TIPPERARY’S BRENDAN MAHER became the first man since Brian Cody to captain his county to both All-Ireland senior and minor success.
The 27-year-old played a starring role at midfield as Tipperary stunned Kilkenny with a devastating second-half display. The Premier County secured their 27th title on the back of an impressive 2-29 to 2-20 victory.
And Maher, who climbed the fabled steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the Liam MacCarthy, revealed he forgot to thank manager Michael Ryan before he accepted the trophy, despite having his speech prepared.
The Borris-Ileigh man wrote his speech three weeks ago and a friend handed it over as he made his way to the stand.
“It’s unbelievable, the stuff you dream of,” Maher told RTE Sport.
“In the moment you don’t know what to think, you’re a bit all over the place, and I forgot to mention Mick Ryan and the management in the speech and I had him first on the list.
“I saw the names and said I’d come back to it, but I just forgot. You don’t know what you’re at! I’ve been getting a bit of stick off the lads since.
“I scribbled a few notes out the day after the Galway game. Got it out of the head.
“I was sitting down in my home house, doing a bit of work, and it came into my head. I saw there was a copy and a biro on the table so I just said, ‘right, I’ll jot down a few thank yous’ and it was out of my head then.
“I probably learned that from the last time in 2014 and I had spoken to Eoin (Kelly) about it as well and he said he didn’t do it in 2011 and it corrupted his thoughts in the lead-up to it.
“That’s natural no matter how focused you are coming in to it, that’s still going to come into your head. I didn’t have to think about it because I had it written down, but I’d be like that – I like to write things down.
“It was handed to me by someone at the final whistle, I won’t tell you who, and it was nice for me to have that piece of mind that I wouldn’t have to think about what I was going to say. Even though I still forgot!”
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UP THE REBELS !
Being honest, think cleary would have ben a better man for the job but we will see…
2 more years without sam then….
Up the Dubs
Your muppet. But I love the way yourself and Steve are so fascinated with cork! LOVE IT!!!!!!
I don’t have a muppet
I’m glad you love it Patrick. Love is in the air!!!!
Spot on again Nelly. It’s only non Cork people who can’t admit to that and also can’t see how they are the laughing stock of the GAA world now as they can’t fight like men for promotion but instead have to get their daddy (Frank Murphy) to mind them and get them a free pass so they don’t throw all their toys out of the pram, again!!
Sure didn’t the Kilkenny CB support the new league proposals, Steve. Did you take it up with them them instead of spamming this place with your repetitive drivel or were Ned Quinn & Co. too busy concocting conspiracy theories ? And Frank Murphy is a Kilkennyman. And you can see it by his latest attempts to destroy Cork hurling by appointing that incompetent fool Kenneally to the U21 hurlers job and underachieving areskisser Cuthbert to the senior football job. Frank is the best friend the Powder Pissers have.
Kilkenny can support what they want as they are league champions. Kilkenny will be in the top division regardless. Cork are the gutless ones looking for an easy out!!
Paul would you leave Nelly and Steve alone, you’d have a “chip on your shoulder” too if you were not from Cork.
Kilkenny being league champions is completely and utterly irrelevant. The point is that the Kilkenny county board supported the league proposals put forward, the ones you are alleging every day by spamming this site are yet another Cork conspiracy., If it’s a conspiracy, Kilkenny are in on it too. Why don’t you spam them?
I hear Noel King’s at a loose end. Premature choice by Cork County Board!
Sweet jesus keneally as u21 boss. Joke shop. The man is an embarrassment
Merrrrrrrr
Of course Cork are supporting the new proposals as it promotes them without them having to play a match. Crazy decision from the GAA
RATIFIED!!!!
Sam won’t be returning to lee side