Ep. 184 – Harty joy for 3 Tipp schools.
Episode 184 of the Premier View Podcast focuses squarely on one of the biggest weekends of schools hurling so far, the final round of the TUS Dr Harty Cup group stages. With Enda Tracy and Mike McCarthy joining Sean, the discussion centres on an outstanding set of results for Tipperary schools. Three Tipp teams have marched into the quarter finals, more than any other county, and the episode breaks down exactly how that happened, why it matters and what lies ahead.
The lads begin with the most eye catching result of the entire round, Nenagh CBS 7-18 to 0-08 against Cashel CS. Coming into the game Nenagh needed a huge turnaround to top the group on score difference and they delivered it in ruthless fashion. Five first half goals set the tone, the scoreboard looked more like a juvenile game at times with the early flurry of green flags and the performances of key forwards shone through. Owen Dunne hit 2-08, with roughly 2-03 coming from play, while Paul Cagney from Burgess chipped in with 2-01 and Billy O Brien added 1-02 as he returns to full fitness. There is a real sense in the episode that Nenagh are coming to the boil at the perfect time. With Patrick Ryan and Shane Cleary adding serious quality and a strong panel across the middle third, their form across a tough group suggests they are genuine contenders for another Harty push.
The conversation moves to defending champions Thurles CBS who finished their group with another big win, 4-26 to 3-13 against Doon. The panel highlight that Thurles rested several leading names including Tiarnan Ryne, Euan Murray and Cillian Minogue, yet still posted a massive tally. The caveat is the overall standard of their group. Doon, Hospital and Lismore were all limited sides this year and it is hard to know exactly where Thurles are until knockout hurling begins. Mike makes the point that Thurles will almost certainly seek challenge matches against under 20 county sides in December to sharpen up before their quarter final. Even so, the talent level remains high and a large portion of this team are underage again next year, which underlines how strong their development pipeline is.
Templemore’s dramatic win over Blackwater Lismore in Fethard also gets major focus. Their 1-17 to 1-15 victory secured a third Tipperary representative in the last eight and the lads describe it as a real character win. With a gale favouring Templemore in the first half they led 1-09 to 0-07 at the break, Sean Walsh getting the crucial goal and Jack Bevans flawless from placed balls. The second half turned into a completely different type of battle. Blackwater played without any forwards inside the Templemore half, forcing long puckouts into empty space and hoovering up possession. When they edged two points clear it looked worrying for Templemore, but Shay Gleeson, Philip O Dwyer and Bevans dragged them back with four late points to seal passage to the quarter finals. Bevans in particular receives major praise, hitting 1-26 across the group stage and showing remarkable maturity for a player who has only just turned eighteen.
A major theme is the wider picture the round has painted. The quarter final line up contains three Tipperary schools, two Clare, two Waterford and only one Cork school. There is no Limerick school in the last eight, something the panel describe as hugely unusual and a sign that Limerick’s underage structures may be regressing. By contrast Tipperary have won the last three Harty Cups and continue to push forward with depth, talent and results right through their school system.
The episode closes with updated Premier View Harty Cup power rankings. A potential all Tipperary final is mentioned as a real possibility if the draw keeps Thurles and Nenagh apart.
Episode 184 is packed with insight, context and strong opinions on where the Harty Cup now stands and what it means for Tipperary hurling. It is a must listen for anyone following the schools scene or the broader underage landscape in the county.
