TIPPERARY MANAGER LIAM Cahill will take some time out to consider his future in charge after Cork ended the Premier County’s reign as Electric Ireland Munster and All-Ireland minor champions last night.
In four seasons at the helm, Cahill has overseen huge progress, winning Munster titles in 2015 and 2016, while also appearing in successive All-Ireland finals in those years.
Tipp were magnificent last year, cruising to an All-Ireland title in September, and they died with their boots on at Páirc Uí Rinn last night, losing out to an excellent Cork outfit by just three points in a gripping provincial semi-final replay.
The move to an U-17 grade will also factor in Cahill’s thinking as he considers whether to take on the job again next year but as things stand, his current agreement with Tipperary county board chiefs has now expired.
Cahill said: Look, my tenure is up now, I don’t want to outstay my welcome to be honest. I really, really enjoyed it.
I’ve had a lot of good people around me to help me in getting to where we got and we’re after winning two Munster titles, beaten in the 2015 All-Ireland final, won it last year, and I hope tonight that we were beaten by the eventual All-Ireland champions, I really do, because I think it would be a fitting tribute to this Tipperary minor team, to see Cork go on and win the All-Ireland.
“Then they’d really know how much myself, (coach) Mikey (Bevans) and the management team think of them.”
Cahill endured a difficult first season at the helm in 2014 but admitted that he started late in that year.
But with a full run at it for the next three seasons, plenty of silverware followed and the former All-Star can look back on his four years at the helm with huge pride.
“It was a baptism of fire for me to be thrown into the minor management job in the first year.
“That particular crop of players probably didn’t get the preparation they needed from me.
I had to learn quick and I thank the Tipp county board and people for sticking with me too, to give me the chance to get back and get a team around me that could do a job, to do what we were asked to do, and that’s to develop the next crop of Tipperary senior hurlers.
“There’s no bigger honour bestowed on anybody and I love the honour of being responsible for developing these young men in Tipperary, I really do.
“It’s something I’ve been very proud to do and honoured to do, and I just hope that these boys go on to something very special.”
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