Blow for Tipperary as Conor Sweeney suffers cruciate ligament rupture

The All-Star attacker was knocked to the ground late on in Tipp’s Division 3 League loss to Down.

BIG BLOW: Conor Sweeney of Tipperary in action against David Connolly of Limerick during the McGrath Cup Group B match between between Tipperary and Limerick at Fethard Community Astroturf Pitch, Fethard in Tipperary. Photo by Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Conor Sweeney will miss Tipperary’s 2023 football season after suffering a cruciate ligament rupture.

The All-Star attacker and Tipperary captain suffered the injury when knocked to the ground entering the final 10 minutes of Tipperary’s Division 3 League loss to Down. Although he initially tried to continue, he soon limped off the field.

“He’s after doing a full ACL,” confirmed manager David Power. “He’s going up to Santry now. It’s a season-ending injury unfortunately for Conor.

“It’s very disappointing but whatever about Tipperary, it’s disappointing more for Conor because he puts so much into it. I know it’s hurting him a lot at the minute but that’s the way sport is. It can be very cruel at times.”

Power says he feared the worst when he saw Sweeney on the ground at Semple Stadium.

“Any time when it’s a knee, there’s always that chance and to be fair to Conor, he never stays down and that’s why I was concerned. I knew there was something up when he was staying down so long.

“I’m totally gutted for him because of the effort, the work, the leadership, he’s an incredible man so just very, very disappointed for him.

“It’s still very raw but we’ll just have to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves down and get on with it.” Steven O’Brien, who was named as vice-captain for the year last week, will take over as captain.

It marks the latest blow to the Tipperary squad this year. Sweeney’s injury means they now only have eight of the 20 players who played in their famous 2020 Munster football final victory over Cork available and two of those, Conal Kennedy and Paudie Feehan, are currently injured.

Sweeney, named at full-forward in the 2020 All-Star team, captained Tipp to that historic first provincial title in 85 years.

They were already set to be without 2016 All-Star Michael Quinlivan (work commitments) this year, while Colin O’Riordan has returned to Australia after training with the squad before Christmas.

Bill Maher and Jason Lonergan are another two who have moved abroad for work, while Robbie Kiely announced his retirement last week.