Inside Track with John McIntyre

Without hope there is nothing. This time 12 months ago, the Tipperary senior hurling team was almost at rock bottom, and a section of their supporters wanted accountability and heads to roll.

Team manager Liam Cahill was in the eye of the storm of fans’ frustration after presiding over a disastrous Munster championship campaign which saw Tipperary finish bottom of the provincial pack and no victory registered in the credit sheet.

A lot of supporters turned their back on the team during that period. Tipp numbers on the terraces dwindled and the general mood in the county was one of despair. This was no overnight transition either as Tipperary hadn’t been even back to Croke Park since the 2019 All-Ireland final.

When the blue and gold suffered a heavy league final defeat to Cork last April and also stumbled badly to the Rebels in the second round of the provincial championship – admittedly Darragh McCarthy’s red card at the throw-in seriously distorted the exchanges – not even Tipp’s most diehard supporters could have foreseen that they would end up as All-Ireland champions a few months later.

Tipp’s remarkable tale of redemption must offer hope to Galway. The Tribesmen are now in the hole that the new McCarthy Cup winners were in this time last year. They didn’t tear up any trees in 2025; there were some bad losses along the way, and an unforgiving local hurling public is down in the dumps.

But manager Micheal Donoghue and the squad he assembles for 2026 can’t afford to get sucked into the general mood of pessimism. They must fight their corner and hope for a few breaks along the way which could establish some momentum in trying to transform the team’s fortunes.

Unlike Tipperary, however, Galway’s lack of championship success at under-age level over recent years is a significant concern although when the county was mopping up minor and U-21 titles, there was no payback in terms of future senior glory either. Still, it’s better to be doing well in these age groups in the medium term.

Pictured: Two Galway hurlers from different eras in the sixties and eighties joined in celebration with  members of the victorious Galway camogie team at St John the Apostle Church, Knocknacarra on Sunday. Left to right: Sean Silke, Ann Kearney, Liaison Officer, Galway Camogie Board, Mickey Cullinane, and Galway players, Niamh McPeake and Roisin Black.