Kilkenny mauling not decisive factor in Dunne quitting Tipp

No matter what happened, Tommy Dunne was always going to take a break from coaching Tipperary after 2012.

The fall-out from a 4-24 to 1-15 loss to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland was such that manager Declan Ryan and Dunne no longer had the public’s support to continue once their two-year term had been completed, but the Toomevara man needed time out in any case.

“It was tough,” said Dunne, who is not currently training any team full-time. “Coaching at this level, when you’re trying to hold down a full-time job as well, is fairly serious business — as ye are all well used to people [saying] by now. However, last year was going to finish up, this year was going to have to be time out for me anyway. I just couldn’t stay doing it, given the time that the job required. So that was the main reason.”