Hurling always be No.1 in Tipperary, says John 'Bubbles' O’Dwyer

Tipperary hurling star John O’Dwyer doesn’t expect people from the county will turn out in their droves to support the footballers in their August 21 All-Ireland semi-final.

Coming a week after the senior and minor hurlers clash with Galway for final spots, fans will have to fork out a considerable amount of money to attend both games in Croke Park.

Although O’Dwyer hopes otherwise, he maintains there won’t be near as big a crowd backing the footballers as the hurlers.

“Tipperary is always going to be hurling based and hurling is always going to be number one. I missed the match on Sunday but I would go to all the football games, and the rest of the hurling lads would.

“People are saying now to try and get the support behind them for the semi-final but I don’t think they will.

“They have their core bunch of supporters which would be 500-600 people and then you get other people who jump on the bandwagon.

“You’d love for more people to come out and support them but they’re probably not going to get it.”

O’Dwyer reckons the success of both teams shows there isn’t a need for dual players at senior level.

“I don’t think they’re looking for players — they’re in an All-Ireland semi-final. A couple of years ago, they might be looking for players but they don’t need anyone. It’s going to take a good team to beat them.

“They’re in a good place the next couple of years.”

O’Dwyer’s Killenaule club-mate Jimmy Feehan has had to twice postpone college placements in New Zealand as a result of the county’s extended championship run.

“O’Dwyer sees plenty of him in Dr Morris Park too, where the two panels train sometimes on the same evenings.

“We’d be training beside them and to see their preparation that goes into their work, it’s second to none.

“Some people say Tipperary are coming — Tipperary have been coming the last seven or eight years and the stuff they do would be right up there at the top with the rest of the counties.”