Platform in place for Tipp to kick on - O’Meara

By Shane Brophy

Two-time All-Ireland winner Niall O’Meara has praised the work being done at underage level for providing the platform for potentially more Tipperary hurling success in the coming years.

Speaking ahead of last weeks Fitzgibbon Cup final as a former winner with Mary Immaculate College, the Kilruane MacDonaghs clubman has seen at first hand the work being put into the players at academy level which has led to four All-Ireland titles from minor, through under 20 and onto senior since 2022.

“There's a lot of top class work going on at the moment, and the county at the end of the line is benefiting,” he began.

“S&C, as you said, has probably gone to a new level in Tipperary from even when I kicked off in 2012, 2013, 2014, kind of being around Tipperary. And like you see with the clubs, Tipp were bearing the fruit.

“I was involved with the Tipp 16s last year as a coach, and some of the talent there was exceptional.

“Having that partnership with Setanta (College) being so close and having their base in Thurles has been very helpful.

“As you said, probably a yard faster, maybe a bit fitter, a bit stronger, and then the lads are getting that from a younger age, which means they're graduating onto the senior panel. If you look, say, even at Darren McCarthy, he looks like a man that has ten years' conditioning done.

“We are reaping the benefits of it. And even in terms of, you know, you're less risk of getting injured, you're less risk of all that stuff with that S&C side of it. At the end of the day, hurling is the fastest field sport, so if lads can move quickly, things like that, that's probably the last, I suppose, element of the S&C that, you know, we certainly looked, we weren't lacking legs last year. People kind of thought that would be the case when we got to Croke Park, maybe.”

An All-Ireland senior medal winner in 2016 & 2019, the versatile defender and attacker has been pleased with what he has seen from Tipperary this year as they look to mount a successful defence of the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 1964-65.

“If you are the Tipperary management, you'd be trying to find a couple of lads, put pressure on the lads on the team,” O’Meara continued.

“Cathal (O’Reilly) has been kind of earmarked for a while, and I thought he looked very impressive in the first couple of games, as he was on the front foot, not afraid to go forward.

“Liam Cahill mentioned last week, probably a bit behind in terms of their condition at the moment. I think that can be a good thing, because you know you've got ground to gain or find 1%.

“But overall, in the first three games of the league, he's given a good few lads a chance. I'm sure there'll be a couple of other lads edging to get back in after the break as well.

“Ronan Maher is coming back from his Gilmore's groin surgery and stuff.

“It'd be interesting to see when the ground actually dries up a bit, it'll suit a couple of lads like Paddy McCormack and lads like this as well. So, I think we're in a good spot.”