IN 2012 IT proved beyond them and it was the same in 2014.
Both seasons saw the Tipperary footballers advance to the All-Ireland senior football last 12 stage but that hurdle was too high to jump over.
Down administered the punishment in Mullingar in 2012 and Galway sent them packing in Tullamore in 2014.
They fell short in Round 3 last summer against Tyrone, that familiar July feeling of disillusionment enveloping their squad as another campaign ground to a halt.
How has 2016 swerved on a different course? For attacker Conor Sweeney, it all stems from that groundbreaking win over Cork on 12 June, the consequences of which reached further than shaking up the Munster football landscape.
โGetting to the provincial final, weโre not playing as many games in the qualifiers. The last few years, weโve been playing three or four games in the qualifiers and by the time we get to the last 12, the body is just not right.
โYouโve taken serious hits. It just takes the pressure off when you get to a provincial final.
โI think the last few minutes against Derry (in Round 4), their legs were gone because theyโd played a couple of tough games beforehand. That was definitely a factor.
โI think we took great confidence from the Cork match. The squad and the panel took a lot of hits throughout the start of the year. Once we beat Cork, every lad got serious confidence.โ
Tipperary had three weeks to pick themselves up after being swatted aside by Kerry. The time frame was needed after being rocked by that defeat.
โThe Munster final day was a tough enough day for us all,โ reflects Sweeney.
โTotally under performed and as a result we got beat by 10 points. Thatโs the reality of it that if you donโt show up against the top sides, theyโll steam roll you.
โWe really wanted to rectify it again the next day because weโre after beating a good Cork side and we wanted to show it wasnโt a flash in the pan.โ
The win over Galway was a career high performance for the Tipperary players. They thrived on the senior stage, in the Croke Park setting and with an All-Ireland semi-final prize at stake.
Sweeney plundered 2-2 and his display reflected the attacking ethos that Tipperary adopted.
โWeโre confident in our own ability. Weโve been confident for the last few years, itโs just this year weโre after getting exposure.
โOur panel isnโt big, we use about 17 players for the majority of our games. I think weโre just really close, you saw the last day, our work rate and our intensity was sky high the last day. It was definitely a lot better than Galwayโs.โ
The last four stage is a reward for years of toil. Sweeney made his debut for the Tipperary senior side in the low-key environs of a McGrath Cup game in 2010 against UL.
He made his championship debut that June against Laois but it in his seventh summer, that he has burst to prominence as a Tipperary senior footballer.
โProbably a lot of years before this year it hasnโt been easy, like. But I think you just have to find something, thereโs something in the back of your head every year saying, โkeep goingโ.
โEvery pre-season you have to believe itโll happen for you at some stage and that weโll get the breakthrough. Thankfully weโve done it a small bit this year, weโve made a bit of a breakthrough.
โBut I think thereโs going to be massive pressure on us now next year to back it up and to prove itโs not a flash in the pan.โ
โI think weโre after losing three or four quality players. So are we a better team? Probably not than this time last year because we had better players probably last year.
โI donโt know what it is. I think weโve just got so close and I think itโs a never say die attitude really. Down through the years, when Derry got that late goal, if that was a previous team we would have lost that game.
โAnd weโd have lost the Cork game as well. But we didnโt.โ
Thereโll be pressure to step up next Sunday as well. Mayo are seasoned campaigners, the first Connacht side to be contesting a sixth successive All-Ireland senior football semi-final.
Trying to perform in high-pressure circumstances is their goal now.
โThatโs down to yourself as a person,โ says Sweeney.
โOn a personal level I think you have to start visualising now playing there, getting on the ball. You have to see yourself putting the ball over the bar or else youโre not going to do it.
โWeโre massive underdogs which is fair enough considering who weโre playing. Weโve been watching them the last few years, theyโre a top four side.
โTheyโre competing in Connacht and in the All-Ireland series year in, year out. The task at hand is massive but look weโre looking forward to it.โ
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With a limited knowledge of both rowing and sailing, Tipperary football is the bandwagon I have been waiting for. Heading to Croker for the semi final with Mayo in what is a very novel experience in August for a Tipp football โdiehardโ.
Tipp football โdiehardโ same as Santa Claus.
It was a sad day โTimโ when your Ryan ancestor was chased out of Tipperary for persistent worrying of sheep.
Based on Timโs grammar, Iโd say he was chased out of school too.
Conor you have a face only a mother could love.
Best road in Tipp is the road out of it! Hillbilly County.
Well โฆ how did you think that you got born Tim?
Your seeโฆ Your mother and I โฆ
Great for Tipp to make a breakthrough in football, reality is, Mayo will hammer them
Well we thought Derry would beat them and then we were sure Galway would beat them but here we are. You just never know.
Hopefully Mayo take it easy on them.
Sure Galway canโt win in croke park best place for tipp to meet them!
Spoddgy you have a big hang up with Galway . Where are you from ?Galway have been in Croke park many times through the years and brought home the silverware 98 and 01 being the most recent
As a Tipp football supporter for many years (yes, we do exist) get off our cloud ye shower of begrudgers!
Dublin supporters hope Tipp get to the final very very few in Tipp would go to the football final and swap their club tickets for the Hurling Final tickets.
Donโt know about that Tim.
well you know now, deals being done as we speak. Nothing new here happens every year.
Oh youโre the man n the know on all things about Tipp GAA?
Dublin also have the small matter of Kerry to deal with before they sort out their tickets for the final.
Do you Know Santa Claus and intellegient women dont exist!
Haha good man Tim.
If youโre going to throw at dig at someone about their supposed lack of intelligence you might want to learn to spell the word first.
*intelligent (& *donโt)
Epic fail.
Also โKnowโ is not a proper noun so wouldnโt have a capital letter.
Thanks confucius o mara
Tipp football โdiehardโ โฆโฆjesus wept!!!
Your a sad man Tim
Your a fat man David
Win lose or draw lads you have given us a summer to remember, all the best for Sunday.
Do you not think the Kerry fiends are not doing the same?
We all know where spodgy is from with his hang up with Galway . Go on spodgy tell us. We had no problem in 98 and 01 when did your team last win
Thornton your a foolโฆ..too concerned with literal accuracy or formality.
..and ur ugly.
Not sure but i think โTimโ is that man โFrankโ from Kilkenny that used to post here awhile back.He was sad too!!! LOL.I must say Tipperary footballers have come a long way since i predicted they would beat Cork in both hurling and Football for the first time but now i think Sunday is where the fairytale will end.Mayo will just be a bridge too far.