Seamus Callanan: We never gave up on this dream

Doubt surrounded them but it never forced entry into Seamus Callanan’s mind.

Not when they lost to Kilkenny in the final in 2011. Or again in 2014. Not when they were squeezed out by Galway in last year’s semi-final or in any of the other big games you could care to mention that closed their doors with Tipp locked out on the wrong side of a one-point game.

They must have heard the mutterings. Flawed. Mentally weak. Flaky. Everyone knew that this had to be the day those barbs were decommissioned. Callanan put it best when he admitted “it was time enough for us to start inflicting the hurt on other teams”.