork in the all-time list, with the Rebels the favourites to add to their 30 championships in this Sunday’s final.

Impressive and all though Tipperary and Cork’s collection may be, they are both lagging behind Kilkenny, who have 36 titles, with eleven of those won between 2000 and 2015.

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Under Brian Cody’s hugely successful reign, Kilkenny may have dominated the hurling landscape for the best part of 15 years, and yet Tipperary’s last three All-Ireland Final victories have come against The Cats.

Their meeting in the 2009 decider, when Tipperary were unlucky to lose out by five points (2-22 to 0-23), was the prelude to a decade of great rivalry between the neighbours, when they faced each other in no fewer than seven finals in the ten years between 2009 and 2019 (including a replay in 2014).

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It was a rivalry that defined that particular era of the game.

Tipp gained ample revenge for defeat in the 2009 final twelve months later, when they stopped Kilkenny’s bid for an historic five in a row in its tracks.

The 4-17 to 1-18 scoreline in the 2010 decider reflected Tipp’s dominance in one of their most famous All-Ireland triumphs. Liam Sheedy’s team benefitted from a hat trick of goals from Lar Corbett, and another from Noel McGrath. Fifteen years later, the 34-year-old Loughmore/Castleiney player is the only survivor from that team who will be on duty for his county this Sunday.

The MacCarthy Cup was accepted by Mullinahone’s Eoin Kelly, the first south Tipperary man to captain his county to All-Ireland senior success. After the cup presentation a player from Kelly’s neighbouring club Killenaule, substitute Pat Kerwick, sang a rousing rendition of The Galtee Mountain Boy.

Tipperary’s songs of joy turned into laments twelve months later when they lost out to Kilkenny in the final. The teams were reunited for the 2014 final, which is now regarded as one of the greatest finals of the modern era, when the pace was unrelenting from start to finish, and the intensity was on another level, as each team sought to gain the upper hand.

Tipperary thought they had won it at the death when a late, long distance free from John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer sailed over the bar. However, Hawkeye ruled otherwise, the game finished in a draw and the teams reconvened for a replay three weeks later, when Kilkenny were the better team and by a margin more than than the scoreline might suggest, winning by 2-17 to 2-14.

Tipp had their revenge two years later, when a team managed by former player and selector Michael Ryan defeated The Cats by 2-29 to 2-20, the Tipp goals scored by ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer and John McGrath, who is still serving his county with distinction nine years later.

The Tipperary team that won the 1991 All-Ireland Final was presented to the crowd before the match to mark the 25th anniversary of their success. Tipp manager Michael Ryan, who played on that team, was represented by his mother for the presentation.

And so onto 2019, when Tipperary’s 28th and most recent All-Ireland title was again secured at the expense of Kilkenny. Kilkenny were aggrieved when Richie Hogan was sent off for a foul on Cathal Barrett in the 33rd minute, before Tipperary eased to victory by 3-25 to 0-20.

Seamus Callanan scored 1-2 in that final to maintain his record of scoring a goal in every championship game during the year, eight in total. The other Tipp goals were scored by Niall O’Meara and ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer.

Of Tipperary’s last six All-Ireland final victories, stretching back to 1989, four have been won in finals against Kilkenny. The odd ones out were Antrim in 1989, when Tipperary bridged an 18-year gap since their previous success against Kilkenny (them again!) in 1971; and Galway in the 2001 final, when the team was captained by Tommy Dunne and managed by Nicky English, winning by 2-18 to 2-15.

Both of the Tipp goals were scored by Kilruane MacDonaghs player Mark O’Leary, while Declan Ryan won his third All-Ireland medal in three different decades.

It was a time when the cup presentation was made on the pitch, with a new Hogan Stand under construction in the redevelopment of Croke Park.

As well as their 28 victories, Tipp have also been beaten in 13 finals.

The county’s halcyon era was undoubtedly the 1960s, when the MacCarthy Cup returned to the Premier County in 1961, ‘62, ‘64 and ‘65. They were also beaten in the finals in 1960, ‘67 and ‘68.

It was an era in which players such as Jimmy Doyle, Theo English, ‘Babs’ Keating, John Doyle, Mick Roche and Donie Nealon achieved legendary status.

In a county with such an illustrious history, the three in a row in 1949, ‘50 and ‘51 is also worthy of mention.

A new chapter in the county’s hurling history is about to be written. Will it be a 29th title, or defeat in a final for the 14th time?

All will be revealed in the fullness of time.