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Irish Examiner
04-08-2025
- Irish Examiner
Cork Crime: Beat on the street is still a key to crime prevention
Crime has always been with us and there's no sign of that changing anytime soon. Crime figures will fluctuate from time to time depending on trends such as joyriding for instance. It was very fashionable in the 1980s and into the 1990s but as the motor industry became more security conscious, that activity petered out — but now it seems to be making a comeback. Antisocial behaviour and public order issues were ever-present in that era too. Following our focus on courts in June, the 'Irish Examiner' is exploring crime data from garda stations in our Cork Crime series in print and online here on Monday and Tuesday, August 4 and 5. Alcohol was almost always linked with those incidents, particularly at weekends in the city centre. There was no shortage of martyrs spilling onto the public streets at pub closing time or when the nightclubs ended, full up and ready to make a nuisance of themselves. Saturday or Sunday mornings at 3am was not a good time to be on the beat near the Grand Parade unless you happened to be blessed with untold patience. Fights and assaults were commonplace, even with a significant garda presence. There were other distractions too. Drunks wanting to shake your hand and pleading to try on your cap were par for the course. Begging to be handcuffed 'for the craic' was another one. There was always the one genius who insisted on putting a traffic cone on his head believing nobody else had ever thought of doing that. He was hilarious — at least he thought so. The Berwick Fountain on Cork's Grand Parade has often been the scene of celebrations including these Coláiste Chríost Rí supporters after its Harty Cup victory in 1968. But Trevor Laffan says a drunk clambering onto the fountain at 3am was an entirley different and challenging prospect for gardaí on the street. You were guaranteed to meet at least one wannabe Edmund Hillary who insisted on climbing the fountain on the Grand Parade and, more often than not, ended up falling into it. Or the law student who, two weeks into his course, knew his rights and could lecture you on the law while declaring loudly: 'You can't arrest me!' Then became very sheepish when Daddy arrived to collect him from a cell in the Bridewell. Painful as they were to be dealing with, they were mostly harmless but still tied up a lot of police resources as they were put through the system, mostly for their own protection. Drugs have exacerbated policing problems As a nation, there is a suggestion we may be consuming less alcohol so, eventually, we might see that reflected in figures for public order incidents, but I won't hold my breath. One major issue that has made those nights even more trying for gardaí today is drug use. It must be contributing to the public disorder figures. It has also changed the dynamic for the gardaí because, while the drunk guy was easy to handle, the drugged-up guy is more unpredictable. Writer and former garda sergeant Trevor Laffan. File picture: Eddie O'Hare Dependence on drugs and alcohol has had a major impact on shoplifting too. The exact extent of theft is unknown as many incidents go unreported — mainly because of fears for staff safety — but the lack of garda resources and reduced visibility on the streets may also have something to do with the rising figures. Times have changed. When I started out in Dublin in 1980, there was a huge emphasis on having a garda on the beat. It was a great deterrent and a uniformed presence on the streets provided a general sense of security. Sadly, that's missing now — and it's not the only thing. Camaraderie within An Garda Síochána flourished in my day. We were proud to wear the uniform and there was a sense that we were all on the same side. We looked out for each other and a shout for assistance always got priority. They were good days and policing was uncomplicated. New commissioner has a battle on his hands Today, there is disharmony between the various garda representative organisations and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, who steps down in September. There seems to be more of an emphasis on administration than actual patrolling. Members are spending more time indoors attending to the demands imposed on them by technology and oversight than they are on the beat where they should be. Hopefully, the incoming garda commissioner Justin Kelly can bring the force back to the community where they belong but he'll have a battle on his hands. Legislators have been busy in recent times introducing new ways to keep tabs on members of An Garda Síochána. Oversight is necessary but it seems to me that too much of it is stifling the organisation. Where are the crime-reduction measures? Last year, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was introduced to 'strengthen the governance of An Garda Síochána and to provide for clear and effective oversight and accountability'. What exactly does that mean? Well, it's bit complicated but for starters it has created a new board of An Garda Síochána which will provide support and guidance to the Garda Executive on matters such as organisational governance, human resource management, data protection, public administration, and financial management. Then garda Trevor Laffan in January, 1999. He acknowledges that developments since his day — especially the scourge of drug addiction — makes policing more challenging now, but says the fundamentals are the same. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive According to the Garda website, there are nine members on the new board but only one has any practical policing experience, and he is a retired assistant commissioner. There are several accountants though. New bodies created under the 2024 act include the board of An Garda Síochána, the National Office for Community Safety, the National Community Safety Steering Group, the Policing and Community Safety Authority, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, and the Office of the Independent Examiner of Security Legislation. There is a lot of detail in the act about how complaints against members of An Garda Síochána are dealt with and instructions on how to make a complaint. Fiosrú may also investigate matters in relation to the conduct of gardaí, when it is in the public interest, even if a complaint has not been received. So, all in all, there's plenty of oversight and no shortage of mechanisms to deal with complaints made against gardaí — but that alone won't reduce crime. We need gardaí on the beat for that. Trevor Laffan is a writer and former garda sergeant
Irish Examiner
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tipp stars back in action as All-Ireland hero McCarthy nets again
Six days on from Tipperary's All-Ireland triumph, Robert Doyle captured further silverware as Clonoulty-Rossmore claimed the West Tipp SHC title. Wearing number 14 but lining out at full-back, Doyle drove forward 60 yards with the sliotar before offloading to Stephen Ferncombe for the 57th-minute clinching goal in a 2-17 to 1-16 triumph over Cashel King Cormacs. Centre-forward Ferncombe tallied 2-10 (1-3 from play) across the hour, but man-of-the-match honours went to goalkeeper Jason O'Dwyer for producing three outstanding saves. Captain Jack Ryan, son of Tipp legend Declan, clipped 0-3 before lifting the O'Dwyer Cup in Golden. Clonoulty wrapped up their ninth consecutive title, and 25th in total, while Cashel's 30-year wait for goes on. Cashel's defensive spine of brothers Eoghan and Ronan Connolly supplied two points each from play, while the Tipp senior added three long-range frees. The Eoin Cadogan-coached side jumped off to a three-point head start, but the first major turning point was a rocket-launched Ferncombe free from his own 45 which bounced to the net. O'Dwyer's low save from Cathal Quinn ensured the champions would lead 1-8 to 0-8 at the break. O'Dwyer then denied Ger Browne and David McGrath, but Adrian Cummins rattled the net in between to reignite the Cashel challenge. Eoghan Connolly finally brought them level with seven minutes to play, but the holders kicked on with a 1-2 burst. Meanwhile, Rhys Shelly saved his second penalty of the week as Moycarkey-Borris saw off Loughmore-Castleiney by 4-25 to 2-20 in the Mid Tipp quarter-final. Harty Cup final goalscorer Jack Hayes raised two green flags and Bill Flanagan netted two more. At one stage, Eddie Brennan's men took Loughmore for 2-7 without reply to avenge last year's final defeat. The dual county champions fought back with goals from Liam and Tomás McGrath, but Shelly stopped John McGrath's penalty in stoppage time to snuff out any hint of a comeback. With the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday, Moycarkey will face Thurles Sarsfields in the last four, while JK Brackens will meet Holycross-Ballycahill, who defeated Drom & Inch by 0-35 to 3-22. Even without the injured Bryan O'Mara, Holycross began in highly impressive fashion to construct a wind-assisted 0-21 to 1-7 half-time cushion. Their long-range shooters Joe Caesar and Tiarnán Ryan finished with 0-5 each, while free-taker Darragh Woods nailed 0-11 among 13 different scorers. Drom came with a late charge as All-Ireland Schools and U20 champion Cormac Fitzpatrick picked off 1-11, while Tony Cahill and David Collins added 1-3 each to finish four adrift. Elsewhere, Darragh McCarthy scored his second penalty of the week as Toomevara fended off Lorrha-Dorrha by 2-21 to 1-21 to advance to the North Tipp semi-finals. They will meet Kiladangan, who breezed through with a 2-29 to 0-16 romp past Roscrea. John and Dan O'Meara got the goals. Kilruane MacDonaghs overhauled Nenagh Éire Óg to join them in the final four. Trailing by two at the break, the 2022 county champions turned the game with Thomas Cleary and Cian Darcy goals. Darcy ended on 1-7 from play to outlast Tommy Heffernan's late goal in a 2-22 to 1-21 success. They will play Borris-Ileigh, who received a bye. The South Tipp hurling final will be contested between holders Carrick Swan and Killenaule after respective wins over Mullinahone and St Mary's. It took the Swans just a minute to find the net through Callum Walsh, while Callum Lanigan arrowed over 0-13 (six from play). Mullinahone left it too late for Cillian Direen's consolation goal in a 1-23 to 1-15 defeat. Michael Doyle's goal before half-time was crucial in overcoming Richie Gunne's major in a 1-23 to 1-18 win for Killenaule. Goalkeeper John 'Bubbles' O'Dwyer scored 0-5 (4 frees) for the victorious Robins.
