Big picture drives Tipp’s Power on to greater glory

Team boss David Power counted 53 people on the Tipp minor footballers’ bus to the All-Ireland final, but no passengers. He spoke to Fintan O’Toole about the Premier’s historic win.

IN the giddy post-match chaos, one image stood out. When the final whistle sounded, David Power sank to his knees, skidded along the greasy surface underneath the Hogan Stand, raised his arms aloft and closed his eyes. In the background, the white lettering on the big screen in Croke Park offered irrefutable evidence of what had just happened. Tipperary 3-9 Dublin 1-14. It’s a moment frozen in time that encapsulates one of the most remarkable days in the 2011 GAA calendar. Someone ordered a framed copy of the picture for the manager recently and it now hangs proudly in the 28-year-old’s home in Kilsheelan, a constant reminder of what was achieved.

“It’s a picture that means a lot,” he reflects. “I’d no idea at the time about it. To be honest I was just running around like a lunatic, it was crazy stuff with everyone for those moments after the game. But to sit back now and look at it is special.”