David Power hails breakthrough day for Tipperary football

SPECIAL MOMENT: Tipperary manager David Power with his dad Michael after the Munster SFC final win over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

One of the first people David Power embraced following Maurice Deegan’s final whistle was his father, Michael.

There were no words spoken. Then again, no words needed to be spoken.

The joy etched across the two men’s faces as they threw their arms around one another spoke sufficiently for how father and son were feeling at having witnessed a Tipperary football team end the county’s 85-year wait for Munster honours.

As well as his father, who is the current county board treasurer, the Tipperary manager listed off several servants of Tipperary football when chatting to the media afterward, people like Seamus McCarthy, Hugh Kennedy and Mick Frawley, people who kept the flame burning during the many dark days.

“God almighty, they kept Tipp football going when, let’s face it, it wasn’t pretty, we were down in the bottom ends of Division 4 and stuff like that. For all those people, it’s just a pity they weren’t here today because I know that they’d be so, so proud of this group,” said David.

And what a group they are, one that always believed they could beat Cork. Their manager was of a similar mind.

Tipperary, he stressed, needed a Munster senior title to back up the provincial U21 wins of 2010 and 2015 and the minor victories of 2011 and 2012. He knew these players would do the business at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“There was an inner belief,” Power continued.

“That was the big thing over the last two weeks, we always believed we could beat Cork and I didn't have to say that, the players knew it because they were after beating Cork at minor and U21, and back in 2016 they beat Cork [at senior] as well. There was always that core belief there.

“This group, over the past 15 years, we have got to minor finals, U21 finals, so I always believed this was going to be our day because there has been a lot of work.

"There have been a lot of articles about underage, but today Tipperary needed to win a senior title. That is what we got.”

Beyond a medal in the back pocket of current panellists, Power is confident the victory will have significant knock-on effects for football in the Premier County.

“It’s great for Tipp football, in general, going forward. It’s huge, absolutely huge. This game was on TV today, everyone watching us, and we played with a style, we played really, really good and I think young people back in Tipperary, yes, hurling will always be number one in Tipp but now people will want to play football for Tipperary. That is unbelievable PR for Tipp football going forward.”

On a weekend where the GAA so tastefully marked the centenary anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Power was immensely proud at how his group had struck a balance between honouring the Tipperary team of 1920 but not allowing themselves to be swallowed by emotion.

“For us to be wearing that green and white jersey was an honour, an absolute honour, and that’s all, we kind of left it at that. At the end of the day, we had to play that match because if we really, really got caught in the emotion, you might get caught, so for us, just wearing that green and white jersey was enough.”

Almost lost in the elation of yesterday’s victory was the reality that Tipperary now stand 70 minutes from an All-Ireland final.

“It’s incredible, but I’m not going to even talk about an All-Ireland semi-final here today. It’s about enjoying this occasion, which is huge for Tipperary football, and in the next couple of days we will look at Mayo, but after 85 years, we have to just enjoy this moment."