LONG READ: Tipperary's poor record in the Munster club championships continues

It was a mixed weekend for Tipperary teams in Munster club action. Loughmore’s extra-time eclipse by Eire Og of Ennis was disappointing, though in line with past trends.

Upperchurch, however, were the headline-grabbers, standing tall with a famous win over Cork’s Ballinhassig in the intermediate grade. A final date with O’Callaghan Mills (Clare) awaits.

Our poor record in the club scene has long been an irksome item. Without an All-Ireland since Borris-Ileigh in far-off 1986-87, the Munster landscape has become something of a wasteland. Just one provincial title now in the past dozen seasons and not a single match victory since Borris-Ileigh in 2019. It’s bleak.

Loughmore have their 2007 success but thereafter their other five forays into Munster have drawn a blank. They’ve never lacked for effort on the mission but the wherewithal hasn’t been up to requirements. Their match record in Munster now reads: played eight, won three and lost five.

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Sunday’s game was doggedly attritional. Hits and heaving were the order of the day, as the enforced move from Cusack Park to Sixmilebridge ensured that this was going to be a grinder of a game.

The scoring, especially early on when energy levels were highest, summed up the play. After 23 minutes of grueling collisions the board read 0-4 apiece. It was like reading one of those scorelines from the early years of the association, back in the 1800s; lots of flogging but little finishing.

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The most significant score of the half was Loughmore’s goal. Ed Connolly floated a lovely ball over the heads of the defence, where Liam McGrath beat the advancing goalie with a deft flick. It had echoes of Jason Forde’s goal against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.

That score gave Loughmore a minimal edge at the break. Shane O’Donnell had been uncharacteristically quiet in the opening half but grew in influence thereafter. The 2024 Hurler of the Year orchestrated Eire Og’s opening goal after 39 minutes: a trademark catch, a swerve of the body and a lay-off to Danny Russell for the finish. At the three-quarters stage the teams were still locked, 1-10 apiece.

Thereafter it was point-for-point. Loughmore kept going one-up but Eire Og kept equalising. And that’s how the regulation hour finished, with John McGrath sending the Tipp champions one-up after 61 minutes and a Danny Russell free cancelling a minute later. It finished 1-13 apiece.

The first period of extra-time brought little alteration. Point for point it went, though at the end of the ten minutes Eire Og were shading it, 1-17 to 1-16. Alas for the final period, where Loughmore wilted. Their exertions seemed to take a heavy toll. Eire Og introduced fresh legs and they were the ones with all the energy now. A Darren Moroney goal, as part of a 1-5 blitz in the closing stages, was the decisive turn. Loughmore lost by seven, 2-20 to 1-16, a margin that was unreflective of the game overall.

Eire Og’s physicality and economy won the day. They outworked Loughmore, which is rare for any team to achieve. But it was their sheer economy that kept them in the contest when Loughmore might have won in the regulation hour. Danny Russell hit 1-14 in a man-of-the-match display. It was an almost perfect strike rate, missing just a single free.

John McGrath top-scored for Loughmore on 0-12, with 0-5 coming from open play. But it was the misses that will dominate reflection. They hit ten wides in the second half alone, a period when they could (should) have claimed the contest. Noel McGrath too was a major feature in the game but too many of the support players struggled for impact.

And so, the Munster famine rolls on. In the last ten championship campaigns (none in 2020), Tipperary played 12 games but lost nine of them. Our domestic championship is highly competitive but too often our champions fail against the best from other counties.

Thank God for Upperchurch and Drombane, who keep the flame alight at intermediate level. Their clash with Cork champs, Ballinhassig, was a cracker at Semple Stadium. Never much in it, the game played out to a fitting climax, with the ‘Church holding onto a three-point edge and securing a magnificent win.

The Mid men were outsiders, heavily so. Cork’s reputation at this level is strong. The county has dominated the grade since its inception in 2003, with ten provincial titles on their record. By comparison Tipperary has just two. Cashel KC lost last year’s final to Watergrasshill.

That didn’t seem to bother the ‘Church, however, who are on something of an upswing and went to the game in feisty mood. They had an early boost when Ballinhassig’s defence was turned over after five minutes and Pat Ryan pounced and bounced one past Cork’s goalie, Patrick Collins.

It was a significant mood-setter for the contest and provided the substance of Upperchurch’s interval lead of two points, 1-8 to 0-9. It might have been even better but for a fine save by Collins from Paudie Greene’s effort.

No matter, Upperchurch would win from the front. Ballinhassig did level early on resuming but the Tipp champions always had that bit in reserve, regaining a lead that fluctuated from one to five points.

A crucial score came after 51 minutes when Conor Fahey beat Collins for a second goal that put the Tipp men five-up and heading for home. However, there was still some work to be done, as the Cork side pushed for late redemption. The lead came back to a vulnerable two points before a late Pat Ryan point from a sideline cut put the seal on a memorable day for the Mid men.

It was a deserved outcome, one that might have been easier but for a dozen wides. The outstanding defensive play of Keith and Gavin Ryan was critical to the outcome but in truth it was a quality performance all round from the team. They now prepare for a final clash with O’Callaghan Mills, which represents a major upturn in the club’s fortunes.

It’s a team that just a few years ago was challenging for senior hurling and football titles and then suffered the trauma of hurling relegation. When they didn’t immediately bounce back to the top tier there was a fear that they’d become stuck in premier intermediate. Yet here they are now chasing a Munster title and looking forward to senior action next season. Incredible.

In other happenings, there’s an interesting agenda set for the upcoming County Convention. Among the most notable proposals is that which seeks a return to grades of even-numbered years, as well as the retention of the Under 21. It’s something most counties have embraced already. If further counties, like Tipperary, join the trend, it could have follow-on implications for inter-county grades.

The decision to drop the minor grade to Under 17 some years ago had implications for other grades. Increasingly, now it appears we’re likely to go back to the future with the old format, which I think will be welcomed by many.

A proposal to introduce a junior C grade to county level is another suggestion, one that seems likely to succeed.

Finally, in recent weeks six of our most promising underage players received word from the Tipperary management with the happy news that they were being asked to join the county senior panel for winter training. It’s quite an honour for the lads involved and one that reflects their achievements to date.

Of course, many are called but few are chosen, if I may go biblical. There are no guarantees, but at least these lads will sample the rigours of inter-county preparation and as the saying goes, if you’re not in you can’t win. Good luck to Adam Ryan (Arravale Rovers), Cathal O’Reilly (Holycross), Adam Daly (Kickhams), Joe Egan (Moycarkey), Stefan Tobin (Swans) and Cathal English (Fr Sheehy’s).