Inspirational Leahy looking to add the crowning touch to Mullinahone’s season
Already, under Leahy, Mullinahone have won the Kilmacud All-Ireland sevens and the South Tipperary SHC. And says club PRO Victor Deereen: “it would be fitting if John was to land the treble because he has done a marvellous job with the lads this year.
“John has always been an inspiration and every young lad in the parish grew up trying to emulate him.”
With Leahy continuing to inspire the youth of the parish and Ricky Sheehan doing trojan work on the ground, Mullinahone made people sit up and take notice with their successful feats at underage level, including an historic U-12 'A' championship double.
With a team including the Kelly brothers, Paul and Eoin, and Brian O'Meara, all of whom were to follow in John Leahy's intercounty footsteps, Mullinahone reached the Tipperary U-21 championship final in 1996 only to lose out in a thriller to Cappawhite.
The following year Mullinahone qualified for the senior county final for the first time but were defeated by Clonoulty/Rossmore. “Maybe it will be a case of third time lucky for us on Sunday,” said Deereen.
Eoin Kelly was only 15 when Mullinahone made their only appearance in the Tipperary showpiece up to now, but such was his precocious talent that he was introduced as a substitute nine minutes from the end of the final.
“The mistake we made on reaching our first final was that we allowed the build-up to overwhelm us. On this occasion our approach is a much more cautious one and we are playing things down.
“But we have a most positive attitude and of course the vast majority of our players are much more mature now,” said Deereen.
The Mullinahone official is the first to acknowledge that facing famous Thurles Sarsfields in the final is “a daunting task.”
“Because of their marvellous tradition you never get anything easy from Thurles Sars, particularly in the final. This will be their third final in succession and now, with their bogey side of the past two seasons Toomevara out of the way, they will be fancing their chances of ending their long famine.”
