Dillon Quirke is very much part of the panel - Morgan

By Stephen Barry

Dillon Quirke did most of his hurling for Tipperary at number five. So, when Craig Morgan took to the field wearing the same jersey against Galway, he felt Quirke alongside him.

It’s almost three years since the Clonoulty/Rossmore clubman tragically passed away during a match against Morgan’s Kilruane MacDonaghs.

Quirke was a central cog among this generation of Premier hurlers. He remains so to this day. A famous photo of his hurley and red helmet held aloft above a celebrating crowd takes pride of place in the Tipperary changing room.

“He's still there in the dressing room. He's still running out the tunnel with us. I know he'll be there next Sunday as well,” said Morgan.

“He's in our minds every time we take the field. It's a privilege to go out and still wear the jersey, and to still play for him.

“Even the last day, I was wearing the number five jersey with him as well. It's nice to bring it back to earth, that he's there with you. He definitely is. He's still a huge part for us on this journey.

“You'd like to imagine him there being involved as much as we are. He's still part of that team we had at under-21.

“He was there when the lows were there as well. We don't forget that either. Dillon was there when we weren't winning matches, so he's definitely there with us when we're heading up to Croke Park.”

Like many of his teammates, Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny will be Morgan’s first outing at GAA HQ. It’s not something they’ve felt the need to address within the camp.

“Maybe on a personal degree, you would, because it’s Croke Park. It's something you look forward to as a young fella to play in.

“But at the end of the day, it doesn't change anything. It's the same size pitch as it is anywhere else.”

Morgan is especially conscious that he’s living the dream of children all over Tipperary. That’s because he deals with them every day as a teacher at his old school, Kilruane NS.

Working with third and fourth classes, there’s no shortage of feedback when Tipp lose matches.

“Children are probably the most honest people out there. They'll tell you on a Monday morning how you went on a Sunday,” he laughed.

“There's no filter there. They'll ask you why didn't you do this or why did you do that. You'd be thinking about it yourself after.

“It brings me back to being that age and thinking that I am where I am now, and I need to enjoy that as well.

“There are going to be lows, but you need to take them and learn from them. “It's things you dream of doing, so you need to just enjoy it when you're there. The kids are good to remind you of that.

“It's something they're looking forward to in life, and that's their dream as well, so you're living their dream really.”