As hurling people, we live for big days like excited kids on our birthday, but the All-Ireland final is usually our Christmas Day, the day when we are entitled to expect — and usually get — that little bit more.

John Fogarty Outnumbered they might have been but Tipperary supporters were not outshouted at last month’s All-Ireland semi-final.

On October 7, 2010, a month after winning the All Ireland and stopping Kilkenny’s five-in-a-row, Liam Sheedy's Tipperary management team announced they were stepping down.

Edge, by definition, is a margin of superiority, a quality or factor that provides an advantage over rivals.

Scoring 30 points is the aim for Tipperary in every game, but selector Darragh Egan knows it’s easier said than done.

One cannot but be struck by hurling’s ability to evoke a reversal of fortunes, not to mention opinions.

With The Sunday Game 40 years old this year, I was asked to pick my highlight for a short clip which was aired during yesterday’s live show from Cork.

Ex-Tipperary captain Shane McGrath senses Liam Sheedy’s team are driven by the negativity that followed their middling league campaign and disappointing 2018 Championship.

Two goals in the opening quarter were decisive as Nenagh Éire Óg ended the SHC challenge of Loughmore-Castleiney with a 2-17 to 0-18 win at Dolla yesterday.

Champions Thurles Sarsfields set down a marker for those aspiring to take their title from them when they romped to a 5-32 to 0-7 win over Carrick Swans in their opening game in defence of the Tipperary senior hurling title at Cashel.

Kildangan 1-18 Templederry Kenyons 0-18: Heartbreak for Templederry Kenyons, their maiden North Tipperary senior final appearance ending in defeat.

Templederry had to survive a late Silvermines surge before claiming a place in the club’s first ever North senior hurling final courtesy of a 0-25 to 3-13 win in Nenagh.

Allianz HL Division 1 quarter-final

Tipperary only scored two second-half points, but advanced to their fourth Allianz Hurling League Division 1 semi-final in a row, after a six-point win over Offaly at O'Connor Park today.

Kerry hurling manager Eamon Kelly has pulled off a double coup with the additions of Tipperary goalkeeper James Logue and Clare’s former All-Ireland SHC medallist Patrick Kelly for the 2015 season.

Tipperary 3-25 Cork 4-19

Tipperary 3-25 Cork 4-19

Tipperary 1-19 Dublin 0-19

There are four changes in the Tipperary side for Sunday’s clash with Dublin at Semple Stadium in the final round of Division 1A of the Allianz Hurling League (2pm).

Limerick hurler Richie McCarthy, Kerry footballer James O’Donoghue and Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald have scooped the top accolades at this year’s Munster GAA awards.

Munster IHC final:

Limerick 0-15 Tipperary 0-20

Tipperary senior champions Drom & Inch remain on course to retain the Dan Breen Cup following an impressive 2-22 to 0-13 quarter-final win over west champions Clonoulty Rossmore at Semple Stadium.

County SHC champions, Drom-Inch had a comfortable 0-21 to 0-12 win over Burgess in the third round at Dolla yesterday.

IT WAS the persistence of two men carrying a Gaelic football torch in the hurling heartland of north Tipperary that finally twisted Chris Conway’s arm.

DIVISIONAL forces have been commonplace in Cork and Kerry senior championships for several years but embracing the concept in Tipperary has led to an unlikely football success story.

Tipperary side Kildangan secured their first Copper Face Jacks Kilmacud Crokes Senior Sevens title thanks to an extra-time victory over the host club in yesterday's decider.

RED hot favourites Toomevara overcame a determined Kildangan challenge to capture their 33rd North Tipperary senior hurling championship in Nenagh yesterday.

NOT that Richie Power would regard himself as a lucky charm or anything but up until last September he hadn’t lost a senior championship game which he started for Kilkenny.

CLONOULTY-ROSSMORE claimed the spoils in this Tipperary SHC semi-final in Thurles yesterday despite having played second fiddle for long spells to a Kildangan team that has come a long way in a short time.

Tipperary 3-24 Wexford 0-19

CONNACHT GAA officials will make a decision tonight about whether they can stage Saturday’s ESB MFC quarter-final tie in Pearse Stadium between Galway and New York due to the air travel restrictions caused by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.

THE fare was lacklustre in Tullamore yesterday but this NHL Division 1 match concluded in a blaze of drama.

DAVID CUNNINGHAM, Glen Rovers, takes over the full back slot left vacant by the injury to Eoin Cadogan for Cork’s last game in the preliminary rounds of the Allianz NHL against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

NHL DIVISION 1:

LIMERICK’s Mary Immaculate College last night blasted claims by HE GAA chief Michael Mallie that they fielded players illegally during this season’s Ryan Cup, expressing outrage at what they term ‘a gratuitous and defamatory attack on its reputation and integrity’.

HIGHER Education GAA Chairman Michael Mallie last night revealed that any proposed suspensions for Mary Immaculate College hurling trio Shane McGrath, Jamie Nagle and Darragh Egan will only pertain to third-level competitions.

TIPPERARY and Limerick received massive pre-championship boosts last night as cousins Eoin Kelly and Ollie Moran made their first appearances of the 2009 season for their respective counties in a senior hurling challenge.

TIPPERARY duo Eoin and Paul Kelly are both ruled out of Sunday’s Allianz NHL final clash with Kilkenny.

TIPPERARY hurling manager Liam Sheedy wouldn’t allow Sunday’s chastening defeat to All-Ireland champions Kilkenny deflect them from their bid to retain their League title.