Andrew is the new Earl of Ormond

By Shane Brophy

Andrew Ormond has been on the Tipperary panel for a couple of years now but has announced himself to the county, and indeed the country in earnest, over the past two weeks.

After being handed his first championship start against Clare, scoring 2-1, he followed it with a man of the match performance against Waterford on Sunday.

“On a personal level, it’s great,” said the JK Brackens clubman who has taken to senior level like a duck to water.

“We came here to get a job done. Five points now, we’ll have to wait and see where that takes us. I think we’re fairly safe so delighted with the win and a super team performance.

He added: “The subs that came on again, Oisín’s goal, Seánie getting on the ball, Séamus Kennedy, Noel’s point, the impact from the bench again so a super team effort. Delighted.”

The centre forward scored two points from play but had a hand in another seven, four assists, plus was fouled for three converted frees.

“The lads, in fairness, picked me out with lovely ball,” Ormond continued.

“Centre-forward in hurling, you probably will get a little bit of space. Just the way it is gone, most centre-backs will have to protect their defence.

“We obviously picked myself out… Jake was out centre-forward as well at some stages, picked him out with some lovely play, and then we had the boys inside. They were so patient and when they got the one goal chance, Oisín took it.

“We have a free-taker in Darragh, and Jason stepped us last week with his frees. Super players all around us so we’re delighted with that now.”

Ormond, an under 20 All-Ireland winner in 2019, scoring 1-2 in the final against Cork, has had to bide his time ever since to make the grade at senior level, making his league debut in February 2024 but has come to the fore in recent weeks.

“I’m old enough and wise enough to know it mightn’t happen like that every day,” he said of his experience of the last two games.

“I’ve got lucky the last two games. I’ve great lads around me. Darragh (McCarthy) popped a few balls to me. Jason (Forde) as well.

“Last week as well, balls were popped out to me. Lads are working so hard. On another day, it could be me popping the ball out and we’d have other lads getting the scores. But look, it’s a team effort. I’m just delighted to be hurling with Tipperary.”

Coming into the game on Sunday, expectation levels had risen after beating Clare, but it would have counted for nothing if they didn’t beat Waterford as a defeat would have seen them eliminated from the championship at the group stage for the second successive year. However, Ormond said there was no element of pressure coming in.

“We were delighted to be playing these crunch Munster Championship matches,” he revealed.

“This is why we do all the training. We’re delighted to be part of occasions like this and hopefully we can stay going long into the summer, please God.

“It was a great fillip last week against Clare. Again today, you could hear the Tipperary supporters. They really willed us over the line and fair dues to everybody who came.”

He added: “It gives you such a big lift. It nearly just fills your legs with more energy to hear the chanting and hear the genuine Tipp supporters out there. They’re just so good to us. They really willed us over the line today when we got going near the end there, three, four, five points in front, and then the goal came. You could hear them every step of the way so fair dues to everyone who came. It’s just super having them there.”

Whether Tipperary’s next game is a Munster Final or an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final, the livewire forward is excited about the opportunity that is ahead of him and the team.

“We obviously don’t have a game next week so we’ll get to watch the games and see where our next couple of weeks will take us,” Ormond added.

“Whether that’s a Munster final or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

“Naturally, we’re very excited now. Every game is going to be a titanic battle from here on in.

“We had to win today, and I’m fairly sure we’re going to have to win the rest of the games we play as well for the summer to be as good as we want it to be.

“The buzz is good. It’s a dream to be playing hurling with Tipperary, a dream to be playing in Semple Stadium. Today is a great day but onwards and upwards.”

It is a special time for the Ormond family with Andrew’s younger brother Jamie winning a Munster under 20 medal the previous Wednesday, and is now looking forward to an All-Ireland Final.

“We’re hurling mad in Templemore,” he laughed.

“The 20s had a super win the other night. We were delighted for them. I know what that feels like playing under 20 for Tipperary, it feels so good, and I hope them boys can really… we’ll get behind them now for the All-Ireland coming up.

“Hopefully, the Tipp fans can stay coming to those games and we’ll all get things back going the way they should be in Tipperary."