All eyes on Championship
By Shane Brophy
With the National Leagues having concluded for a number of Tipperary teams, the focus is on championship which is less than a month away.
For the senior hurlers, all eyes are now firmly on the Munster Championship clash with Cork on Sunday, April 19th at FBD Semple Stadium.
Whereas the rebels have the distraction of a National League final against Limerick on Sunday week, Liam Cahill and his charges are in championship mode as they look to raise their levels from a league campaign where they only showed patches of their best, concluding last Saturday with a 2-27 to 3-24 draw with Kilkenny.
37 players have gotten game-time in the six league games with manager Liam Cahill confirming a further tightening of the panel for championship.
The Tipperary senior footballers rounded off their National League Division 4 campaign with a 4-19 to 0-18 victory over Waterford on Sunday, the first of two games in three weeks as they meet in Dungarvan in a Munster quarter final on April 12th.
The win wasn’t enough to earn promotion, missing out by one point but their eight point haul from the seven games (three wins, two draws and just two losses) was their best since returning to the division in 2023.
Manager Niall Fitzgerald has used 28 players across the seven games with the attack certainly the strongest part of the team with Sean O’Connor, Cian Smith and Daithi Hogan having contributed massively, and with Paddy Creedon having joined the squad in recent weeks, adds to their potency.
It may well be that Tipp will be involved in high scoring games to progress in the championship. Should they get the better of Waterford, they will play Cork or Limerick in a Munster semi-final. Unless Tipp upset the odds in a semi-final, their focus will be on a good run in the Tailteann Cup.
The Tipperary senior camogie team are also in championship mode after missing out on reaching a National League Division 1 final.
A 3-21 to 1-8 win over Waterford on Saturday wasn’t enough to join the Deise in the decider, but the result, off the back of a draw away to Cork and a competitive performance against All-Ireland champions Galway, James Heffernan’s charges can look forward to the championship with confidence.
They will next be in action in the Munster Championship with a quarter final against Cork on Sunday, April 19th on the same bill as the hurling championship clash between the same counties at FBD Semple Stadium.
28 players were played across the five games including a welcome return from long term injury of Eimear McGrath who along with newcomer Caoimhe Stakelum have really bolstered the Tipp attack.
The Tipperary ladies’ footballers will conclude their National League Division 2 campaign on Sunday when they host Tyrone in Clonmel. David Power’s charges have an outside chance of promotion but shorn key players to AFLW, the premier have been extremely competitive in the league, including a one point win over Donegal last Sunday.