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Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Honesty was just what the doctor ordered for Tipp, says Sam O'Farrell
For a 19-year-old coming into a senior panel, the bloodletting in the Tipperary camp was quite the eye-opener but Sam O'Farrell was inspired by the brutal honesty. Unable to emerge from the Munster SHC, the 2024 season had been a humbling one for the group and they weren't in the mood to sugarcoat it for themselves. 'They definitely didn't shy away from it at the start of the year before Christmas. There was a lot of honest discussions and if anything it spurred us younger lads to get our act together to really drive this thing on because the passion that was displayed in some of those meetings, like, lads just wanted to do the jersey justice and get to days like this. 'Obviously, getting out Munster was the first goal, and I don't know if many could have foreseen this, but it was obviously the goal. Yeah, just the raw emotion and passion was inspiring from those early meetings, everything was put out on the table. They parked last year but those kind of scars would drive on those lads to prove a lot of people wrong.' From the victory over Clare in Cusack Park, the start of Tipperary's six-game winning run to glory, the road became clear. 'There is a lot of footage from after that game, and we were all jumping around like we'd just won a final in itself,' smiles O'Farrell. 'But I think that game was probably the catalyst for what went on to do this year. 'Obviously, we had one point from our first two games against Limerick and Cork, so we went to Ennis knowing that anything but a win wouldn't be good enough. To go into the All-Ireland champions' backyard and beat them was special. 'I think it was Craig Morgan's first Munster championship win, Ronan Maher's first championship win as captain, so what it meant to those lads and the buzz it gave us and it really kicked things on.' O'Farrell is in salubrious company with Pádraic Maher (2010) as an All-Ireland U20/21 winning captain who has also claimed a senior Celtic Cross in the same year. 'An absolute whirlwind and kind of the stuff of dreams. Myself, Josh Keller, (2019 U20 All-Ireland winning captain) Craig Morgan and Jake [Morris] would have carpooled all year to training. Jake would often remind us that in 2019 he did the 20s and senior. 'At the start of the year, you're kind of saying, 'Well, look, if we do one, we'd be doing very well. To have the two this year, it's just, it's the stuff of dreams, it really is, and it just still feels surreal.' Never was the moonlighting a chore for O'Farrell, Darragh McCarthy or Oisín O'Donoghue. 'I picked up a niggle at the start of the year and when you're missing a few league games, and you're injured going to the matches, the one thing you want to do is just be out playing. There was never any complaints on Darragh, Oisín or myself's end about double-jobbing.' U20 manager Brendan Cummins's support role to Liam Cahill was significant, according to the Nenagh Éire Óg man. 'When you're playing minor and you're playing U20, they say, 'We're developing you for the end goal, which is the senior.' Brendan was brilliant to us this year. He just let us in with the seniors for the first half of the season, just completely all in with them and any time we needed any bit of experience to lean on, he was there. 'Then, our senior management team, just the confidence they inspired in us young lads, handing us the start that first (league) day in Galway was huge. They never ever had a bad word to say to us or about us. It was huge bravery and, do you know what, the confidence they inspired in us was huge.' O'Farrell is following in the footsteps of his father Paul and pursuing a career in medicine. He enters his second year in the University of Galway. 'This year was an introduction year so it gave me ample time to be home for training and it wasn't too taxing. A lot of it was continuous assessment but I've heard it's going to be a different story now next year, so we'll move across that bridge. Hurling is my first love and as long as I'm able and want it I'll be playing.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘The hurt brought us closer' – Conor Stakelum shares driving factor in Tipperary's All-Ireland win
CONOR Stakelum reckons Tipperary were rewarded for sticking together after their Championship aspirations were shattered to pieces last year. Stinging criticism was levelled at gaffer Liam Cahill and his players when they were dumped out of the 2024 Munster SHC by Cork with a game to spare. 2 The Thurles Sarsfields' man followed in the footsteps of his father Conor senior 2 Conor (right) and brother Darragh Stakelum celebrating the All-Ireland win But a remarkable revival culminated with Tipp midfielder Stakelum said: 'What went on last year, we went through that together. "It was the same management this year, a couple of tweaks, and that was a really strong foundation even though we were beaten and beaten really badly. 'We took it in the ear from our supporters, from opposition, from pundits, everything — but we came through that together and I think there's no secret to it. Read more on GAA 'We didn't do anything madly different but we had that hurt and that brought us closer. We knuckled down and trained hard. 'We all had each other's backs. We knew it was us and nobody else this year because we were written off and that's a good place to be in when it's just the group. Backs to the wall, let's row in together.' Along with his brother Darragh, Stakelum has followed in the footsteps of his father — also named Conor — by winning an All-Ireland medal. Conor Jr added: 'It's a dream come true.' Most read in GAA Hurling Liam Sheedy 'gets to the point' as he cuts across fellow RTE pundit Donal Og Cusack with brutal verdict of Cork collapse
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'I'd love to play forever': Noel McGrath joins Tipp greats with fourth All-Ireland medal