Irish Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Cork hurler Ciaran Joyce's day job and well-known GAA family off the pitch
Ciaran Joyce might be youthful, but he's already established himself as a formidable presence in GAA circles. The Cork hurler, hailing from Castlemartyr, operates as a centre-back and initially made his mark whilst representing Midleton CBS as a student. He's now an indispensable figure for Cork's senior squad - hardly shocking given his family's deep GAA connections. Here's everything you need to discover about his existence both on and off the field. Age Ciaran was born in 2002, making him 23 years old. Club career Ciaran played at juvenile and underage levels with Kiltha Óg. He first appeared on Castlemartyr's adult team in 2020 and is also a member of the Imokilly divisional team, based in East Cork. Inter-county career Ciaran debuted for his native county as part of the minor team in 2019. The following year, he immediately progressed to the under-20 team. In 2022, Ciaran made his senior debut for Cork. He previously told the Irish Sun: "When I was first called in, I was like, 'If I make the match-day panel, I'll be happy.' "When I started training and playing a few matches then, I was making my way up and up. Then I was in the starting 15 and I was thinking, 'I might actually be in with a shout here.' "I just worked my way from there, took it training by training, match by match and luckily I found my way into the starting 15 that year." Day job Ciaran recently completed an agriculture degree course at MTU and hopes to have a career in dairy farming. He currently works alongside his father Carey on their family farm in East Cork. "I love it. There are no days off there. [His dad] won't give you any days off. It keeps me grounded anyway," he told "I'll farm for the rest of the summer anyway and I'll look into maybe getting a job there at the end of the year. "But in the future, I do hope to go home dairy farming. That's the plan anyway. "It's not conducive to training but I'm lucky now my dad is fit and healthy and he's able to go milking. But any time I'm around, I do go milking." GAA family GAA is a big part of the Joyce household, particularly hurling. Ciaran's grandfather, Dan Joe Joyce, won a Harty Cup with St Colman's of Fermoy in 1948. His father Carey won the cup with Midleton CBS in 1988 while Ciaran won it himself in 2019. Carey coached his son at Kiltha Óg and is also club chairman for Castlemartyr. However, the father and son don't spend all of their time talking about sport. Ciaran told the Irish Examiner: "We actually try and talk as little as possible about hurling. He's very good like that. He's a big GAA man, but with that, he realises it's important to keep my eyes off hurling for a good while." Ciaran's younger brother Darragh plays hurling for Kiltha Óg, Castlemartyr and Midleton CBS, while sister Aoibhe plays Gaelic football with Inch Rovers.
The 42
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Jason Forde: Schoolboy prodigy, senior perseverance, and All-Star form
THERE'S A STORY from Jason Forde's schooldays which underlines the shatterproof self-belief and prodigious talent that have seen him reach his peak form at 31. Back in 2012, the Silvermines star was due to play the biggest game of his young hurling life, a Harty Cup quarter-final against local rivals Thurles CBS. The evening before that derby clash, he rang up one of the coaches. What followed wasn't so much a discussion as an alert from their mild-mannered captain. Nenagh CBS manager Donach O'Donnell takes up the story. 'He rang Niall Quigley the night before the Thurles game to tell him, listen, I'm going to take my frees off the left side tomorrow, just in case you're wondering what's going on. He was that comfortable shooting off both sides, and he just felt, when he was practising, he was more comfortable with it. I mean, it's a phenomenal feat really. 'The coach rang me, we were discussing it, a bit worried about it, but look, if he feels he can do it, let him off.' It wasn't as if his free-taking had been a problem. Indeed, Forde takes them off his right to this day. The frees he slotted down the stretch against Kilkenny from either sideline were all struck off his right. His 1-5 total was mined from six shots. They could've as easily been taken off his left. In that Thurles CBS encounter, he struck 1-14 between the drawn game and replay. He stuck with the citóg approach for the remainder of the campaign. The semi-final against champions Ardscoil Rís also went to a second day, with Forde scoring 1-17 across those games. In the replay, he accounted for 1-10 of their 1-11 total, including a spectacular stoppage-time winner. They lost the Harty final to the Coláiste na nDéise combination, but Forde scored 14 of Nenagh's 17 points to defeat St Kieran's in the Croke Cup semi-final. Forde was taken down by illness before the final against Kilkenny CBS. If he wasn't moving with his usual energy at centre-forward, he turned the game when switched inside, burying two goals and laying on a third for Nenagh's All-Ireland breakthrough. Nenagh CBS captain Jason Forde lifts the Croke Cup. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO He actually wore the No 6 jersey for that campaign. It was a legacy from his origins, starting off hurling with a small, rural club. Forde was often cast into the centre-back slot for maximum effect. That was where he first caught the eye. He hurled there for Tipperary underage sides up to minor level, before slowly moving upfield. Nenagh left him in that jersey to take the pressure off his shoulders. After defeating Galway last month, Forde spoke about the vitality passed on by the youthful exuberance of Darragh McCarthy, Sam O'Farrell and Oisín O'Donoghue. Advertisement 'They've no baggage. They just love hurling, love training, and we're all feeding off that energy,' he told RTÉ. In many ways, McCarthy has mirrored Forde's rise. Where Forde captained the CBS to their Croke Cup breakthrough, McCarthy came along to lead them to a historic Harty Cup after four final defeats. 'I think he sees Darragh McCarthy particularly as the young fella who's followed in his footsteps,' says O'Donnell, who guided both through their school years. 'They were both captains of successful CBS teams, they're both good leaders, free-takers, top scorers most of the time. I'd say he sees that in Darragh. 'And Jason was like that when he was back in school. He never had a hurley out of his hand. He was permanently tipping away after training, before training, and on his own as well. Darragh was very much like that too. Tipperary's Jason Forde consoles Darragh McCarthy after he was sent off against Kilkenny. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'They both really wanted it. They really, really pushed other guys around them as well. They understood that for the team to be successful, other guys had to come with them, play their part, and improve. They both drove that mentality, that work ethic.' There was never any questioning his hurling, right from the days when he finished as runner-up in the national Féile na nGael skills final to Shane Dowling. Nor his drive, having led Silvermines to a Munster Intermediate title while still aged 18. But Forde's rise from those schooldays wasn't all plain sailing. Not that it was ever going to be easy to infiltrate an attack where Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett were passing the baton onto Séamus Callanan and Noel McGrath. He captained the county minors and U21s, but despite some remarkable scoring returns, Tony Kelly's Clare knocked them out every year from 2010 to 2014 en route to five successive Munsters and three All-Irelands across those grades. Eamon O'Shea named Forde to start for his championship debut against an O'Donnell-coached Limerick side in 2013, but illness scuppered that reunion. Forde appeared off the bench for their infamous Nowlan Park elimination, but had to wait two more years for that first championship start to come around again. When it did, he bagged 1-3 in a statement performance against Limerick in 2015. He also scored off the bench in the 2014 drawn final and 2016 victory. There were other tough days too, mainly in semi-finals against Galway. He was taken off at half-time in 2015 and came on as a sub in 2017, only to be removed before the finish. Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald and Aidan Nolan clash with Jason Forde of Tipperary. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO In the latter year, a harsh one-match suspension when Davy Fitzgerald entered the field during a league semi-final cost Forde his place in Tipp's championship opener. 'I was probably at the lowest I was ever at after 2017,' Forde would reflect. 'I got brought on and taken off in the same game, that wasn't easy to deal with. If I was to go back in 2018, I knew there was no point in going back to do the same thing — you'd only end up with the same result.' He took up personal training in the off-season, and that lit a fire to complete a strength and conditioning diploma at Setanta College, over the road from Semple Stadium. During a career break from his teaching post at Nenagh College, he launched a new business, JF Performance, in January 2023. Asked if he was looking to mirror other gym owners, TJ Reid and Andy Moran, who excelled well into their 30s, Forde replied: 'You'd be hoping so.' When Séamus Callanan missed the league in 2018, Forde grabbed his opportunity with both hands. Filled with confidence from a second Fitzgibbon Cup with UL and installed as the focal point of the attack at full-forward, he blasted 7-72 across seven games; an average of 1-10 per match. Forde scored 2-11 in the semi-final against Limerick and 2-12 in the final defeat to Kilkenny. He finished April as GAA/GPA Player of the Month. He carried that form into championship, scoring 3-39 in four games, but Tipp didn't win any as they dropped out of the Munster round-robin. When his first All-Star nomination came, Forde was the only Premier hurler on the shortlist. Liam Sheedy kept Forde as his free-taker in 2019 as the Premier won their second All-Ireland in four seasons. Forde landed 0-7 from play in a remarkable Munster final defeat to Limerick in 2021, earning his third All-Star nomination. Jason Forde scores Tipperary's third goal of the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO If there's