Tipperary hurlers and backroom team celebrate with the Liam MacCarthy Cup in front of the fans on Hill 16 after winning the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Final on Sunday. Photo: Bridget Delaney

It’s Official - Tipp are Back

By Shane Brophy

Move over Oasis, the comeback story of the year at Croke Park has already happened in the form of the Tipperary senior hurlers – 2025 All-Ireland Senior Hurling champions.

Their story of redemption for the season had its fitting ending on Sunday as they produced a performance of all that is good about Tipperary hurling, full of skill, determination, poise, courage, bravery, plus physical and mental toughness, to completely dismantle a Cork side who were a well-beaten side long before the final whistle.

It wasn’t just the Cork players, management, and supporters who were stunned by what happened in that second half, it was the Tipperary supporters in equal measure, watching on in disbelief at what they were seeing, as they turned around a six-point half time deficit to win by fifteen, a 21-point swing.

This was the same Tipperary side who were dismantled by Cork in the second half of last years Munster Championship clash in Thurles, losing by eighteen points; a day when winning another All-Ireland title looked so far away.

Yet, fourteen months on, the Liam MacCarthy Cup is back in the Premier County after one of the most impressive turnarounds in any sport, a huge credit to the management led by Liam Cahill who completed the set of All-Ireland titles at minor, under 20/21 and senior level.

Sam O’Farrell, Darragh McCarthy, Paddy McCormack, Conor Martin and Aaron O’Halloran now have the full set of minor, under 20 and senior medals by the age of twenty, some not even that age yet.

There are third Celtic Crosses for inspirational captain Ronan Maher, Michael Breen, Seamus Kennedy, John McGrath, and Jason Forde, while Noel McGrath confirmed his status as a Tipperary hurling immortal with his fourth All-Ireland senior medal, fitting that he scored their thirtieth and final score of the game, confirming their redemption story being complete.