TO CAPTURE THE revival in Tipperary’s hurling fortunes, defender Eoghan Connolly paints a picture of the mood twelve months ago in the county.
Last year they were unable to claim a victory in any of their four championship games in Munster and failed to emerge from the fiercely contested round-robin system in the province.
Fast forward to 2025 and the team were toasted in Thurles on Monday night as hurling heroes having collected the Liam MacCarthy Cup off the back of Sunday’s sensational display that blew Cork away.
In his native Cashel last year Connolly had felt a sense of shame at how much they were struggling.
“Last year, you were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee.
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“You were walking with your head down looking at your shoes. Going to that minor game (the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny), it was so hard to face. It was a hard year.”
Proving critics wrong was not something that fuelled Connolly. He had soldiered during All-Ireland winning underage days with Tipperary and after joining the senior panel in 2021 before making his debut in the 2023 draw with Limerick, he remained convinced in the ability of their playing group.
“It wasn’t something I done, trying to prove people wrong. It was just this group of lads was all I was worried about. You can’t control the outside noise. You just have to block it out.
“We believed from the get-go when we met in late November or December that we were capable of fixing it. Belief is a massive word that we’ve used in our dressing room throughout the year.”
Tipperary’s Eoghan Connolly lifts the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Connolly’s relationship with the Liam Cahill-Michael Bevans managerial double act stretches back to those All-Ireland winning underage successes of 2018 and 2019.
They forged a bond then that carried them through Tipperary’s recent lean seasons.
“We owe everything we have to them. What they’ve done for us is just amazing.
“We’ve had them since we were 17 years of age. They’re amazing men.”
The victory carried further weight for Connolly in flying the Cashel King Cormacs flag alongside his club-mate Oisin O’Donoghue, the goalscoring star off the bench this year against Waterford, Galway, and Kilkenny.
“Oisín’s in dreamland. He’s 19 years of age. He’s just a great young lad and a great role model in our club.”
Tipperary’s Oisin O'Donoghue and Eoghan Connolly celebrate at the final whistle of their semi-final against Kilkenny. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The pair will return to club action this weekend, with the West Tipperary senior hurling final on Saturday night pitting Cashel against Clonoulty-Rossmore, who will include Tipperary players Robert Doyle and Danny Slattery.
“I might watch Robert Doyle closely and see what he’s doing for the week,” said O’Donoghue.
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“We’ll go training on Thursday evening. It’s only fair because of the work them boys are putting in and waiting for these games. It would be unfair of myself and Oisín to take away from them.
“Cashel haven’t won a West senior title in 30 years I think, and it’s a huge dream of mine to win.”
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Eoghan Connolly: 'Last year you were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee'
TO CAPTURE THE revival in Tipperary’s hurling fortunes, defender Eoghan Connolly paints a picture of the mood twelve months ago in the county.
Last year they were unable to claim a victory in any of their four championship games in Munster and failed to emerge from the fiercely contested round-robin system in the province.
Fast forward to 2025 and the team were toasted in Thurles on Monday night as hurling heroes having collected the Liam MacCarthy Cup off the back of Sunday’s sensational display that blew Cork away.
In his native Cashel last year Connolly had felt a sense of shame at how much they were struggling.
“Last year, you were afraid to walk down the town to get a coffee.
“You were walking with your head down looking at your shoes. Going to that minor game (the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny), it was so hard to face. It was a hard year.”
Proving critics wrong was not something that fuelled Connolly. He had soldiered during All-Ireland winning underage days with Tipperary and after joining the senior panel in 2021 before making his debut in the 2023 draw with Limerick, he remained convinced in the ability of their playing group.
“It wasn’t something I done, trying to prove people wrong. It was just this group of lads was all I was worried about. You can’t control the outside noise. You just have to block it out.
“We believed from the get-go when we met in late November or December that we were capable of fixing it. Belief is a massive word that we’ve used in our dressing room throughout the year.”
Connolly’s relationship with the Liam Cahill-Michael Bevans managerial double act stretches back to those All-Ireland winning underage successes of 2018 and 2019.
They forged a bond then that carried them through Tipperary’s recent lean seasons.
“We owe everything we have to them. What they’ve done for us is just amazing.
“We’ve had them since we were 17 years of age. They’re amazing men.”
The victory carried further weight for Connolly in flying the Cashel King Cormacs flag alongside his club-mate Oisin O’Donoghue, the goalscoring star off the bench this year against Waterford, Galway, and Kilkenny.
“Oisín’s in dreamland. He’s 19 years of age. He’s just a great young lad and a great role model in our club.”
The pair will return to club action this weekend, with the West Tipperary senior hurling final on Saturday night pitting Cashel against Clonoulty-Rossmore, who will include Tipperary players Robert Doyle and Danny Slattery.
“I might watch Robert Doyle closely and see what he’s doing for the week,” said O’Donoghue.
“We’ll go training on Thursday evening. It’s only fair because of the work them boys are putting in and waiting for these games. It would be unfair of myself and Oisín to take away from them.
“Cashel haven’t won a West senior title in 30 years I think, and it’s a huge dream of mine to win.”
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Eoghan Connolly GAA Hurling revival Tipperary