Veteran skipper Dunne aims to lead Toomevara to final glory

TOOMEVARA skipper Thomas Dunne has added reason to relish leading the Tipperary champions out in this afternoon’s All-Ireland club hurling semi-final in Portlaoise.

Tipperary’s inspirational captain in their last Liam McCarthy Cup triumph in 2001 was even unsure this time last year about continuing at club level after calling a halt to his inter-county career. However, a new manager, a new challenge and surge of energy persuaded him to continue.

“Last January twelve months, I couldn’t see myself in this position. I didn’t even see myself hurling with Toom in the 2006 championship,’’ he explains. “So, to come from that point to this point is a massive change and it’s something that I’m really enjoying.”

Dunne is 33 and has experienced minor health problems which made it difficult for him to put on weight. “It’s tough, physically very demanding and with all the mental demands that go along with it. People should not underestimate it. That was my concern — that I would not be able to reach the standard. It’s getting closer to inter-county hurling all the time.’’

Toomevara have been the dominant team in Tipperary over the last two decades, winning ten championships and (now) three Munster titles.

“Our record speaks for itself in Tipp. We’re disappointed we don’t have an All-Ireland championship at this stage. But, I wouldn’t say we are under-achievers.’’

He credits manager Pat Herbert (and trainer Ross Dunphy) with having a major say in their successes to date — being unbeaten all year, in league, challenge and championship games.

“We won some tough games that really went down to the wire which says a lot about his professionalism and his emphasis on discipline that we performed so well last year. I focused on what I should be doing and not doing. I was very conscious of not doing too much. For people like me, less is more some times. “It helped not being involved with Tipp. It gave me the chance to channel all my energy into one team and that’s something I never had the opportunity to do with Tipperary. At this stage in my career it’s probably better for me.’’ Over the course of his career he says he hasn’t been on the winning side against Kilkenny teams too often — one win at U21, a loss at minor and several defeats in the senior championship. “We know that it’s going to be a very difficult game to win, but this is where you want to be, pitting yourself against one of the best teams. People will focus on Henry Shefflin and Cha Fitzpatrick, but they are a very balanced team. That was the thing with Erin’s Own (in the Munster final). They were a really balanced team and that’s the secret to good club teams.’’

He doesn’t want to look beyond the semi-final but it doesn’t mean he can’t dream about winning a medal and finishing an illustrious career in style. “It would be brilliant. There’s no point in trying to hide away from. Its something that the club has a ferocious hunger for — something that we feel we might have won in the past but didn’t. But, that doesn’t give you a divine right to win it now.”