Tipperary Hurling Tipperary GAA Premierview

2007 Articles



The Killinan End

June 9th 2007


“Limerick’s Dreary Steeples – Our first port of call.”

Growing up in the 1980’s certainly makes one appreciate the latte-culture of our Celtic Tiger present. We may very well be living in the dying sting of the Tiger era, but for many of us all it takes is the memory of ten penny packets of Barry McGuigan crisps and soaring unemployment in order for us to fully count our blessings alongside our SSIA’s.

One of Ireland’s shining lights for mediocrity and decay in the 1980’s was Limerick city. A dank, miserable and decaying settlement which wouldn’t have been out of place in the former GDR. Memories of going to matches in the 1980’s and early 1990’s in Limerick are pock-marked with memories of rain-sodden days, angry dark clouds, and a slow procession of Ford Cortinas, Datsun Sunnys and Fiat Regatas through from the Tipperary road to the old Gaelic Grounds. It may as well have been Dresden in the spring of 1945.

The Gaelic Grounds themselves were literally falling to bits. In the pre-JP era, I can clearly recall rivulets of urine flowing with gay abandon on the site of the current Uncovered Stand, the Grounds themselves never really extended themselves in the catering department either. On the wrong side of the city to boast any selection of note-worthy hostelries, and hampered by some of the worst traffic congestion known to man or beast, I’m afraid I’ll always have a dreary feeling about going to games in Limerick. Not being much of a fan of the old egg-chasing, I never seem to get the whole “Sporting Capital” epithet either.

The dreary steeples of the Ennis Road come a calling for us once more on Sunday as the 2007 edition of Tipperary Senior Hurling start its championship odyssey. Not for us the warm glow of a trip to the revamped Stadium, nor the instant Weekend at Bernie’s style party-experience represented by a trip Leeside. No, impending drudgery awaits. It’s off to Limerick we not so gaily go.

Truth be told, and as this column is supposed to be some form of “intelligent” (God help us!) analysis, the dreary feeling isn’t just confined to Sunday’s surroundings. Can anyone scarcely remember a championship build-up so utterly flat, before? Tipperary people are never the most docile of creatures in the weeks before the big championship off, but the mood this time round is fairly cantankerous.

One possible explanation for all this may be put down to a sort of “difficult second album” syndrome. Last year we had all of the hoop-la generated by the return of Babs. It was infectious, a tad wishful perhaps, heavy on the old nostalgia for sure, but it sort of gave us all a collective tonic.

This time round, it’s a case of reality bites. Year 2 was a dangerous position for Father Tom, Len and for Ken. Trapdoor central. The high has receded, the demand for results has increased, and understandably things are a little edgier in Tipp in 2007.

Then there is the League that was. Another springtime jaunt through the motions. I sort of think we in Tipp treat the League with the same sort of manic fascination as politicians treat opinion polls. Both place religious levels of faith on things which are only a fleeting measure of form.

The League has become a jaded and bloated excuse for inter county managers to squad-build and a unconvincing attempt for the GAA to cod us all into thinking that topflight hurling has a lifecycle beginning in March.

Last year’s League presented us all with the assumption that Limerick came to the championship table as real contenders. Contenders that were to be machine-gunned into oblivion by the Boy Wonder in a mid May massacre. First degree murder to that notion.

This year’s League saw us triumph over an understrength Kilkenny, duke it out by the seaside against Galway until finally succumbing, and then there was opening day in Nenagh. A goalkeeping master class by Brian Murray was enough to deny us victory on that day, although truth be told it was going to be uphill against an ultra-motivated Limerick who seemed to lift themselves once again for the small occasion.

Its now become more of a challenge not to get the later stages of the League than to get there, the fates and points permutations conspired to throw up a quarter-final berth against Waterford this year. The Waterford players hurled like men possessed but still could only eke out a one point against a Tipp selection that resembled a Vietnam War movie ensemble. Waterford’s determination got them the whole way in the League. A National honour finally won by the Decies.

Its interesting what you can glean for different people’s reaction is to winning the League. At the risk of giving a hostage to the accuracy police, I can recall (but not the precise interview) Tommy Dunne describing his immediate reaction to having captained Tipperary to a National League title, along the lines of sticking the League trophy in the boot of his car and forgetting about it. A few years ago I happened to be at Galway Greyhound Stadium, the scene of manys a misspent student evening of mine. I noticed a poster advertising some sort of victory social and hoop la for Ollie Canning and the League Cup. It struck me at the time as a form of prescient sign that Galway’s beam may be a bit off, when the serious hurling was to be done later that year.

