Dignity in victory proves Sheedy was right man for Tipp
Donie, as always was spot on. Sheedy has done a fantastic job in honing the skills of the Premier county players and building up a backroom team that worked tirelessly and selflessly to achieve All-Ireland glory.
Sheedy’s speech at their magnificent victory banquet in the Burlington Hotel was the first opportunity I had to observe the Tipperary manager closely. Victory speeches can often be bland affairs. Not so Sheedy’s. What was impressive was the manner in which he heaped praise on others – the players, the board, the supporters and sponsors.
He wasn’t saying these things just for the sake of it, the sincerity in his voice showed he meant every single word.
I thought Tipperary’s performance was as good as anything I have seen. Not only did they go into the history books as the latest team to prevent a county achieving the five in a row but they re-established Tipperary’s place at hurling’s top table. It was a brilliant All-Ireland. One of the things that made it special was the way supporters of both counties rose to their feet to give the injured Henry Shefflin a standing ovation as he left the field. I don’t think such a compliment would occur in any other sport. It says much about the stature and respect in which Henry is held and the magnificent sporting attitude of the Tipp supporters. A moment to be treasured forever.
Though heartbroken today, Kilkenny’s legacy as the greatest hurling team of all time remains. True to from they accepted defeat graciously proving that class never dies.
Another factor that made the final memorable was referee Michael Wadding’s performance. He had an excellent game – he was so good that nobody was speaking about him afterwards – the acid test of a great refereeing performance.
Will we ever see a drive for five in a row again. Doubtful. It just shows how special this Kilkenny team were and how brilliant Tipperary had to be to beat them.
