DRAINED FROM THE conditions he had hurled in and content with the victory his team had achieved, Jake Morris adjusted his gaze to a wider view in the wake of Tipperary’s opening league win over Galway.
Morris had spearheaded Tipperary’s challenge, picking up in 2026 where the Hurler of the Year nominee had left off in 2025, as he chalked up eight points in helping to fashion a Saturday night Semple Stadium success.
When collecting his man-of-the-match award after, Morris was invited in his post-match RTÉ interview to explore the topic of Tipperary’s current strength in depth.
He looked at the levels below feeding into Tipperary’s top tier team.
“We’re really happy. The schools hurling even in Tipperary, Nenagh in the Harty Cup final again next week, so I think it’s in a really good place.
“The 20s winning then All-Ireland last year. You need them hurlers coming through keeping lads on their toes and we have good competition in the squad and really now it’s about just driving on through the league, not getting too ahead of ourselves or down if we have a bad result.”
Jake Morris with RTÉ Marty Morrissey after Tipp's win over Galway on 25 January. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
The previous Saturday, Morris had been part of a sellout crowd in Templederry taking in a schools Tipperary derby showdown. He offered match analysis during that game as part of Clubber’s livestream, watching his alma mater Nenagh CBS pip the Dr Harty Cup title holders Thurles CBS by a point at the semi-final stage.
The links with the flagship Tipperary team and the best in class at schools level stretch further. When Nenagh CBS made their breakthrough to land the Dr Harty Cup in 2024, Darragh McCarthy was their marquee attacking name as he top-scored with 0-7 in that decider win over Ardscoil Rís.
McCarthy was back in Ennis last Saturday, now helping out as part of the Nenagh CBS management, and watching the school collect their second title in the Munster premier schools hurling grade.
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Eoghan Doughan scored 0-3 in the forward line alongside McCarthy two years ago, now he is the star up front as he amassed 0-12 to help defeat St Flannan’s.
Eoghan Doughan with St Flannan's defenders. Natasha Barton / INPHO
Natasha Barton / INPHO / INPHO
The success completed a four-in-a-row for Tipperary outfits, Nenagh’s two victories joined by one apiece for Thurles CBS and Cashel CS.
The sense of prosperity in emerging Tipperary hurling sides extends beyond the schools game. Across the minor and U20 grades, the county outfits have picked up three All-Ireland and four Munster crowns over the past four seasons.
For a county coming off the back of senior success last July, achieved with a devastating second-half show of strength to blow Cork away, it all adds up a healthy outlook.
The challenge nows lies in managing the growing expectations and negotiating the transition for underage prospects as they step up.
After that opening league victory over Galway, Cahill paid tribute to his county board. With their backing, he is currently working off a 43-man squad and has introduced a raft of All-Ireland underage heroes to the senior environment, with the aim of exposing them to the demands of the highest level.
Cathal O’Reilly started the game in defence and Jack Leamy got the nod in attack. Josh Keller and Stefan Tobin came on subs, as did Paddy McCormack, who may have been drafted into the squad for last year’s All-Ireland final, but is still in the fledgling phase of his senior career.
McCormack played from the off last Sunday in Tullamore and found the net with O’Reilly, Conor Martin, Keller, and Leamy amongst his starting colleagues. Adam Daly and Cathal English were sprung from the bench in the second half.
Silverware at youthful grades can be cyclical. Take the schools game in Munster as one metric. Waterford sides won four Dr Harty Cups from 2007-13 and witnessed graduates there backbone the senior push that came desperately close to landing the Liam MacCarthy Cup from 2015-17.
The emergence of Ardscoil Rís across 2010-11, and sustained excellence thereafter, was a contributory factor to Limerick’s hurling revolution and dominance. Cork enjoyed greater prominence in supplying a finalist across four successive campaigns 2017-20. Clare schools won titles in 2020 and 2022, while St Flannan’s have contested the last two deciders.
Move to the national stage and St Kieran’s remain the benchmark as they have gobbled up nine Croke Cups since 2010.
Past performance is no guarantee of future success, yet right now Tipperary are in the midst of a golden underage period.
Tipperary manager Liam Cahill. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Converting that promise into something substantial at senior level isn’t straightforward, but Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel 2023) and Darragh McCarthy (Nenagh 2024) have moved swiftly from the school stage to the senior arena.
Last night the pair qualified for the Fitzgibbon Cup decider with University of Limerick, alongside Conor Martin and Aaron Morgan, while Sam O’Farrell was top scorer for opponents University of Galway. Next week’s final opponents Mary Immaculate have Adam Daly and Joe Caesar in their squad.
There are plenty commitments for Cahill to juggle in managing gametime. The opening two league assignments will have pleased him, his team digging deep to show the grit to hold off Galway, before demonstrating their blend of power and style to overwhelm Offaly last Sunday.
Jason Forde’s 3-10 in that game and the introduction of the reigning Hurler of the Year John McGrath at the break, both salient reminders of the older heads still knocking around. Forde is still thriving 14 years after guiding Nenagh CBS to an All-Ireland colleges title, Donach O’Donnell his manager then as he is now overseeing the school team.
The severity of the tests now start to increase for Tipperary. Away to Cork this Saturday night is the weekend’s glamour game, then they host Limerick, travel to Waterford, and finish off the regulation league on 21 March against Kilkeny in Thurles.
Cahill knows the mood can shift sharply. The music being played around his camp was a different tune twelve months ago. Fortunes can fluctuate, results influence the mood.
Right now Tipperary’s stock is rising as defending champions and their underage scene is in booming.
