Liam Sheedy: I have back-to-back All-Irelands done already!

Sheedy says Tipperary's training set-up has operated with 'zero tolerance' towards any Covid risks

Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy is content with his side's preparations thus far while wary Limerick already have that Clare game under their belt. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile

Given he’s delivered two All-Irelands in four seasons, it’s a strange stick to beat Liam Sheedy with, but not hanging around to defend the first one nine years ago has been sharpened for him.

A month following Tipperary’s 2010 success, the Portroe man replicated what Donal O’Grady did having guided Cork to the Liam MacCarthy Cup six years previous and stepped aside.

Coupled with the fact it’s 55 years since they last retained the title, it’s been a pregnant subject matter in the county but he sees the funny side of the slight. 

“I have the back-to-back done already,” he smiles. “I won it in 2010 and then walked away and came back and won it last year. I don’t know where this back-to-back is coming from!” 

Any pressure associated with following up triumph with triumph whittled away for Sheedy with the pandemic and a recent bereavement. Earlier this month, his wife Margaret’s father Kevin Moloney passed away. 

“He was a great GAA man and it puts everything into perspective so we really do appreciate the chance to get out onto the pitch and get to train.” 

Not that this Championship is a shot in the dark - Sheedy, like his opposite number on Sunday, John Kiely, was vocally eager for a Championship to take place providing the terms and conditions were safe.

But each man knows the value of protection in their positions of responsibility, Sheedy made aware of it going back to March when the camp had to restrict their movements upon returning to a locked-down Ireland from their training trip to Spain.

“It probably did set us up in terms of the importance of how you do things right, that really taught us about how to behave around Covid and the impact it can have. Some of the guys had to move into lodges as they had older family members who they didn’t want to put at any risk.

“We played it very safe to ensure everything was okay and thankfully we didn’t have any cases on the back of it but it did heighten all our awareness of how we needed to behave as a panel and a backroom team around Covid.” 

Obviously, Sheedy can’t say for certain he has made Dr Morris Park and Semple Stadium safe havens for the players these last six weeks but he has done everything he can to make them secure. 

“There have been nights when three or four guys didn't come to training because they might have had a sore throat or a runny nose. It's just zero tolerance around that stuff. We don't take any risks. We've had to have various players tested from time to time to ensure that everything's okay.

“At any stage, you could become a close contact or a positive case and if you're a close contact now you miss the match against our semi-final opponents and that's how tight this thing is. 

“I would really hope the general public would be accepting of that. These players are trying to do everything they can but ultimately they're teachers, workers... they do have to operate their lives outside of hurling. It isn't life or death, it isn't what puts food on the table. 

“It's my responsibility to ensure that the environment I set up in there is a really safe environment where they don't feel at risk when they come in. We're very strong on the protocols and trying to keep a safety-first approach that allows them to know that 'I'm in now and I'm safe'.” 

Defenders John Meagher and James Quigley are the two new additions to the existing 2020 panel and welcome ones considering Seamus Kennedy is not expected to feature against Limerick in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Sheedy is content with Tipperary’s preparations thus far while wary Limerick already have that Clare game under their belt. 

“We have people really driving hard to get into that 26 and in that 26 we have people driving hard to get into the first 15. I sit here right now and I'd be very happy with the level of competition that exists for places. I couldn't be happier with the level of energy and effort these players are showing me in the training environment.

“The secret and the challenge for us is to get the right 15 out and put in the five that are going to make the difference to bring a really strong performance, because we know anything other than a top-class performance and we will come up well short because of the structure and the way this team coming in has got the benefit of a match behind them.”