Catching the Eye

IN ALL FAIRNESS

With the main Tipperary club championships in both hurling and Gaelic football now in the history books, respective senior hurling and football managers Liam Cahill and Niall Fitzgerald can finalise their panels with the collective training restart date less than a month away.

Both men have been respectful in allowing players on their radar to concentrate on their clubs until their campaigns come to an end. While six clubs have Munster club campaigns to look forward to, it isn’t possible to delay contacting players any further, and over the next couple of weeks we should get an indication of how the respective panels will shape up.

As always, the make up of the Tipperary senior hurling panel will be closely watched, particaularly in the light of Liam Cahill’s three-year extension as manager with his re-ratification focusing on youth which suggests an overhaul of the panel in the offing.

In terms of possible outgoings, Noel McGrath will be to the forefront as he approaches his 36th birthday in December and whether he goes again for an eighteenth championship season. He was more peripheral in the last campaign but his presence within the dressing room would still be important.

This will also be an aspect to considerations also regarding Seamus Kennedy (33), Jason Forde (33 in December) and Michael Breen (32) who are the next oldest on the panel and while they still have plenty to offer in terms of their play and experience, if some or all are not there, the management can’t call on them in pressure situations and have no option but to blood players, even there is a risk in the short term in terms of results.

Then there are the likes of Gearoid O’Connor and Johnny Ryan who have been on the senior panel for a number of years but haven’t forced their way into the starting line-up on a regular basis, with the consideration of whether they have the potential to still do so in the coming years. Similar is Brian McGrath who has been on the senior panel since 2019 but has only made eight championship appearances, and now in his late twenties, has a decision to make, if retained, as to whether he could spend another year with the hurlers with no guarantee of playing regularly, whereas as a superb footballer who last Sunday captained Loughmore/Castleiney to county senior football glory, he would as good as walk onto the senior football team.

In terms of possible incomings, of those that have been in the senior set-up before, Sean Ryan and Conor Bowe did their cause for a second chance no harm with strong campaigns for Templederry Kenyons and Moyne-Templetuohy respectively. Both were on the Tipperary under 20 hurling team in 2020 so would be approaching their 27th birthdays entering the next campaign and would do so as more mature and hungry players with senior strength & conditioning under their belts.

Of the next wave of that have completed underage, 2024 Tipp under 20 captain Ben Currivan has had a strong campaign with Golden Kilfeacle, physically looking the part, and would have a lot to offer at midfield or the attack as he played at under 20 out of position at centre back. Eddie Ryan was an under 20 in 2023 and has been ultra consistent for Borris-Ileigh since then and would merit consideration. Jack Quinlan won a minor All-Ireland in 2022 and was a starter on the 2025 under 20 team before suffering a campaign ending injury. His age profile and leadership capabilities in helping Fethard win the Junior ‘A’ title will serve him well. David Costigan is another who impressed for the Tipp 20’s this year and carried his form into the club campaign scoring 5-12 from play in helping Moycarkey/Borris reach a county final. Holycross/Ballycahill’s Robbie Ryan has also finished under 20 and certainly has added more pace to his running over the last twelve months while Charlie Ryan impressed Liam Cahill to be called into the training panel at the start of last year which led to an under 20 call-up in which he impressed. Thurles Sarsfields Euan Murray and Kieran Rossiter are likely to be nailed on for call-ups but are still under 20 for the next two years, while clubmate Keith Loughnane is eligible for 2027 only, but whose physical profile will certainly see him highly regarded. The performances of Liam Cahill’s son Jack over the last twelve months with Ballingarry and Thurles CBS should see him at least on an under 20 squad and possibly higher. Aaron Cagney, Podge O’Dwyer and Jake Donelan-Houlihan are entering their final year of under 20 and do so off strong club campaigns. Leigh Loughnane was a minor in 2023 but didn’t feature at under 20 level since, however, in the last twelve months has been excellent for Roscrea with his all action approach equally in terms of ball-winning and scoring. In terms of football, Conor Freaney and Jamie Roche of Kilsheelan/Kilcash have caught the eye but much of the job of Niall Fitzgerald will be to get players to commit that are good enough, such as former senior hurlers Paddy Cadell and Mark Kehoe, plus the likes of Commercials Tadhg Sheehan if he isn’t called into the senior hurlers.