
Cork in a state of fragility as Liam Cahill's plan comes off
A fortnight ago, when itemising his list of grievances concerning the media coverage of his difficult first two years in charge, Cahill highlighted one slight in particular.
"There were other things, such as Cahill plays with a sweeper. Liam Cahill never played with a sweeper on his team in his life. Ever."
That was that.
Not alone did the Tipperary manager deny that he had ever played a sweeper, he sounded personally offended by the implication he would do so.
All the while, the newly-crowned champions were planning to deploy a textbook sweeper in the first half to halt the supply of ball into the Cork full-forward line, a tactic which worked sensationally well.
This is a tricky moment for the traditionalists.
The word 'sweeper' is obviously taboo across large swathes of hurling nation, Tipperary very much included.
As a result, we're hearing some degree of semantics around this. On one podcast this morning, Bryan O'Mara was described as operating as an 'extra man back'.
We're not sure yet of what the precise distinction is between a sweeper and an extra man back but we're assuming it's a highly subtle one.
After this, the popular notion that a team has never won an All-Ireland playing with a sweeper can be put to bed.
Yesterday was a great victory for the gurus of tactics, even if there is some irony in the fact that it was supposed arch-traditionalists who delivered it.
In his victorious press conference, Cahill even pre-empted the line of questioning about the use of the sweeper with a slightly sheepish laugh.
"Ah look, I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 15 on 15 if I can at all," Cahill said. "But we had to cut our cloth to measure to make sure that we gave ourselves a chance of allowing us to express ourselves.
"You have to move with the times. When you get to a final, you have to try and win it."
As it is, the Tipperary manager has presided over one of the most stunning one-year turnarounds in modern times. From the sick man of the Munster hurling championship to the lords of all they survey in the space of 14 months.
Is there anything comparable? Clare came from way back in the pack to win in 2013 and then drifted away again as soon as they'd come. Going much further into the mists of time, Cork were knocked out by Waterford in 1989 - not really the done thing back then - and won the All-Ireland the following season.
It's a remarkable coup for Tipperary, all the sweeter for being so unexpected.
Cahill had said at various stages of his reign that it was a three-year plan to get Tipperary back to where they were in the 2010s. The outworkings of that plan have followed a very odd trajectory.
Who knew that the plan was to stink out the joint in the second year - to the point where local media were asking whether you were considering your position - and then to win the big one in the third year?
Whatever about the 'extra man back', Tipp held firm to their modern tradition of never winning an All-Ireland final by a tight margin if they can at all help it.
They were greatly helped by their opponents' shocking meltdown.
There's a graphic quiet emanating from Cork at the minute, especially in light of what's gone on in the last month. A sense of a people processing a great shock.
The music and the conspicuous hype have died down and all that's left is sorrow and pained introspection.
The fear from Kingfishr's point of view is that 'Killeagh' will go the same way as 'We're all part of Ally's Army' did in Scotland after the 1978 World Cup.
As usual there is a great deal of mirth and schadenfreude on whatsapp and on social media. The image of a certain North Tipperary poll topper and former county board chairman outlining Cork's second half scoring tally from his perch on the backbenches has gone everywhere at this stage.
The players have understandably communicated that they can't hack a homecoming event this evening and opted to deliver their thanks to the supporters via a county board statement.
One perceptive Cork fan said he saw the warning signs at half-time. They had played with a healthy breeze in the first half and were grossly flattered by the six-point margin at the break. In general play, it was clear that Tipp's tactics were working and it was only their poor shooting efficiency and the late Shane Barrett goal that produced the six-point lead.
From Cork's perspective, it was a tactical failure before it was a mental one.
It's what occurred in the second half that has people casting around in search of historic parallels.
Inevitably, the question has been floated as to whether Cork buckled under the weight of hype and expectation that had been placed on them this summer.
Modern analysts and members of the broader coaching fraternity tend not to favour this school of analysis. It's not granular or technical and smacks too much of bar-stool cod psychology.
However, the second half scoreline is so abnormal, it seems to warrant a deeper explanation than the usual technical and tactical insights.
The key period arrived early in the second half when Tipp rattled over five points on the trot to bring it back to a one-point game.
Cork never responded to this flurry, with anxiety quickly pervading the entire team. The sense in real time was that this deepened with every shot that came back off the post. The dread increased with every thwack of the woodwork, with the Tipp defenders seizing on every rebound. That sinking feeling familiar to any county with a losing run in All-Ireland finals.
The second half didn't ebb and flow. It all flowed the one way from there.
There were even shades of 1984 in reverse. John McGrath's opening goal which pushed Tipp in front for the first time resembling Seanie O'Leary's late goal in the '84 provincial final, when John Sheedy stopped Tony O'Sullivan's point only for the Cork full-forward to pounce on the rebound.
The second goal, which came with the double-whammy of the Eoin Downey red card, was a display of Darby-esque wiliness from McGrath. Once that happened it was dire straits for Cork. McGrath's brilliantly taken third goal, by which time we had entered the realms of the surreal, produced gasps and exclamations of shock all around us.
The now infamous 0-02 haul in the second half was at least partly a consequence of their need to find goals late in the game but the substantial damage had been done at that stage.
For Tipperary, they earn the historic bragging rights, in the first ever Cork-Tipp All-Ireland final.
In Cork, the darkness creeps in. In both the context surrounding the game and the manner of the capitulation, it has to go down as the most galling of All-Ireland final losses.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Here's the Lions team - including nine Irish starters - for Saturday's second Test
Murray Kinsella Reports from Melbourne ANDY FARRELL HAS brought Bundee Aki, Andrew Porter, and Ollie Chessum into his Lions starting XV for Saturday's second Test against the Wallabies in Melbourne [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports]. Despite Joe McCarthy missing out due to injury, Ireland head coach Farrell is calling on nine Irish starters in his Lions team as he looks to clinch the series at the MCG. Porter comes in at loosehead prop as Ellis Genge drops to the bench, meaning it's an all-Irish starting front row of Porter, Dan Sheehan, and Tadhg Furlong. Chessum starts in the second row in place of McCarthy, who has a foot injury. Maro Itoje captains the side again, while the back row of Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, and Jack Conan is unchanged. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell continue as the halfbacks, but there's a change at inside centre as Aki comes in for Sione Tuipulotu, who is left out of the matchday 23 altogether. Having initially been selected to start, Garry Ringrose misses out due to a head injury, as Huw Jones instead continues at number 13. The back three of James Lowe, Tommy Freeman, and Hugo Keenan is unchanged. There are a few fresh faces on the Lions bench, with Ireland's James Ryan, Wales' Jac Morgan, England's Owen Farrell, and Scotland's Blair Kinghorn included. Meanwhile, Wallabies boss Joe Schmidt has brought heavy hitters Will Skelton and Rob Valetini into his starting XV for the second Test. Second row Skelton and back row Valetini missed last weekend due to calf injuries. Advertisement Hooker Dave Porecki also comes into the Wallabies team, while back row Langi Gleeson returns from injury as part of a 6/2 split on the bench Lions: 15. Hugo Keenan 14. Tommy Freeman 13. Huw Jones 12. Bundee Aki 11. James Lowe 10. Finn Russell 9. Jamison Gibson-Park 1. Andrew Porter 2. Dan Sheehan 3. Tadhg Furlong 4. Maro Itoje (captain) 5. Ollie Chessum 6. Tadhg Beirne 7. Tom Curry 8. Jack Conan Replacements : 16. Rónan Kelleher 17. Ellis Genge 18. Will Stuart 19. James Ryan 20. Jac Morgan 21. Alex Mitchell 22. Owen Farrell 23. Blair Kinghorn Australia: 15. Tom Wright 14. Max Jorgensen 13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 12. Len Ikitau 11. Harry Potter 10. Tom Lynagh 9. Jake Gordon 1. James Slipper 2. David Porecki 3. Allan Alaalatoa 4. Nick Frost 5. Will Skelton 6. Rob Valetini 7. Fraser McReight 8. Harry Wilson (captain) Replacements : 16. Billy Pollard 17. Angus Bell 18. Tom Robertson 19. Jeremy Williams 20. Langi Gleeson 21. Carlo Tizzano 22. Tate McDermott 23. Ben Donaldson Referee : Andrea Piardi [Italy].


Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jim McGuinness's mother gives rare TV interview ahead of All-Ireland final
Jim McGuinness's mother gave a rare TV interview about her son ahead of Sunday's eagerly anticipated All-Ireland Football final, saying that she knew he always had the drive and passion to succeed. McGuinness returned to the Donegal hotseat for the 2024 season and immediately went about changing the fortunes of the county as they reached the All-Ireland semi-finals last year. Fast forward another 12 months, and Donegal have successfully defended the Ulster Championship and are now on the verge of winning their first All-Ireland title since 2012. "He had a great passion always for the Gaelic and then he went to soccer for a while as well but I would say he always say he had a bit of drive in him always and to do better always," Maureen McGuinness told RTE News. Maureen featured in an RTE news report ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland final and still helps run Jim's Cafe in the Glenties, the family owned business. Also appearing in the news report was the father of goalkeeper Shaun Patton. "We're just over the moon. We can't wait for Sunday evening to get it out of the way, and please God, we'll be coming down the road with the big cup," he told the national broadcaster. In one of the most intriguing All-Ireland Football finals in recent years, Donegal and Kerry meet in tomorrow's decider, and as much will be made about the managers on the sideline as the players on the pitch. In his third stint in charge, a win for Jack O'Connor will catapult him to all-time greatness with five All-Ireland title wins and have him behind only Jim Gavin and Mick O'Dwyer in All-Ireland triumphs. McGuinness's track record speaks for itself. Under his stewardship, Donegal reached its third final, which would complete a remarkable turnaround for a county that had been in the doldrums since his departure in 2014.

The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
The star Kerry defender who was told he was too small for football
THE WORD WAS I was too small. And although I was small, my studs were as big as anyone else's - Roy Keane, Keane. **** Kerry defender Paul Murphy is in his 11th season of senior inter-county football. His debut campaign in 2014 was punctuated by Sam Maguire success, an All-Ireland Final man-of-the-match display, and a first All-Star award. The dream run for a rookie player. But when he was an U16 player, Murphy couldn't make the South Kerry team. The doors to the Kingdom remained locked at minor level. The word was he was too small. He would have to wait until the U21 grade before a chance would materialise. Murphy filled the vacancy at wing half-back as Kerry reached the 2012 Munster final that ended in defeat to Cork after extra-time. At home in Rathmore, Murphy's talent was immediately recognised. And always appreciated. Equally strong off both feet, he was suited to a place in the forwards as much as in the backs. Murphy knew what he could offer with his adaptability too. But it would take time for the message to spread across the county. Paul Murphy tackling Cork's Kevin Hallissey in the 2012 Munster U21 final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'He had right and left [foot] from a very early age, when the rest of us didn't,' says Rathmore's current senior manager David McCarthy who is the same age as Murphy. He saw the makings of a future Kerry great from when they were both U8. By the time they turned 21, McCarthy had swapped playing for coaching. Murphy was set for a different path, his arc just starting to rise. 'I wouldn't have had the commitment that Paul had. He always did have the skill levels. He always made the right decision It's probably a classic thing underage where the bigger players might get the nod ahead of smaller players. 'But once everyone got on the same level, it was quickly noticed how good he was.' **** In 2021, after announcing his retirement as a Kerry footballer, Peter Crowley had a visitor. It was his friend and former teammate, Paul Murphy. This was more than a friendly visit. It was an intervention. They'd known each other since their Sigerson football days in UCC, although they weren't particularly close at the time. But after Murphy make the breakthrough to the Kerry seniors, the pair became housemates. Advertisement Murphy's words failed to inspire a change of heart on this occasion but the effort was appreciated. 'I wasn't for turning,' Crowley says, stilling reflecting on that memory with gratitude. Having made his Kerry bow in 2012, he was happy to walk away with his All-Ireland medal from 2014. He's not surprised that Murphy stayed the course, and is still meeting the Kerry standard after more than a decade of service. The enduring quality of Paul Geaney — the other survivor of that starting team who defeated Donegal 11 years ago — isn't a shock to him either. 'The two Pauls would have always been very similar in terms of their preparation,' says Crowley. 'They've always been very dedicated, always doing the extra bit in terms of keeping their body in good shape. Particularly Paul Murphy would have always been very thorough in his preparation.' Brian Kelly, Declan O'Sullivan, Peter Crowley and Paul Murphy celebrate after Kerry's 2014 All-Ireland final win. Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO Murphy first came to prominence for Kerry in the half-back line, and is currently playing the specialist role of the man-marking corner-back. He's danced with some of the best forwards in the country this year. Crowley remembers the 2016 campaign when the Rathmore man was deployed along the half-forward line. He scored 1-1 in the Munster final that year, as Kerry defeated Tipperary to secure their 78th provincial crown. That versatility he had mined on the club field was bearing fruit on the inter-county stage. 'You kind of forget how long he's been there,' Crowley adds. 'He was about 23 when he got his first start. To keep playing at 34 at a high level in a kind of position where he hasn't always played. He made his name as a half-back and would have played all over us as well.' **** Rathmore have a proud tradition of All-Ireland final representation. And Murphy is not their first man-of-the-match winner either. Din Joe Crowley was the MVP in the 1969 decider against Offaly. Aidan O'Mahony won the award in Kerry's 2006 triumph over Mayo while sticky corner-back Tom O'Sullivan was the top pick in the 2009 final against Cork. And that's not the end of Rathmore's cast of Kerry heroes. Declan O'Keeffe won two All-Irelands as the Kerry goalkeeper. And now Shane Ryan is their man between the sticks. But what is perhaps most interesting about Kerry's current netminder is that he is primarily an outfield player for the club. Rathmore boss McCarthy explains where the switch in positions occurred. 'I think it actually came about through soccer. He went for trials in England with a couple of clubs when he was young and it was someone in Killarney Celtic that pulled him in as a goalkeeper. He was in a development squad with Kerry so he ended up in goals with Kerry underage all the way through. 