1. Tipperary defender Ronan Maher from Thurles Sarsfields is a younger brother of county senior Padraic Maher, who has All Ireland minor, U21 and senior hurling medals to his name.
2. Cork are managed by Pat Kenneally with Timmy Kelleher one of his selectors. Both lined out for the Cork senior hurlers during the 90′s. Cork coach Frankie Flannery was involved with the Kerry senior hurlers last year and this year he was at the helm as Cork club Milford won the All-Ireland senior camogie title.
3. Five members of the Tipperary side are aiming to reach another Munster minor final this year.
Ross Mulcahy, Tom Kirwan, Colin O’Riordan, Josh Keane and Willie Connors are all part of the county’s minor football side that play Kerry in the Munster final in Killarney on Sunday week, July 7th.
O’Riordan was wing back on the 2011 All-Ireland winning Tipperary minor football side.
4. Waterford received a huge boost with the return to fitness of attacker Stephen Bennett after a double hip operation. He came off the bench in their two games to date and hit 2-0 when introduced against Clare.
This is Bennett’s third year as a county minor and in 2011 he hit 3-2 against Limerick while still U16. His father Pat was previously a senior selector under Davy Fitzgerald.
Waterford’s Stephen Bennett
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
5. The Premier need to watch out for Limerick attacker Ronan Lynch. The latest talent to roll off the conveyor belt of the Na Piarsaigh club, he shot 0-11 against the Cork minors with an immaculate display of free taking last year.
And Lynch along with fellow attacker Cian Lynch, a nephew of Ciaran Carey, are both eligible for the minor grade again next year.
6. Waterford will be hoping to tap into the winning instincts of the Dungarvan Colleges side that claimed All Ireland honours earlier this year.
Kevin Daly, Tom Devine, Michael Harney, Cormac Curran and Patrick Curran were all part of that victorious colleges team and they start for the Waterford minor side tonight.
7. Former Limerick senior All-Ireland winner and county manager Eamonn Cregan is a selector with this current minor team. He earlier this year guided Mary Immaculate College to the final of the Fitzgibbon Cup.
Eamonn Cregan with Declan Hannon
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
8. Five Tipperary players featured at some stage during last year’s All-Ireland minor final replay triumph. Ronan Maher, Tom Fox and Barry Heffernan all started in defence while Mark McCarthy started in attack and Conor Lanigan was introduced as a second-half substitute.
9. Members of the Cork team will be hoping to overcome the disappointment of their recent Munster minor football semi final loss to Tipperary. Killian O’Connor, Michael Cahalane, Kevin O’Neill, Peter Kelleher and Rickard Cahalane all featured during that clash in Semple Stadium.
Cork’s Michael Cahalane and Rickard Cahalane after the loss to Tipperary
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
