Cats prowl on the double; Royals Beckon and Fury flares; A perfect Storm of sport brews on the horizon.
By Noel Dundon
The first weekend of July usually signals the start of the primary school summer holidays. But this year’s calendar twist means we’re already into the second weekend—and parents are counting down the days to September. Still, Cúl Camps are in full swing, the weather is holding up, and the county is charging into championship action on three fronts.
But one fixture has sparked a furore, casting real doubt on how well camogie and ladies football are being folded into the GAA’s broader structure.
The flashpoint? Tipp’s senior ladies footballers facing Meath on Sunday in the Royal County, while the senior hurlers clash with Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park. The LGFA has explained the scheduling—but seriously, where’s the common sense? Here in Tipp, the Camogie Association and LGFA collaborate on a smart fixtures plan that clearly maps out who plays when. Why can’t the same logic apply nationally and stop these high-stakes clashes? Admittedly, this one’s on the GAA and LGFA, not camogie.
So, while the footballers are forced into the shadows, the camogie team will grace Croke Park to accompany the hurling semi-final- a sensible decision that gives camogie the spotlight it deserves. Denis Kelly’s squad rebounded impressively from their opening loss to Cork—here’s hoping they hit top gear and bring down the Cats to book a semi-final place.
As for the footballers? It’s a massive task, but momentum is on their side, and recent form has them brimming with belief. Good luck girls.
Can Premier Cat slayers continue recent trends?
Kilkenny may carry the weighty mantle of favourites heading into next Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final at Croke Park, at least in the eyes of the bookies. But one is left to wonder on what solid ground does this confidence truly stand? Experience? Look no further than our dressing room which gleams with the gold of All-Ireland medals and men who’ve stood tall on the grandest of stages. Form? Liam Cahill’s charges have emerged from the crucible that is Munster—by far the most unforgiving province -with grit and style, stringing together four successive victories, including two from the All-Ireland series. That’s not just form. That’s momentum.
Hunger? True, Kilkenny haven’t tasted All-Ireland glory in a decade. But Tipp’s own famine has hit six long years—and the gnawing ache of that absence has given rise to a fierce, ravenous drive.
And tradition? Spare us the clichés. Tipperary have repeatedly bested Kilkenny when it mattered most in recent years, upending the old narrative and writing our own chapters of dominance.
So why, then, do pundits tip the scales in Kilkenny’s favour? Many view Tipp as a team on the rise—a phoenix not yet fully reborn, dazzling in flashes but still fragile. They see potential, not presence; a promise, not a proven power.
They underestimate.
Let that fuel the fire. Let Tipp come out like a storm—intense, howling, merciless. Let them hunt danger-men with the relentlessness of wolves, throwing them off rhythm, breaking their stride before it ever builds. Let them swarm the backline, stifle the rhythm, and silence the roar before it begins to swell. Let Tipp seize the throw-in as the spark—and from that first clash, let them drive Kilkenny backwards, inch by inch, until belief gives way to doubt. The Cats have had a month of idle hands and rested limbs; Tipp, by contrast, have been sharpening steel with every contest, hardening under pressure, their edge honed by battle.
Early on, Kilkenny will be searching for their footing. That’s the moment—right there—to strike with ruthless precision. Dig the pit, set the tone, and never let up. For the rest of the game, drive them deeper with every puck, every tackle, every roar from the terraces.
Easier said than done, of course—this is the Cats, after all. But in Tipp, we know what it takes. We’ve done it before. And if ever there was a time to do it again, it’s now. The support will be there to help with the groundswell – let’s just hope the players can surf the white water and explode past the end line in front.
Finally: There has been a lot of criticism about the open training evening in FBD Semple Stadium – great crowd; long queues but no pitch access possibly due to the Minor All Ireland Final between Clare and Waterford being played on in last Saturday evening, What a pity – these nights are meant to be fun. Not fundamentally flawed. We can but hope that the homecoming when it happens will more than make up for it