'He's very rarely played in goal at senior level for Rathmore because he's probably wasted in goal for us. I was starting to get tempted [to try it] when I saw the new rules. I was thinking that's definitely something you could be throwing out if there was a plus one going forward, Shane would be the one you'd want. But you'd much rather have him in the full-forward line shooting.' Murphy has a few years on Ryan, which meant the young goalkeeper had an older brother from home to turn to when his Kerry call-up arrived in 2019. It was the same level of support that Murphy received from O'Mahony when he was a young pup in the Kerry camp. Double it and pass it on. Another huge plus for the Rathmore conveyor belt that keeps producing high value players with each passing generation. Paul Murphy and Shane Ryan carrying the Sam Maguire after the 2022 All-Ireland final. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO 'Aidan was very good to Paul when he came in,' says McCarthy, 'And obviously it's probably a great thing when you go into a set-up like that, that you have someone from your own club to put the arm around you and bring you with him, especially for something as big as an All-Ireland final. 'Shane had that from Paul in 2019. It's great that there's the two of them involved in it and that he had that experience to lean on when he needed it.' **** In 2021, Paul Murphy was selected as Kerry captain. His clubmate Aislinn Desmond was also appointed to lead the Kerry Ladies through that year, doubling the sense of pride felt in the East Kerry outfit. But in 2022, Murphy lost his starting place for Kerry's first All-Ireland success in eight years. He had injury trouble that season, but he still brought impactful energy off the bench. One particular moment stands out for McCarthy: injury-time in a dramatic All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin. Murphy made his introduction in the 62nd minute. 'He was the one that hit the kick-pass for the free [on David Clifford] that Seanie Shea put over. So, he was doing well as the impact sub. He came on, freshened things up and probably had that sense of calm about him.' Paul Murphy carrying the ball for Rathmore in the 2023 All-Ireland intermediate final. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Surely a frustrating time for Murphy, although the club would provide sanctuary for him later that season in the form of an All-Ireland intermediate title. 'That was obviously a massive thing for everyone on the club,' McCarthy says recalling the joy of that Croke Park triumph over Galbally Pearses of Tyrone. Related Reads David Clifford 'could be the best player that has ever played the game' - McGuinness 'It's challenging but it's adding to the entertainment' - Goalkeeper view on new rules 4 key talking points as Kerry, Meath, Dublin and Galway chase All-Ireland final place Club football is liberating for Murphy too. Where inter-county football can often be restrictive, there are more opportunities for him to explore the true depths of his skillset with Rathmore. 'When he comes in with the club, he does get that freedom. He might be out the field in the half-back line or we might shove him up to the half-forward line. We won the East Kerry championship last year and Paul was actually playing in midfield for the last 15 minutes. 'We were under serious pressure, and Paul was the one that settled the ship. He came up with scores to drag us over the line.' Kerry lost their All-Ireland title in 2023, but one upside for Murphy was that he had regained his starting position in the team. In a county of Kerry's large talent pool, his time in the exclusion zone could well have dragged on. Sometimes, there's no way to arrest the slide. But Crowley can attest to the extent of Murphy's resilience, as well as his ability to put the interests of the team above his own. 'That would be his attitude. He's a very good team player. He's always someone who would put the team first. I know from my time playing, and even more so since that, like, his own teammates would really value him. 'He's a very good man in the group, he's a very important person in the group. He brings the group together. He's always the fella in the WhatsApp group that's organising things. The younger fellows would really always kind of gravitate to him.' **** RTÉ's Up For The Match will feature the Rathmore club on this year's edition of the show that precedes the football decider. It's always an honour when they have representation in a Kerry jersey on All-Ireland final day. To have two players involved in central roles is all the more prestigious. And against their 2014 opponents Donegal to bring things full circle for Murphy. Rathmore reached the quarter-finals of the Kerry senior county championship last year, losing out to eventual winners Dr Crokes who would also go on to contest the All-Ireland semi-final. McCarthy awaits the return of Ryan to boost his attacking formation, and veteran defender Murphy who was once told he was too small for football. 'Paul mightn't have had the height but he was always fierce,' says McCarthy. 'He was a tenacious half back. He never shied away from anything. Paul went into every tackle. 'It'll be great to have the two boys back in, hopefully with a couple of more All-Ireland medals.'