KILKENNY ARE ALREADY there and on Sunday evening at around 5.30pm, we’ll know whether Tipperary or Galway have joined the Cats in the All-Ireland senior hurling final on 6 September.
It’s time for the Premier County and the Tribesmen to lay their All-Ireland credentials on the line but Tipp’s need is greater.
For this current group of players to be remembered as true greats, they need to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup again, and beat Kilkenny in the process.
Tipp stopped the Noresiders doing five-in-a-row in 2010 but in every season since then, Kilkenny have ended their championship interest.
In 2011 it was the final and a year later Brian Cody’s men inflicted a damaging 18-point semi-final defeat on Tipp, the county’s worst senior championship defeat since the 1800s.
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Kilkenny hammered Tipperary in a fractious 2012 All-Ireland semi-final. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
In 2013, Kilkenny won a Nowlan Park qualifier and last year, the men in black and amber claimed victory in the All-Ireland final replay.
Over the previous four seasons Tipp have been good but not good enough to slay their neighbours but history has taught us that success is a cyclical thing for the blue and gold.
It took Nicky English three years to reach the Promised Land before he delivered an All-Ireland title in 2001.
It was same for Liam Sheedy before Tipp claimed victory five years ago and in Eamon O’Shea’s third, and final, season at the helm, climbing the Hogan Stand steps next month would be fitting reward for his efforts.
He took over a bedraggled and psychologically damaged bunch in 2012 and year one was about sifting through what he had and making the team competitive again.
Liam Sheedy masterminded All-Ireland glory for Tipperary in 2010. Cathal Noonan
Cathal Noonan
2014 represented another major step forward and this summer, O’Shea finally cracked the Munster code and delivered a first Munster title and his first piece of silverware in charge.
Fine progress has been achieved but O’Shea and Tipp are anxious to take the final steps.
Galway will present formidable opposition, make no mistake, but defeat is not an option for O’Shea and his players.
They are good enough and armed with enough motivation to overcome the Tribesmen at GAA HQ and set up a fifth All-Ireland final clash with Kilkenny in seven seasons.
The law of averages and the talent at Tipp’s disposal suggests that their time will come again soon.
But these Tipperary players can’t afford to wait much longer. Their time is now.
It's time for Tipperary to set up another All-Ireland hurling final with Kilkenny
KILKENNY ARE ALREADY there and on Sunday evening at around 5.30pm, we’ll know whether Tipperary or Galway have joined the Cats in the All-Ireland senior hurling final on 6 September.
It’s time for the Premier County and the Tribesmen to lay their All-Ireland credentials on the line but Tipp’s need is greater.
For this current group of players to be remembered as true greats, they need to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup again, and beat Kilkenny in the process.
Tipp stopped the Noresiders doing five-in-a-row in 2010 but in every season since then, Kilkenny have ended their championship interest.
In 2011 it was the final and a year later Brian Cody’s men inflicted a damaging 18-point semi-final defeat on Tipp, the county’s worst senior championship defeat since the 1800s.
In 2013, Kilkenny won a Nowlan Park qualifier and last year, the men in black and amber claimed victory in the All-Ireland final replay.
Over the previous four seasons Tipp have been good but not good enough to slay their neighbours but history has taught us that success is a cyclical thing for the blue and gold.
It was same for Liam Sheedy before Tipp claimed victory five years ago and in Eamon O’Shea’s third, and final, season at the helm, climbing the Hogan Stand steps next month would be fitting reward for his efforts.
He took over a bedraggled and psychologically damaged bunch in 2012 and year one was about sifting through what he had and making the team competitive again.
2014 represented another major step forward and this summer, O’Shea finally cracked the Munster code and delivered a first Munster title and his first piece of silverware in charge.
Fine progress has been achieved but O’Shea and Tipp are anxious to take the final steps.
They are good enough and armed with enough motivation to overcome the Tribesmen at GAA HQ and set up a fifth All-Ireland final clash with Kilkenny in seven seasons.
The law of averages and the talent at Tipp’s disposal suggests that their time will come again soon.
But these Tipperary players can’t afford to wait much longer. Their time is now.
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Comment COMP:ALL-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Eamon O'Shea GAA Galway Tipperary