Board Meeting,New Book with the inside track on Tipperary 2025 and Gym will Fix it ?.
A quick straw poll of clubs across Tipperary indicates that almost 65% now possess some form of gym facility on their grounds. These range in quality from fully outfitted training centres to basic dumbbells, exercise bikes, and bench presses squeezed into the corner of a dressing room, or what was once intended to be the club meeting space.
The numbers confirm a significant shift in how GAA clubs approach preparation, with the gym now recognised as a critical pillar of training at every level – yes, even juveniles are being introduced to structured gym work early, which is entirely positive once they receive proper guidance on correct practice.
In fact, correct instruction is essential for all gym users, as injuries can occur with alarming ease when exercises are performed incorrectly. Hyper-extending joints leads to strains and damage; lifting excessive weight undermines progress; and back injuries are easily picked up from a host of common movements.
Rewind fifteen years and few GAA players were engaged in serious strength work.
Go back another fifteen and virtually none were. Yet life has also changed dramatically. Players now engage in far less physical labour and overall movement has declined. Desk roles have always lacked activity, but even agriculture, construction, and other traditionally physical jobs increasingly rely on machinery instead of lifting, walking, pushing, shoving, or shovelling. Put simply, work has become more sedentary, and athletes must now build artificial physical workloads in the gym to compete.
GAA players are highly driven competitors and most will do whatever is required to reach the top. If that means hitting the gym two or three times a week in addition to field sessions, then so be it. They follow their programmes to the letter and expect the results to emerge when championship season arrives. But will those results actually appear ?.
Gym work alone will not elevate GAA players into All-Star territory. It has a vital and indisputable role for all the reasons already outlined. However, some place disproportionate weight on gym-based training while neglecting the fundamental movement demands of the game. Put plainly, the gym cannot replace the miles needed around the pitch or the development of stamina.
Pre-season and off-season programmes must always balance running with gym work. Under no circumstances should movement be sacrificed for excessive bulk or power. Players still have to carry that extra mass around the field – if it slows them down or restricts mobility, then preparation has failed. Achieving that balance is a genuine test for every player – strength and conditioning, athleticism, and skill must stand as equal partners.
From the Ashes to the shelves -book-ending the year.
I am delighted this week to be able to inform all THE VIEW column readers that my latest book From the Ashes – the extraordinary tale of how no-hopers Tipperary rose in twelve months to become All-Ireland senior hurling champions, beating the cream of the hurling crop and defying all the critics – will be on the shelves in the coming week.
Tipperary Manager Liam Cahill has described the book as “a brilliantly written and insightful account of what was a magnificent year for Tipperary.” And, it was an incredible year all told.
It charts the remarkable story of resolve, resilience and artistry – a living example of what can be achieved when the group dynamic, the training environment and psyche are right. All of this is captured in this brutally honest and frank account of the unexpected campaign.
History brims with moments when the unfancied, the overlooked, the written-off — those so-called no-hopers — erupted like volcanoes from beneath the surface to shake the sporting world to its foundations. Cold stats and impossible odds were no match for their unshakable grit. These upsets weren’t flukes — they were masterclasses in courage, preparation and belief.
A season that began with whispers of uncertainty crescendoed into a deafening roar of glory. From the sparks lit by recent minor and U20 triumphs, the senior hurlers surged forward with singular intent — and claimed the grandest prize of all.
Read about the plots, the tactics and the supporters’ role; the coaches’ input and the backroom team; the hurt and the shame which gave way to pride and glory. The pundits gave Tipp no chance but acknowledged their achievement when the MacCarthy Cup was secured for the 29th time at the hands of their provincial rivals Cork in that first ever meeting of the counties in the All-Ireland Final.
This is a story of redemption, of defiance, of stubbornness, of the will to win. This is Tipperary – the Premier hurling county once again in 2025. The book is published by Red Stripe Press and is available nationwide.
All-important County Board meeting this Week.
That all-important County GAA Board meeting which will decide structures and strictures for the coming year, and beyond, takes place this week in The Dome at Semple Stadium and is certain to garner a lot of attention. There are motions and recommendations aplenty down for discussion and as advised in last weeks column the decision of whether to stick with uneven-ages, or revert to even-ages will be decided once and for all. Move back to uneven-ages and the U19 championships will be forfeited.
Stay with the status quo and Tipp will remain as one of only five counties currently in that camp – Clare, Laois, Wicklow and Leitrim being the others. Cavan, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Sligo, Mayo and Longford are currently have both even and uneven-ages, while the rest are using the even-age model. It seems entirely likely that Tipp will revert to even-ages with the County Board executive pushing it. The only question – will it be 2026 or 2027 for the change to happen? Boherlahan Dualla’s motion wants it delayed to 2027, but the Board wants an immediate change. Watch this space.