Tipp derby lives up to its billing

By Shane Brophy

Sold out two days beforehand, those lucky enough to have secured one of the two thousand or so tickets to attend this Dr Harty Cup semi-final in Templederry on Saturday between the last two winners weren’t disappointed.

The vast majority were there an hour before throw-in, keen to get a decent perch in the picturesque Fr. Kenyon Park as Nenagh CBS and Thurles CBS, loaded with Tipperary All-Ireland minor and under 20 winners from the last two years, went head to head.

Firstly, great credit to Templederry Kenyons GAA Club who had everything from the pitch, to parking, organised to a high level for one of the biggest crowds to ever grace his grounds.

And it was the 2024 winners Nenagh CBS who edged this contest with captain Eoghan Doughan’s 66th minute free deciding it.

With no fourth officials board, no one knew how much added time referee Joe Mullins was going to play, many would have welcomed extra time, and the game not to be decided on a controversial call.

In the end, the decisive free was conclusive, Nenagh’s magnet of a full forward Patrick Hackett winning possession and drawing the foul from Darragh Hickey which led to Doughan converting his sixth free, bringing his final tally to twelve.

“And he even could have gotten a couple of more frees,” added Nenagh manager Donach O’Donnell of Hackett’s influence, despite being frustrated at not being able to get the ball to him more often.

O’Donnell has been involved in two of the school’s biggest days, the 2012 Croke Cup victory, and the first ever Harty Cup success two years ago, and he admitted this victory is one that will stand up there.

“These are the ones that you will remember,” he added.

“They (Thurles) were champions last year and we were champions two years ago so we knew there was never going to be anything in it, and the way the game panned out it was very much like that.

“It looked very much like a draw for several stages and our guys just dug it out in the last few minutes.”

Sometimes the hype can kill a game but this one lived up to its billing with the standard at a really high level throughout, both on and off the field.

“The standard of hurling, the touches, the flicks for winter conditions is phenomenal,” O’Donnell added.

“The skill standard is through the roof, from both sets of players. Thurles hit some points from range which were phenomenal. If you hit them during the summer on a perfect pitch you would be delighted with yourself.”

He added: “The standards have gone up and up and up, and the standard of preparation have gone up. There are inter-county teams aren’t as well organised as us, and I’m not being smart saying that. Our attention to detail, our physios Cian and Conor in Gold Standard, our recovery with Siobhan O’Leary who does a session the day after every match. Our S&C and video sessions are so important and you are trying to manage a group of players who are playing county under 20, county minor, and who are finishing up a club season with a huge amount of work gone into them so it is very hard to keep them right.”

Magnanimous Thurles

Eanna Tucker’s 20th minute goal was ultimately the difference between the sides as Nenagh carried the greater goal threat, as Thurles lost their Harty and All-Ireland titles with honour.

“It’s just one of those things,” said Thurles manager Niall Cahill.

“You ride your luck and when you win you come out the right side of them.

“We knew coming in there was going to be nothing in it and that’s the nature of it.

“We won the Munster under 15 with that group, they (Nenagh) won the under 17 with it, and nothing between them. Both sets of players have Harty medals and we have All-Ireland medals in their back pockets. It was a top quality, ding-dong battle.

“When you lose by a point you have to get two points to win so it might seem like a small thing but it is a big thing.”

Cahill accepted it was a tremendous occasion to be part of, with the game a terrific representation of hurling, and particularly the work being done at underage in the county.

“That is what Harty Cup is about,” Cahill added.

“It is why lads go to Nenagh CBS and Thurles CBS, they want to hurl at the very top level.

“We have eight lads on the Tipp under 20 panel, they have eight lads on the Tipp under 20 panel, and there is any amount of lads hurling at a really high level. That is where they want to be, and to be tested.

“Unfortunately, our lads will have to go lick their wounds after today and the Nenagh boys go on and will hopefully do their bit.”

“It’s very disappointing for the boys. Since first year, with Covid, they weren’t able to do contact training in first year. To say from there, they would finish their hurling here and some of them would have marched up the steps of the Hogan Stand last year, we are fierce proud of them. They’ll look back with pride, it would be different if they didn’t perform or were beaten by a poorer team, they were super.”