a sense that Forde is overdue an All-Star for his talent, he could be on the cusp of reaching that milestone. While Cork are favourites, Forde is Tipp's front-runner for Hurler of the Year honours. As per Gaelic Statsman on X, Forde has converted 80% of his shots at the posts in 2025, the highest of the inside forwards on either side this year. His tally of 3-44 from 59 shots includes 3-14 from play. In an era where shooting from a sideline cut has fallen out of fashion as the low-percentage play, Forde has slotted all four from four attempts this summer. His flicked goal against Kilkenny was the reward for all those years of pucking around before and after training, as he came up trumps in those championship moments. In a final against Cork, they once again need Forde to be at his efficient best. Tipp know they can count on him. Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
More measured Darragh McCarthy key to Tipperary's All-Ireland final hopes
Oh no. Not again. You didn't have to be a mind reader to guess what Darragh McCarthy was thinking when referee James Owens flashed a yellow card and then a red at the Tipperary forward in the 58th minute of the All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Kilkenny. The 19-year-old put his hands on his head, frozen in shock, before opponent Mikey Butler and team-mate Jake Morris encourage him to leave the field with consoling pats on the back. Tipp are already one point down. This is going to be the Cork Munster round-robin game all over again, when his red card in the opening seconds was widely accepted to have decided the contest before it started. Fortunately for McCarthy, it isn't. The 14 men up their game, and beat the Cats by what controversially turns out to be two points, after Oisín O'Donoghue's goal in the final minute of normal time and a scoreboard fiasco. McCarthy embraces his fellow Under-20 All-Ireland winner at the final whistle, tears of relief as much as joy. His side had survived the red card to make this Sunday's All-Ireland final – just as they had in their most recent semi-final appearance, when John McGrath was dismissed against Wexford in 2019 – and, like McGrath was then, he is eligible to play. But has the youngster given his manager a decision to make? McCarthy has had a spectacular ascent in becoming the first teenager (he doesn't turn 20 until August) to nail down a championship starting spot for Tipp since his now team-mate Noel McGrath - who McCarthy has called "my favourite player of all time" - in 2009. Despite his obvious skill growing up, the Community Games U12 long-puck champion wasn't the tallest, taking a while to get to his current height of 5'10 (178cm) and didn't start a single game when the Premier pipped Offaly for their first All-Ireland minor crown in six years in 2022. However, as manager James Woodlock told The Examiner this year: "He was winning most matches for us coming off the bench. He attacked every game when he came on. Never a cross word. He knew what was expected of him. He was above his years for a 16-year-old. "There was absolutely no question Darragh was going to make it. He was ahead of his years, he was direct, he was aggressive. You couldn't ask for a better young fella." He started one game for the Tipperary U20s in 2023 but then just under 18 months ago, McCarthy captained St Joseph's CBS Nenagh to their first Harty Cup (Munster secondary schools). Nenagh were pipped by St Raphael's of Loughrea in the semi-finals but McCarthy went on to score 2-43 in six games (0-08 from play) as Tipp's U20s won the provincial title for the first time in five years, only falling short against Offaly in the All-Ireland final. He was also introduced to senior training with an eye to the near future – as Tipperary finished bottom of Munster with one point - and then lit up the county senior hurling championship for the second year in a row, finishing as top-scorer with 3-62 in six matches, 2-13 from play, as his club Toomevara (home to Tommy and Benny Dunne, and John O'Brien) reached their first county final in 16 years but were defeated by a John McGrath-inspired Loughmore-Castleiney. Last autumn, McCarthy was awarded a scholarship to study Sport and Exercise Sciences at University of Limerick but played for the first-year team (he was captain and man of the match in the Freshers 1 final) rather than with their Fitzgibbon Cup-winning side. He was plenty busy though, scoring 1-06 from placed balls on his Tipperary senior debut against Galway in January as he also took over the key role of free-taker, following a rotating cast last year. The young sharpshooter topped the 2025 Allianz Hurling League scoring charts, with 2-38 (0-07 from play), despite being rested for the final-round win over Clare, and scored four frees in the 10-point defeat in the decider to Cork. He then hit three points from play and the equalising late free (having missed a couple) on an excellent championship debut against Limerick in April, having played for the U20s midweek. But then it all went wrong, even before the throw-in, in Cork. His dismissal at Páirc Uí Chaoimh came for a jab of the butt of the hurl into Rebel corner-back Sean O'Donoghue even before the throw-in, as part of what appeared a team strategy to square up to opponents that had also been evident before the draw with Limerick. Cork scored three goals in the first 17 minutes and won by 15 points but manager Liam Cahill certainly wasn't throwing him under the bus afterwards. "It is a difficult day for young Darragh," he said. "He is 19 years of age. He is a lovely kid. He loves hurling and loves playing for Tipperary. He is just misfortunate today. That is Munster championship hurling. "He is beating himself up, as well, which is not unusual for a fella that loves his hurling so much. We all have his back in Tipperary and we'll support and he will have really good days in the Tipperary jersey. He is mentally a very strong young fella." 