SEAMUS CALLANAN FINISHED on the losing side yesterday but still departed Croke Park with the man-of-the-match bauble.
The Tipperary full-forward pitched in with a stunning 3-9 haul but the weight of that contribution wasn’t enough to carry his side into the winners enclosure.
Defeat marked the end of Tipperary’s 2015 journey and also the tenure of manager Eamonn O’Shea after three seasons at the helm.
O’Shea oversaw a huge transformation in Callanan’s performances for Tipperary and leaves with the Drom-Inch man on course to win a second successive Allstar and having confirmed his status as one of the leading marksmen in the game.
Callanan’s recent championship scoring totals speak volumes:
- 2013 – 0-6 from 2 games
- 2014 – 9-50 from 7 games
- 2015 – 5-20 from 3 games
And while clearly devastated after the game, he was still keen to pay tribute to the departing O’Shea.