Tipperary hurlers 2024 campaign ends with a loss to Clare in Thurles

Munster Senior Hurling Championship - Round 5

Tipperary 0-24

Clare 1-24

A merciful end to Tipperary’s annus horribilis came to a head in FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday afternoon and it was a third defeat at the hands of Clare who steam fully ahead to a third successive Munster decider; while it will be another long summer, autumn and winter for the Premier supporters and players to lick their wounds.

A goal separated the sides by full-time and even though credit has to go to the Tipperary players who took the field and gave everything they could, you had the feeling throughout that the legs would come against Tipp as usual. And that is how it transpired as Clare took a meaningful lead after half-time, hitting 1-6 to a point up to the 47th minute with Diarmuid Ryan’s goal proving the decisive score in the end.

It was an usual game to consume as a Tipperary supporter with nothing to be gained in terms of progression after the demolition to Cork last weekend. But pride was at stake and after the brilliant work of the underage teams this week, people were crying out for some pride to be instilled in the jersey, even if it would still amount to a premature exit.

You couldn’t go as far as saying the players died with their boots on but they never did throw in the towel, even when Clare hit went 1-19 to 0-14 midway through the second half, with Jake Morris, Ronan Maher, and Seanie Kenneally putting in a fine shift in particular.

But you always felt that Clare was the team who were going to pull away. They looked so much more mobile than Tipp, won far more breaks, 50/50 possession, and looked far more united in how they hurled. They are a team a level above Tipp currently.

The sides were level at 0-11 each at the half-time break but the visitors were the team in control as Tipperary struggled big time on their own puck outs and you felt after the way the players wilted after half-time the week previous, it was going to be a struggle to get a result.

Clare played within themselves largely but had far more mobility, power in the tackle, and a way more fluid game plan with Tipp looking again like they were hoping for individual brilliance rather than relying on the collective game plan.

Shane O’Donnell and a top performance from Diarmuid Ryan gave the Banner the win and sent them into the Munster Final against Limerick with some degree of comfort as Tipp tried to get a leveling goal late on but to no avail.

So, a predictable result in the end, as Tipp limps out of Munster in front of another crowd, dominated by the visiting county, and makes it just one win from 12 in the round-robin since 2022.

But the questions will have to be asked where it is all going wrong on the pitch, and much more pressing, off the pitch as Tipperary GAA is in turmoil.

Scorers: Tipperary: Jake Morris (0-11, 0-7f), Seanie Kenneally 0-3, Eoghan Connolly 0-2, Ronan Maher (0-2, 0-1f), Gearoid O’Connor 0-2f, Barry Heffernan, Bryan O’Mara, Alan Tynan, Noel McGrath all 0-1 each.

Clare: Aidan McCarthy (0-8, 0-6f), Diarmuid Ryan 1-3, David Fitzgerald 0-3, Mark Rodgers (0-3, 0-2f), Tony Kelly (0-2, 0-1f), Peter Duggan, Darragh Lohan, David Reidy, Shane ODonnell, Ian Galvin 0-1 each

Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Johnny Ryan, Eoghan Connolly, Craig Morgan; Barry Heffernan, Ronan Maher, Brian McGrath; Paddy Cadell, Willie Connors; Alan Tynan, Jake Morris, Seanie Kenneally; Andrew Ormond, Mark Kehoe, Gearoid O’Connor.

Subs used: Darragh Stakelum for O’Connor (29); Bryan O’Mara for Heffernan (44, inj); Noel McGrath for Cadell (45); Conor Stakelum for Ormond (52); Patrick Maher for Kehoe (56).

Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, Cian Galvin; Cathal Malone, Darragh Lohan; David Fitzgerald, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Aidan McCarthy, Shane O’Donnell, David Reidy.

Subs used: Tony Kelly for Reidy (47); Ian Galvin for McCarthy (54); Paddy Donnellan for Lohan (64); Aaron Shanagher for Duggan (68).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)