So, the moral of all this, is not to expect Babs euphoria to last past the first flush of romance and not to get carried away in League talk.

The injuries of that Nowlan Park battlefield have taken their toll, a toll that is still be reckoned with. The most notable casualty being one Paul Kelly, a grievous loss given the part Paul Kelly has been given in Babs Version 2.0.

When Babs Keating ran the rule last year over what it takes to bring Tipperary back to glory, he immediately identified the need for new talent. The one positive aspect of the League has been the showcasing of new names and faces. Keating’s hand has seriously been strengthened by last year’s All Ireland Minor and Munster under 21 victories.

A new look Tipperary for 2007 has some noticeably new options. Between the sticks Killenaule’s Gerry Kennedy has dislodged numerous contenders to become Brendan Cummins’s apprentice. The Drom pairing of Eamon Buckley and James Woodlock have been given their head and the opportunity to make a name. Both start on Sunday, the reliable and no-flash Buckley and the more swashbuckling Woodlock.

In attack, Pa Burke, the flaxen headed bomber from Carrick, Danny O’Hanlon, and Ryan O’Dwyer have all featured to some extent in Keating’s plans. Some cryptic comments about conditioning players through the Under 21 squad and having a sort of graduation process between the two, has been made. Whatever about the merits of that, its clear that the focus has been on finding reserves of talent.


Patient rebuilding, new faces, redeployments such as Benny to the half back line and Kelly the elder to the edge of the square, have all been encouraging developments. The Jury may remain out on just about everything yet, however the shape of the new look Tipperary team is promising and with an evening out in standards and forms between the other counties, we could be in a for an interesting summer.

Which brings us to where our summer starts; new Sunday in Dresden.

A fixture which breeds much familiarity. Limerick after their latest bout of regime change present much the same proposition as they did for us in Thurles, twelve months ago. A side of under-achievers and nearly men, who can never seem to get enough of a foothold on the ladder to championship success.

If Tipperary cannot send Limerick pacing on Sunday, well then lets face it, we have no business being in the business end of the championship when the real hurling starts. However, confidence is not to be confused with recklessness. A opening day fixture away from home against a side bent on revenge, is a tricky prospect for any side I expect Limerick to throw the gauntlet down to Tipp with all the thunder and fury of the Valkyries from Valhalla, from the very start.

The side that Babs has selected is very much the end product of the last few months talent search. A serious doubt it would seem remains on the fitness of our full back Paul Curran, last year All Star nominee, with Declan Fanning waiting in the wings for an entrée. We have spoken about Buckley of Drom before who is a deserved debutante and the return to pastures familiar for Diarmiud Fitzgerald is welcome after last years 2fsh out of water” experience.

This column’s Hurler of the Year for last year, Eamon Corcoran goes once more onto the breach in the half back line. Benny Dunne’s selection on this line has been one of the positional talking points to date. Would that he could conjure up some Toome gaisci if he lines out at centre back on Sunday.



The best compliment one can pay Shane McGrath is that the question posed this year, was not “Will Shane McGrath start in midfield this year” rather it was “Who will start with Shane McGrath in midfield this year”. That question was answered by James Woodlock who gets a big opportunity to make a reputation for himself on Sunday.

The Tipperary Half forward line, reminds one of John Hurt’s line in Rob Roy about the problems the Queen of England was having in producing an heir:

''Aye, one might have hoped that a field so regularly ploughed might have yielded one good crop. In truth I have seen healthier graveyards than that woman’s womb.''

Who would want to play in a Tipp half forward line, so much maligned and criticised. Well we have a few new features on Sunday; all eyes will turn to Cashel’s young powerpacket, Ryan O’Dwyer, who has the courage in spades. Darragh Egan and John Carroll supply the brawn and if the forty yard line turns into a slugfest, having a half forward line containing more testosterone than the Dallas Cowboys’ locker room mightn’t be so bad.

The inside line features The Boy Wonder, Lar and Willie Ryan from Toome, all three well capable of keeping umpires and scoreboard operators busy on Sunday, we should see a green flag or two, one would think.

Limerick will give us a few scary moments, if the same controlled aggression that Bennis and Kirby eked out of them for last year’s showdown against Cork, can be shown on Sunday then this will be a busy afternoon.

That said, I have a prevailing feeling of confidence that Tipp will not be defeated on Sunday, and a third successive Munster Final appearance is there to be booked in Dresden on Sunday.

The Verdict: Tipp by at least four points.


GMB.