At the launch of the 2026 Munster Senior Football Championship at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, which gets underway this Sunday are, from left: Cillian Rouine (Clare), Conor Murray (Waterford), Paul Geaney (Kerry), Daniel O’Mahoney (Cork), Paudie Feehan (Tipperary), and Barry Coleman (Limerick). Photo: DAvid Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Tipp look to avoid Deise sweep

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At the launch of the 2026 Munster Senior Football Championship at FBD Semple Stadium Thurles, which gets underway this Sunday are, from left: Cillian Rouine (Clare), Conor Murray (Waterford), Paul Geaney (Kerry), Daniel O’Mahoney (Cork), Paudie Feehan (Tipperary), and Barry Coleman (Limerick). Photo: DAvid Fitzgerald/Sportsfile David Fitzgerald / SPORTSFILE

Published: Wed 8 Apr 2026, 9:21 AM

By Shane Brophy

The weather may not feel like it is but it is championship time, and as Tipperary hurling supporters this week look to get their hands on one of the golden 45,000 tickets for the Munster Championship opener against Cork on Sunday week, it is the senior footballers first into the fray this Sunday.

Two years on from the shock Munster Championship defeat to Waterford, Tipp head back to Dungarvan this Sunday looking to avoid being upset again.

The Deise might have finished the National League Division 4 campaign pointless, including a 4-19 to 0-18 defeat to Tipp as recently as March 22nd last, but they are always dangerous on home soil, and always feel they can get the better of their near neighbours.

Added to that is their minors and under 20’s lowering Tipp’s flag in their respective championships across Easter weekend and you can be sure Deise senior manager Ephie Fitzgerald will be using a potential clean sweep as another nugget of motivation for the Fraher Field encounter.

Tipperary will also be shorn of experience with half-back Luke Boland and veteran midfielder Steven O’Brien both ruled out through injury, while wing back Mark Stokes is also an injury doubt, with Jimmy Feehan and goalkeeper Shane Ryan still on the long term injury list.

Added to that is corner back Jack Harney is no longer part of the panel, as he is heading to the US in the early summer, something the management were aware of prior to the start of the campaign but wanted to keep him around for the league for his experience.

It leaves Tipp even more short on experience in what is a young panel with the likes of Charlie King and Joe Higgins set to make their championship debuts with a larger cohort also heading into just their second championship campaign.

Indeed, a potential Tipp matchday squad for next Sunday might contain jist seven of the twenty players that featured in the 2-7 to 1-5 defeat two years ago, with captain Paudie Feehan potentially the only surviving starter if Stokes is ruled out.