It doesn't feel like we are All-Ireland champions - Cahill
By Shane Brophy
The above headline could be used to relate to the fact that there is so little focus on the defending All-Ireland Senior Hurling champions Tipperary.
As much of the focus since the final whistle blew at Croke Park on July 20th last is on why Cork didn’t win which is understandable considering they were such overwhelming favourites going into the All-Ireland Final.
Then there is the spectre of a Limerick side that have won five of the last eight All-Ireland’s and barring the retirements of Graeme Mulcahy and Declan Hannon, plus Seamus Flanagan deemed surplus to requirements, it’s largely the same squad going to battle again in what is John Kiely’s tenth year in charge.
However, for Liam Cahill it’s the fact that his players are performing since they returned to training as if they didn’t win anything last year.
“I can genuinely say every night we've come to training since we commenced in November, there's never been a feeling around expectation of doing back to back,” revealed the Tipperary manager.
“It is something that is bandied about but for us, I'd be the first to feel it personally, when we come into training every night, we prepare behind scenes in relation to having to squad ready and having all the logistics side of it done it that never enters our head. It's always about trying to keep consistent in our performances and keep trying to improve.”
He added: “It actually doesn't feel, really, to be honest, that like that we won the All-Ireland last year, it genuinely doesn't.
“We still have the same appetite to keep proving ourselves, both as players and management. Once you are feeling that you're in a good place to try and get results.”
League overview
Tipperary’s requirements from the National League this year were different to last. In 2025, they had to hit the ground running to make up ground after the difficult 2024. Wins were needed to generate momentum and confidence.
This year was primarily about deepening the panel and managing the load of the more experienced players to ensure they hit their peak in the championship.
“The turnover in this panel in the last 12/24 months has been huge; we tend to forget that a little bit,” Cahill reminded everyone.
“There's a huge transition within the group, still albeit the majority of the players that will play on April 19th will be similar to the players that played the majority of the championship last year.
“The integration of the under 20s from the All-Ireland winning team last year (continues), trying to get exposure into them, and making sure that we were bringing the more experienced players back at the right time which didn't allow us to attack the league as aggressively as we'd like or be in a position to go ahead and put ourselves into the latter stages of it.
“But in general, we've navigated it quite well throughout the couple of months of the league to finish third and come into the Munster Championship with a good, strong panel.
He added: “I do believe our panel is a lot stronger this year than last year. There is a lot of youth in our squad, but a lot of youth that might not see the matchday 26 initially this year but our in-house games are a lot more competitive, and that's no disrespect to anybody that hasn’t been on our squad this year versus last year.
“It's just the joy of having that youth, and young raw talent coming through, and we just hope that they will find their feet over the next period of time and serve Tipperary well over their careers.”
It’s easy to forget that around a third of the Tipperary panel are heading into just their second championship campaign, not including the likes of Andrew Ormond who was on the panel for a number of years before finally making the breakthrough last year.
“Experience is everything, especially when you're gaining that kind of experience at such a young age,” Cahill continued.
“It can't put help to have played in those sorts of environments already and experienced what it's like to win and lose in those situations. So, it's good for them.
“They have trained on well, the few from last year, Darragh, Oisin, Sam, have slotted seamlessly into the setup, are key people or key players within our setup now, and they're definitely helping the younger guys now that have come in off of that under 20 team last year that have joined this year.
“We were fortunate last year that we got three to step up straight away. That doesn't usually happen and it's probably not going to happen this year with the new recruits. It’s taken them all their time to step up, and that's understandable.
“There is still quite a bit to do with the newer members in their development to come to this level that's required, but they're in the right environment, and if they stick with it, they'll have a great opportunity to break into the squad before the year is out, or, if not, they'll have a good understanding of what's required for 2027.”
New motivation
Much of the motivation for Tipperary’s run to the All-Ireland title last year was sense of the players redeeming themselves in the eye of the supporters for how the 2024 campaign went, with heavy defeats to Limerick and particularly Cork in Thurles in the championship.
That’s something they can’t tap into so they need to find something else but what it won’t be, for the moment, is looking to successfully defend the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
“We're very privileged to be in position we're in as All Ireland champions, we respect that, we know, what it's like to get there,” Cahill says.
“I've often said to the players, it's like flying a hot air balloon, it has taken huge oxygen to get that balloon off the ground, and it's only a little pin hole in it can have it come crashing back down.
“So, our objective is really to keep that afloat as long as we can.
“Always with us it is a case of making sure that we represent that jersey properly every day we play and the days we haven't, it has weighed heavily, and a lot of players in that dressing room know and still have the taste of the days where things might not have worked out. We just want to try and keep that at bay every day we play and make sure that we acquit ourselves.”
Tough Start
Coming into Sunday’s opener, opponents Cork are in Tipperary’s shoes from last year where they are coming of a National League final loss just two weeks out from championship. Tipp found a new level for the Munster opener against Limerick and Liam Cahill feels Cork didn’t show their hand in the loss to the Shannonsiders last week.
“You definitely say that there's certain aspects of Cork’s game that they didn't show their hand a whole lot to be honest,” Cahill said.
“But still it was a usually competitive league final, ferociously physical. Like ourselves, coming out of last year's League finals, the players are well conditioned, it's just a case of freshening up and getting our head right leading into the first round of the championship.
“That'll be the key for us, to get to the pitch, the game early; that's our main objective is that up to that pace early, and once we find that pace early and get into it and get a feel for them, I have no doubt that we have worked done to be able to see it out like.”
Tipperary’s schedule this year sees them play two sets of games back to back, heading to Waterford on Sunday week, before having their bye in round 3 and a three week break before the wrap up at home to Clare and away to Limerick in the space of eight days in May.
“Our block is Cork and Waterford,” Cahill revealed.
“Over the last four weeks, since the Kilkenny game in Thurles, we have been preparing for both teams, to be honest, because the turnaround is so quick, whatever the result will be next Sunday, once we go back down the tunnel win lose or draw, we have to turn the page the following evening because we've only six days to prepare for Waterford.
“So, we would have had to do a certain amount of work over the last four weeks, obviously, the majority on Cork but we would definitely would have had one eye in training and some of our work that we have done with Waterford in mind as well.”