Healthy Tipperary representation in Third Level finals
By Shane Brophy
The National Hurling League might be pausing for the first of its two break weekends but it won’t be a case of switching off for Tipperary anyway with six members of the panel preparing to play in the Higher Education Fitzgibbon Cup final this Friday night.
Defending champions, University of Limerick (UL) who have Darragh McCarthy, Oisin O’Donoghue, Conor Martin, and Aaron Morgan on their panel, facing off against cross city rivals Mary Immaculate College that have Joe Caesar and Adam Daly as part of their panel, as well as Tipperary senior football panellist Eoin Craddock.
With Tipperary not having one of their bye weekends in the seven-team National Hurling League in the opening three rounds, it has meant a hectic schedule for the impacted players, and speaking after his sides defeat to Cork on Saturday night, Tipperary manager Liam Cahill admitted he is glad to have that period out of the way and looking forward to the conclusion of the third level competition to have full rein on his players.
“I’ve said it after the Galway and the Offaly games that the month of January and into the second week of February was going to be really difficult to manage when you have players involved in the Fitzgibbon Cup final on Friday night,” he said.
“Oisin O’Donoghue and Darragh McCarthy have to play again in the Fitzgibbon final and a few more we left off tonight. It is not simple.
“It is definitely something that has to be looked at next year. I hear talks of maybe an extra group or extra matches in the Fitzgibbon next year. Something will have to give. It is just not feasible to play here in front of the crowds and the level we are playing when fellas have played equally competitive and aggressive games 48 hours before.
“We are talking out both sides of our mouth in the GAA if we continue to allow that to happen in relation to player welfare. It has to work some way better. Assign a five or six week period for it and just get it played off and Fitzgibbon players be with their colleges only for that period of time. Or whether the Fitzgibbon goes to a simple one chance and you are beaten and finish.
“There are fellas more equipped to come up with the solutions than me. I think it is definitely something that has to be looked at.”
There will be a strong Tipperary flavour to the Fitzgibbon Cup final with the Mary Immaculate College panel also containing Ben Currivan (Golden Kilfeacle), Cathal Quinn (Cashel King Cormacs), Sean Leahy (St Mary’s) while the University of Limerick panel also contains Jamie Ormond (JK Brackens), Max Hackett (Moycarkey/Borris), and Stephen Ferncombe (Clonoulty/Rossmore).
University of Limerick are also chasing an historic Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup double as their senior footballers, managed by Tipperary David Power when they take on University College Cork in the final at Croke Park tonight (Wednesday). Both finals will be shown live on TG4.
There will be eight Tipperary players involved in the Sigerson final, all of whom are on Niall Fitzgerald’s senior football panel who return to league action next Sunday after their weekend off, hosting top of the table Carlow at FBD Semple Stadium.
Charlie King (Ballina), Daithi Hogan (St Patrick’s), Jack O’Neill (Ardfinnan), James Morris (Clonmel Commercials), Killian Butler (Moyle Rovers), Micheal Freaney (Kilsheelan/Kilcash), and Paddy O’Keeffe (Moyle Rovers) are part of the UL panel while Darragh O’Connor (Clonmel Commercials) is with UCC.