'That's the problem with adrenaline' - the panel assess the incident which saw Darragh McCarthy sent off before throw-in 📺 Watch @rte2 & @rteplayer 📻 @rteradio1 📱 Updates — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 27, 2025 Former Premier manager Liam Sheedy noted: "That's the problem with adrenaline, when it takes over" and called it "a tough learning experience." The question for Cahill now is whether he is learning too slowly. McCarthy regained his place after suspension, scoring 23 points (0-02 from play) in the victories over Waterford – in between winning the Munster and All-Ireland U20 titles - Laois and Galway, and had scored 1-02 (2f) as well as setting up Jason Forde's goal in his almost an hour on the pitch in the semi-final. McCarthy had picked up his first yellow in just the fourth minute, for a slap of the hurl onto Paddy Deegan's elbow as he tried to close down the Kilkenny wing-back. "There wasn't much force. But at the same time, you can't do it, it is a striking action," observed Limerick forward Tom Morrissey on The Sunday Game. "Some refs might leave it go but you're still putting yourself at risk of getting a yellow. That meant he had to be careful for the rest of the game but, with 12 minutes left and the contest finely poised, Kilkenny keeper Eoin Murphy sidestepped the Tipp man, who left his hurl hanging out to rap Murphy on the knuckles. Owens called him over and ended his afternoon prematurely. Tipperary are down to 14 men after Darragh McCarthy is shown a second yellow card. That seemed harsh. 📺Watch 📻Listen 📱 Follow — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 6, 2025 "It's only a slight little tip, but there's no need to do it," said a baffled Michael Duignan on commentary. "It's harmless enough, but when you're on a yellow you don't do that." Brendan Cummins, his U20 manager, Sheedy and Jackie Tyrrell all felt the second yellow was harsh but the concern is that McCarthy had no prospect of winning the ball with either challenge, and Cahill said he had "no complaints" with the decision. "There's no need to do it," agreed Morrissey. "On both occasions, the player wasn't about to play the ball where you could come in with the hurley. They were carrying the ball in their hand. Flicking with the hurley, the ref is going to have make a decision and you're the one who's going to miss out." Forde had already been switched onto the frees by the time of the red card, McCarthy having missed two scoreable opportunities. The 31-year-old then hit four placed balls of considerable difficulty, which were instrumental in Tipperary closing out the game. Speaking to RTÉ Sport afterwards, Cahill suggested McCarthy would not be taken off the frees: "It's great to have Jason in reserve, he's having a huge year again... I'll be backing young Darragh all day long anyway, I have no concerns in that regard." But, given O'Donoghue's match-winning impact off the bench, is there an argument to start him instead of his U20 team-mate? It would allow Forde to take over the dead-balls without drama and McCarthy could always step in as a sub if the veteran was having an off day. It might also spare him some surely inevitable attempts to test his composure. Does he risk being ineffectual if he is too worried about picking up cards to tackle? Speaking in the aftermath of being named man of the match on his SHC debut against Limerick, McCarthy gave an interview that sounded articulate and mature beyond his 19 years. "The atmosphere was class and I loved every second," he said. "Playing with the likes of John and Jason is such a privilege and it's so invaluable the experience you get from them. It's really kicking me on as a player. After the U20 triumph, he said: "To be able to put on this jersey is a massive honour. You're representing your club, your family, coaches. You're representing everyone. It does so much for so many people; it lifts the whole county, and we're in great preparations for the senior team as well." Though his second mistake this summer could have been very costly, Cahill called him "a very resilient young man" and gave every indication that he will retain his spot: "I think over the next couple of sessions, he'll arrive here in a good place." This time, the manager will hope McCarthy can be as clever on the pitch as he clearly is off it and keep his aggression on the right side of the line. If he does, he just might go one better than his idol Noel and become an All-Ireland champion in his debut season.
