Stakelum driven on playing a more prominent role

By Shane Brophy

For Darragh Stakelum, he is one of those many players juggling the commitment between the Tipperary senior hurlers and third level hurling at this time of the year.

The Thurles Sarsfields clubman is in his final year in UCC as he aims to win his first Fitzgibbon Cup medal. This Thursday, they face a crucial game against the Garda College Templemore as they aim to reach the knockout stages after surprisingly losing to Cork rivals MTU in their first game.

The encroachment of the National League with the Fitzgibbon Cup has become difficult in recent years but Stakelum feels it is still an important grade in the transition to inter-county senior level.

“It gives you your first taste of what inter-county hurling might look like to be playing with players who are well established,” he said.

“So, definitely it gets you ready to make that step onto senior inter-county hurling.

“The quality of players is very high. I noticed that from the start. In my first year I had Brian Hayes and Shane Barrett either side of me. You learn a lot from them. It helps you bridge that gap up to senior standard.”

The last six months or so were a good time for Stakelum on campus where both he and Tipperary team-mate Peter McGarry feature on a Cork dominant UCC squad.

He also had an unexpected run with Thurles Sarsfields in Gaelic football, winning a county intermediate title, helping fill the time after the hurlers early exit from the championship.

“Unfortunately, our hurling season was cut short and that was very disappointing in its own regard,” he continued.

“So, Peter Creedon, to be fair, I asked him, can I go back and play a bit of football with them and we just got on great as a team and we took off from there and just took it every game.

“We weren't really going out to win the county final and it ended up being that way. So, we'll have a different dynamic to deal with now going forward next year with senior football and hurling in the club.

“It was very nice to be able to do something and even just keep your fitness topped up. It was something totally different. I hadn't played football in a year or two since the junior success. It was something different, all right, but in unfortunate circumstances, hopefully it won't happen again in that regard.”

This Saturday, it is back with the small ball and the start of the National League as Tipperary go from the hunters to the hunted, with Stakelum admitting there will have to be a mentality shift.

“People outside of Tipperary probably see us as the hunted but ourselves, in our own minds, there are plenty of teams out there who are just as good,” he continued.

“There is a small mentality shift where you do have to recognise that people will be targeting you but as a group of players, we just have to embrace that and take it on our shoulders and hurl with as much freedom as possible going into the new season.”

Stakelum is one of those players with something to go after this year, looking to become a regular starter in the team.

He started the first two games in the championship last year against Limerick and Cork, but after that it was a role off the bench in each game, including the All-Ireland Final, replacing his brother Conor.

“It was kind of funny his number came up, and mine came up at the same time, and we were exchanging positions on the field. It was special enough,” he recalls.

“That stage of the game - when the switch was made - was probably the most enjoyable ten minutes of hurling you will have in your life. There was no pressure. I was very lucky to get on the field when you look at the quality of player who were left on the bench as well.”

Of his desire for a more prominent role in 2026, he said: “You'd hope to be pushing on if possible.

“The competition within the panel is fierce. To even get on a matchday squad it can be very difficult.

“Midfield might be one of my preferred positions but to be fair I do play anywhere that would help benefit Tipperary going forward. So, I wouldn't pigeonhole myself to one position, I'd try to be versatile enough in that regard.”