Tipperary's club of four-time All-Ireland senior hurling medal winners welcomed a ninth member on Sunday. Only 12 from the county have more than Noel McGrath and by winning a Celtic Cross in a third different decade the Loughmore-Castleiney man joined an even more exclusive group. From Tipperary, John Doyle collected honours from the 1940s to 60s, Jimmy Doyle from the 1950s to '71 and before them Tommy Doyle. McGrath wasn't completely aware of those records but being interested in Tipperary hurling history he had an idea of where a fourth All-Ireland medal would place him. 'There's no point in saying that I didn't know that if we won, getting to four was the first time since '65 or '71 that someone has done it. 'I live hurling and I know a lot about the history of Tipperary so I would have been aware of that and now that's happened. Sure, it's a great feeling and I'm delighted to be one with four. There's a lot of lads with three and a few with two and more with their first so to be in that category is unreal.' Just like Darragh McCarthy is now, McGrath was 19 when he claimed his first All-Ireland medal. As a substitute on the day, McGrath was quick to put his arm around the Toomevara youngster when he was sent off prior to the Munster SHC defeat to Cork. His recovery since has heartened his older team-mate. 'He's one of the most dedicated hurlers you'll find. He's always practising, always doing different things. He's a nice young fella. Nobody likes to see that happen to a team-mate and he had a tough few weeks and months but he gave an exhibition in an All-Ireland final. Noel McGrath of Tipperary, and his son Sam, lifts the Liam MacCarthy cup. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'To be able to play and he struck his frees after the last match or two that the frees hadn't gone well for him and (in the final) I don't think he missed one so I was delighted for him.' To come off the bench and send over a point and share Sunday with his and wife Aisling's two-year-old son Sam made number four all the more special for McGrath. 'I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd be able to bring him to Croke Park. To win an All-Ireland with him is unreal. That will be something that I will remember forever and that I have forever. I suppose he'll see all the pictures from it, he won't remember it but he'll have them memories and all those pictures. It's special for me to be able to do that with him.' To see his younger brother John remind people of his worth in the blue and gold was satisfying too. 'He's been very good for us this year. He's had a tough few years where he had been on (the team), he wasn't on, he was off, you know what I mean? 'But his club form has been unbelievable over the last five, I suppose even 10 years, but especially in the last five or six. I think the whole country is seeing that now, how good he's been over the last six months with Tipperary.' If Sunday was McGrath's last time in a Tipperary jersey, it was a fitting finale for the 34-year-old. 'There's no point in me saying here now what I know I'm going to do. I'd love to stay playing forever but I know that can't happen. We'll see in time. I'll go back to the club and see how that goes over the next few months.' The decision on whether to return for an 18th season will be predicated on the mental demands more so than the physical. 'I never really had that evening where you're dragging yourself out to training. You'd be looking forward to it and that for me is the part that really keeps you going, that you're not feeling it as a drag. I enjoyed every minute of it. And when you have an ending like this, it's hard not to enjoy it as well. 'I go in training and I burst myself every night to be trying to get on that 15. And if you're not on it, you want to be one of the ones that come on, you know what I mean? I'm no different to anyone else and when I'm 50 years of age, I'll still want to play. That's just the nature of it.'
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
From day one this season, Bevans saw something 'different' about Tipperary
Tipperary coach Mikey Bevans believes the effort which players made to become "more connected" this season was a key factor in their All-Ireland winning campaign. "People were asking about what was different this year," Bevans said on The Sunday Game. "I think the effort the players made to get more connected to each other, to help each other out; we got that sense the very day we went back training, that there was something different about them. They made a huge effort to bond with each other a lot better." That connection was exemplified by the support which Darragh McCarthy received after he was sent off against Cork in the Munster SHC and against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. "Even after the first sending off against Cork, I'd say that the 40 men on the panel texted me to after," McCarthy said after the game, "meeting up with Jake Morris, he texted me the following morning, 'Here, we'll go for a coffee', just to get back around the lads again. They're all just so good. "What they've done for me there the last day again, they looked after me there. Oisín (O'Donoghue), one of my good friends, looked after me there as well with that goal. I have no words for him." Bevans said it wasn't just McCarthy who received that type of support. "Mikey Corcoran got a bad injury during the week and everybody had his back," he said, "just so many examples of it that they just came together off the pitch. When you're doing that off the pitch then it just transfers to the game you're playing." Bryan O'Mara playing as a sweeper was another key to Tipp's victory. Bevans thought his side played their own version of that plus one tune. "We were speaking about that during the week," said Bevans, "it's really just about numbers, whether you have an extra player at the back or whether you have a player running forward it doesn't really matter. It's just the way you play the game after that so we'd like to think we just put our own stamp on it, especially in the second half the players just kind of let it flow and came up with their own style of a plus one if you like. "They really just showed what good hurlers they are first of all, how connected they are to each other. They were supporting each other all the time which is a sign of a really good hurling team."
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
John McGrath on the double as Tipperary crowned All-Ireland champions with awesome comeback win over stunned Cork
A SPECTACULAR second-half comeback toasted by goals from John McGrath and Darragh McCarthy saw Tipperary crowned All-Ireland hurling champions. Down by six at the half-time break following Shane Barrett's late goal, Liam Cahill's men blitzed the Cork in superb second period. Advertisement 1 John McGrath celebrates after scoring Tipperary's first goal against Cork Credit: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile Five quickfire points brought the deficit back to one before John McGrath scrambled the sliotar into the net to give Tipp the unlikely lead. The lead was extended when Eoin Downey was shown a second yellow card for pulling down McGrath for a penalty, with McCarthy stepped up to slam home. And the win was sealed by McGrath, who flicked the ball in for a third goal in an awesome comeback for the ages. Tipp goalkeeper Rhys Shelly produced a save from an injury time Conor Lehane penalty as Cork's wait for Liam McCarthy goes on for another year. Advertisement Read More on GAA The fates seemed to have aligned for Cork to win an All-Ireland title for the first time since 2005. They had faced, and beaten, Tipperary twice already - by ten points in the National League final, and by 15 in the Munster SHC. Darragh McCarthy had been sent off before the ball was even thrown in in the latter, while he was even shown his marching orders for a second yellow card in the semi-final against Kilkenny. More to follow... Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling
