That’s all from me for now but don’t worry, we’ll have lots of reaction and analysis over the evening.
What a privilege to witness that. Thanks for reading.
Anthony Cunningham told Brian Cody he’d see him back here in September — and he will.
It’s Kilkenny v Galway in the All-Ireland senior hurling final on 6 September.
I don’t know about you but I can’t wait!
The noise in Croke Park as Barry Kelly blew the final whistle. What a roar from the Galway fans!
Galway win it at the death — and it’s the sub Shane Moloney who’s only the pitch five minutes!
FULL TIME: Galway 0-26 Tipperary 3-16
70+3 mins — Galway 0-26 Tipperary 3-16: SHANE MOLONEY! GALWAY LEAD!
Have Galway snatched it? Canning plays a great ball inside to Moloney and the sub points.
It’s practically up.
One last chance for Galway
30 seconds.
Galway have it. Glynn knocks it down but Flynn snatches at his chance and misses badly.
70 seconds to play.
70+2 mins – Jason Flynn’s under a lot of pressure and he puts it WIDE.
Two to play.
Three additional minutes.
70+1 mins — Tipperary 3-16 Galway 0-25: Jason Flynn. LEVEL.
70 mins — Tipperary 3-16 Galway 0-24: Noel McGrath points. Could that be the winning of it?
68 mins – Tipperary 3-15 Galway 0-24: Mannion points after a great hook by Glynn. All square.
68 mins – The umpire signals for a Tipp 65 but after consulting, Barry Kelly overrules. Looks the right decision.
66 mins — Tipperary 3-15 Galway 0-23: Canning points a free to tie it up again but Conor O’Mahony responds immediately and Tipp lead again. Four to play.
65 mins — Tipperary 3-14 Galway 0-22: SAVED! Callanan tips it over the bar! It was high and straight at the keeper and he prevents the goal.
PENALTY FOR TIPP! My word. Hanbury gets caught under the dropping ball and hauls down Callanan.
He’ll have a chance for his fourth goal…
62 mins – Magnificent ovation from the entire 58,000 in Croke Park as Noel McGrath comes on for Tipp. A great moment.
61 mins — Tipperary 3-13 Galway 0-22: Callanan slips as he’s taking the 65 but still scores it.
60 mins – Super save from Colm Callanan to deny Corbett. Corbett was going away from goal but his ground stroke looked to be bang on target before it was tipped around the post.
59 mins — Galway 0-22 Tipperary 3-12: Canning points a simple free and that’s four unanswered now for Galway since the Tipp goal.
Galway have finally made the change at the back with Hanbury gone on to Callanan. Too little, too late?
58 mins — Tipperary 3-12 Galway 0-21: Jason Flynn points a long-range free and it’s all square again.
I can barely type quickly enough.
57 mins – And Lar’s first contribution is to clatter into Daithi Burke and pick up a yellow card!
56 mins — Tipp sub: Here’s Lar! Corbett on for Shane McGrath.
55 mins — Tipperary 3-12 Galway 0-20: Great battling by Galway and Conor Whelan gets onto the loose ball to score. One-point game, and that’s exactly the response Anthony Cunningham will have wanted to see.
Still all to play for.
54 mins — Tipperary 3-12 Galway 0-19: Canning cuts the deficit to two with another free.
GOAL FOR TIPPERARY! Tipperary 3-12 Galway 0-18 (Callanan, 53′) Stop me if you feel that you’ve seen this one before. Long ball in, Callanan beats Padraig Mannion to it, and scores. All three of Callanan’s goals have been very, very similar.
52 mins — Galway 0-18 Tipperary 2-12: Tipp look to have turned the ball over but Iarla Tannian brings down Bonner Maher, and Barry Kelly rightly brings play back for the free.
No hassle to Seamus Callanan. All square again.
50 mins — Galway 0-18 Tipperary 2-11: Exhibition stuff from Cathal Mannion who points from nearly 80 metres.
Twenty minutes to go and it’s a brave man who would attempt to call it.
48 mins — Galway 0-17 Tipperary 2-11: Bonner Maher equalises. The intensity hasn’t let up one bit in this second half.
47 mins – Chances at either end but neither Canning nor Bubbles can make them count. Canning’s shot was deflected before Darren Gleeson batted it away; Bubbles tried to be a bit too clever by hitting his shot into the ground.
46 mins — Galway 0-17 Tipperary 2-10: David Burke finds space out right and takes his point. Galway back in front by the minimum.
Colm Callanan, take a bow! I think I count four saves in about six or seven seconds. The first is to deny Bonner Maher but the Tipp man will be disappointed to have shot straight at him.
Galway survive, don’t ask me how?!
43 mins — Galway 0-16 Tipperary 2-10: Callanan levels it with a free.
41 mins — Galway 0-16 Tipperary 2-9: Two on the bounce for the Tribesmen as Cathal Mannion gathers the loose ball and turns it into a point.
40 mins — Tipperary 2-9 Galway 0-15: Jason Flynn levels it again. My word.
GOAL FOR TIPPERARY! Tipperary 2-9 Galway 0-14 (Callanan, 39′) He’s done it again! Callanan gets up above Padraig Mannion to win the dropping ball, wheels away, and fires past his namesake for a second goal.
What a timely lift for Tipp! What have Galway got now?
38 mins – Half a chance for James Woodlock as he bears down on goal but Daithi Burke is hot on his tail and does just enough to put him off the shot.
37 mins — Galway 0-14 Tipperary 1-9: The Joe Show is up and running. What a magnificent sideline cut, swerved over the bar.
Tipp sub: Shane Bourke on for Jason Forde at the break.
SECOND HALF: We’re back. If this 35 is as good as the first one, we’re in for a treat.
58,495 is the attendance in Croke Park today. At times in that first half, it sounded like a lot more!
A penny for this man’s thoughts after that first half…
Back in five minutes. I need time to gather my thoughts after that magnificent first half.
HALF TIME: Galway 0-13 Tipperary 1-9
Callanan has a chance to send the sides in level at the break but it’s a tight angle and he just misses.
35+3 mins — Galway 0-13 Tipperary 1-9: And now Galway lead! Tipp cut a sideline straight to Canning, he gets quick ball into Conor Whelan who is out in front of Conor O’Brien. O’Brien does well to force him away from goal but Whelan still finds his angle.
35+1 mins — Tipperary 1-9 Galway 0-12: ALL SQUARE! Into the first of four additional minutes and Cathal Mannion has the freedom of Croke Park on the left wing. He makes no mistake.
35 mins — Tipperary 1-9 Galway 0-11: Canning gets on the loose ball and flicks it to David Burke as he arrives in support. Burke points.
34 mins — Tipperary 1-9 Galway 0-10: Distance is no bother to Bubbles O’Dwyer. He’s nearly on his own 65m line but pings over a free with distance to spare.
32 mins — Tipperary 1-8 Galway 0-10: The pass is a touch too high for Canning but he does well to recover and point.
This is absorbing stuff.
30 mins – That will do Padraig Mannion’s confidence no harm. He gets up above Callanan and wins possession to avert any danger.
29 mins — Tipperary 1-8 Galway 0-9: Cyril Donnellan contests, Cathal Mannion mops up the breaking ball and points.
29 mins — Tipperary 1-8 Galway 0-8: Maher makes amends immediately with a fine point from out the field.
28 mins – Break in play while James Woodlock receives treatment. When we resume, Brendan Maher hits a wide.
26 mins — Tipperary 1-7 Galway 0-8: Andy Smith points to cut the gap to two again.
26 mins — Tipperary 1-7 Galway 0-7: There’s only one person winning the Callanan v Mannion battle, and it’s not the Galway man. He’s pretty tight on this occasion but Callanan still skips away to score. He has 1-5 of Tipp’s 1-7 so far.
25 mins — Tipperary 1-6 Galway 0-7: Galway try to bully their way through for another goal chance but Barry Kelly spots a jersey pull and brings play back for the free. Canning makes no mistake.
23 mins — Tipperary 1-6 Galway 0-6: Callanan takes Mannion for a stroll again, and points again, but Galway respond instantly through Jason Flynn.
22 mins — Oh, Joe! It’s just a little bit too elaborate as he to pick out Cyril Donnellan in the middle for a great goal chance but the pass is too high and misses his man.
21 mins — Tipperary 1-5 Galway 0-5: Canning points a 65 to leave a goal between the sides again.
19 mins – Tipp manage to isolate Callanan and Mannion one-on-one inside again but Callanan’s touch lets him down and Mannion pounces to kill the chance.
19 mins — Tipperary 1-5 Galway 0-4: Seamus Callanan is giving the Galway full-back line all sorts of trouble and he points again.
18 mins — Tipperary 1-4 Galway 0-4: Canning knocks over another free but Tipp are straight back down the other end where Bonner Maher lays it off to John O’Dwyer to score.
17 mins — Tipperary 1-3 Galway 0-3: Great defending by Cathal Barrett who loses his footing but still gets his stick in to knock the ball away from Cathal Mannion. Tipp counter quickly and Bubbles points.
15 mins — Tipperary 1-2 Galway 0-2: Fine score by Canning from all of 65 yards.
14 mins — Tipperary 1-2 Galway 0-2: Callanan gets out in front of Padraig Mannion, twists and turns, and points. He’s being given far too much space on the ball.
12 mins — Tipperary 1-1 Galway 0-2: Jason Flynn opens his account — that’s our first point from play.
Missed penalty aside, Galway have done well to dig in here after that early goal.
10 mins – Great save by Darren Gleeson! Cathal Mannion rasps a shot in on goal but the Tipp keeper gets a touch to keep it out.
SAVED!
That’s a poor effort by Canning and Darren Gleeson gets his stick out to the right to save. Far too close to the keeper.
9 mins — PENALTY FOR GALWAY!
This is absolutely frantic stuff. Cyril Donnellan is fouled and Galway have a chance to level this.
Canning to take.
6 mins — Tipperary 1-1 Galway 0-1: Canning steadies himself, points a free, and opens Galway’s account.
Cathal Barrett and Jonny Coen both need attention following this clash of heads.
Ouch!
4 mins — Tipperary 1-1 Galway 0-0: Seamus Callanan points a free.
GOAL FOR TIPPERARY! Tipperary 1-0 Galway 0-0 (Callanan, 1′)
WHAT A START! Tipp get a goal inside the first minute — 35 seconds by my watch — and Croker erupts.
It’s a long ball in which he wins over Padraig Mannion, and fires past Colm Callanan.
Nightmare for Galway.
THROW IN: Barry Kelly gets us underway. Tipp are attacking the Hill 16 end in this first half.
Two minutes to throw-in. The bookies make it Tipp by three – what do you think?
And here’s the Galway team:
Galway
1. Colm Callanan (Kinvara)
2. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
3. John Hanbury (Rahoon-Newcastle)
4. Padraig Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
5. Aidan Harte (Gort)
6. Iarla Tannion (Ardrahan)
7. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
8. Andrew Smith (Portumna)
9. David Burke (St Thomas’s)
10. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
11. Cyril Donnellan (Padraig Pearses)
12. Jonathan Glynn (Ardrahan)
13. Jason Flynn (Tommy Larkins)
14. Joe Canning (Portumna)
15. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
Here’s a quick reminder of the Tipp XV:
Tipperary
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Cathal Barrett (Holycross-Ballycahill)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch Drombane)
4. Conor O’Brien (Éire Óg Annacarty)
5. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
6. Pádraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Kieran Bergin (Killenaule)
8. James Woodlock (Drom & Inch)
9. Shane McGrath (Ballinahinch)
10. Jason Forde (Silvermines)
11. Brendan Maher (Borrisoleigh)
12. Patrick Maher (Lorrha/Dorrha)
13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
14. Seamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
15. Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonaghs)
There doesn’t appear to be any changes to either side. Noel McGrath takes his place on the Tipperary bench, less than four months after his cancer surgery.
There’s going to be one hell of a reception if we see him later.
That’s another conversation for another day.
The teams have just emerged from the Hogan Stand dressing room to start their warm-ups.
While we’re waiting, here’s Brendan Cummins’ latest column:
In the 2001 All-Ireland final, we faced a Hercules-type figure in the form of Galway’s Joe Rabbitte.
Here was a guy who could win primary possession and bring other players into the game.
We knew that Galway would place Joe on our own Paul Ormond, as Paul wasn’t as tall.
And so if Joe won primary possession, our tactic was to have two bodies around him and swarm the Galway bulwark as he tried to make progress with ball in hand.
It has already been a good day for Galway hurling. The county’s minors pulled off a remarkable comeback at the death to beat Kilkenny.
They will face Tipperary in the curtain-raiser on 6 September after the Premier beat Dublin in today’s second semi.
Good afternoon and welcome to Croke Park where, hopefully, we’re getting set for a classic in a hurling summer that has been sadly lacking in them.
Throw-in between Tipperary and Galway is at 4pm.