The opportunity to strike is there, the challenge is to do just that.
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As Tipperary's underage hurling booms, senior setup aims to capitalise
DRAINED FROM THE conditions he had hurled in and content with the victory his team had achieved, Jake Morris adjusted his gaze to a wider view in the wake of Tipperary’s opening league win over Galway.
Morris had spearheaded Tipperary’s challenge, picking up in 2026 where the Hurler of the Year nominee had left off in 2025, as he chalked up eight points in helping to fashion a Saturday night Semple Stadium success.
When collecting his man-of-the-match award after, Morris was invited in his post-match RTÉ interview to explore the topic of Tipperary’s current strength in depth.
He looked at the levels below feeding into Tipperary’s top tier team.
“We’re really happy. The schools hurling even in Tipperary, Nenagh in the Harty Cup final again next week, so I think it’s in a really good place.
“The 20s winning then All-Ireland last year. You need them hurlers coming through keeping lads on their toes and we have good competition in the squad and really now it’s about just driving on through the league, not getting too ahead of ourselves or down if we have a bad result.”
The previous Saturday, Morris had been part of a sellout crowd in Templederry taking in a schools Tipperary derby showdown. He offered match analysis during that game as part of Clubber’s livestream, watching his alma mater Nenagh CBS pip the Dr Harty Cup title holders Thurles CBS by a point at the semi-final stage.
The links with the flagship Tipperary team and the best in class at schools level stretch further. When Nenagh CBS made their breakthrough to land the Dr Harty Cup in 2024, Darragh McCarthy was their marquee attacking name as he top-scored with 0-7 in that decider win over Ardscoil Rís.
McCarthy was back in Ennis last Saturday, now helping out as part of the Nenagh CBS management, and watching the school collect their second title in the Munster premier schools hurling grade.
Eoghan Doughan scored 0-3 in the forward line alongside McCarthy two years ago, now he is the star up front as he amassed 0-12 to help defeat St Flannan’s.
The success completed a four-in-a-row for Tipperary outfits, Nenagh’s two victories joined by one apiece for Thurles CBS and Cashel CS.
The sense of prosperity in emerging Tipperary hurling sides extends beyond the schools game. Across the minor and U20 grades, the county outfits have picked up three All-Ireland and four Munster crowns over the past four seasons.
For a county coming off the back of senior success last July, achieved with a devastating second-half show of strength to blow Cork away, it all adds up a healthy outlook.
The challenge nows lies in managing the growing expectations and negotiating the transition for underage prospects as they step up.
After that opening league victory over Galway, Cahill paid tribute to his county board. With their backing, he is currently working off a 43-man squad and has introduced a raft of All-Ireland underage heroes to the senior environment, with the aim of exposing them to the demands of the highest level.
Cathal O’Reilly started the game in defence and Jack Leamy got the nod in attack. Josh Keller and Stefan Tobin came on subs, as did Paddy McCormack, who may have been drafted into the squad for last year’s All-Ireland final, but is still in the fledgling phase of his senior career.
McCormack played from the off last Sunday in Tullamore and found the net with O’Reilly, Conor Martin, Keller, and Leamy amongst his starting colleagues. Adam Daly and Cathal English were sprung from the bench in the second half.
Silverware at youthful grades can be cyclical. Take the schools game in Munster as one metric. Waterford sides won four Dr Harty Cups from 2007-13 and witnessed graduates there backbone the senior push that came desperately close to landing the Liam MacCarthy Cup from 2015-17.
The emergence of Ardscoil Rís across 2010-11, and sustained excellence thereafter, was a contributory factor to Limerick’s hurling revolution and dominance. Cork enjoyed greater prominence in supplying a finalist across four successive campaigns 2017-20. Clare schools won titles in 2020 and 2022, while St Flannan’s have contested the last two deciders.
Move to the national stage and St Kieran’s remain the benchmark as they have gobbled up nine Croke Cups since 2010.
Past performance is no guarantee of future success, yet right now Tipperary are in the midst of a golden underage period.
Converting that promise into something substantial at senior level isn’t straightforward, but Oisin O’Donoghue (Cashel 2023) and Darragh McCarthy (Nenagh 2024) have moved swiftly from the school stage to the senior arena.
Last night the pair qualified for the Fitzgibbon Cup decider with University of Limerick, alongside Conor Martin and Aaron Morgan, while Sam O’Farrell was top scorer for opponents University of Galway. Next week’s final opponents Mary Immaculate have Adam Daly and Joe Caesar in their squad.
There are plenty commitments for Cahill to juggle in managing gametime. The opening two league assignments will have pleased him, his team digging deep to show the grit to hold off Galway, before demonstrating their blend of power and style to overwhelm Offaly last Sunday.
Jason Forde’s 3-10 in that game and the introduction of the reigning Hurler of the Year John McGrath at the break, both salient reminders of the older heads still knocking around. Forde is still thriving 14 years after guiding Nenagh CBS to an All-Ireland colleges title, Donach O’Donnell his manager then as he is now overseeing the school team.
The severity of the tests now start to increase for Tipperary. Away to Cork this Saturday night is the weekend’s glamour game, then they host Limerick, travel to Waterford, and finish off the regulation league on 21 March against Kilkeny in Thurles.
Cahill knows the mood can shift sharply. The music being played around his camp was a different tune twelve months ago. Fortunes can fluctuate, results influence the mood.
Right now Tipperary’s stock is rising as defending champions and their underage scene is in booming.
The opportunity to strike is there, the challenge is to do just that.
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GAA Hurling Premier Silverware Tipperary