‘Fierce battles but we’re all friends now’ - Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher on the rivalry with Tipperary

Former Kilkenny player Eddie Keher, centre, reckons Tipp are a big hurdle to get over. File picture: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

A rivalry reawakened. Six years is far too long for Tipperary and Kilkenny to have been hurling ships in the championship night. The two most recent meetings — the 2016 and 2019 All-Ireland finals — doesn’t suggest much of a rivalry at all. Kilkenny have waited long enough to correct the rivalry’s recent history.

“It's a long time coming,” Kilkenny legend Eddie Keher said of the counties’ upcoming All-Ireland semi-final on July 6.

“There's a great rivalry there but a great admiration for both teams as well. It'll be a solid battle. Actually, we were looking at Tipperary early on during the league and we felt that they might be there this year. They then had a few disappointing games but they've come into form now again.

“We had fierce battles, but we're all great friends now. Great friends with Babs and Len Gaynor and some of them that have passed away, Mick Burns and John Doyle. I was very friendly with John. So whereas there's intense rivalry, there's also great friendship.” 

Keher is the holder of six Celtic crosses. No Kilkenny hurler who joined the panel from 2016 onwards has common ground with him. Kilkenny, of course, have never gone away — Sunday week is their seventh consecutive All-Ireland semi-final appearance — but neither have they been climbing any meaningful steps.

Since their maiden lifting of Liam in 1904, there have been only two 10-year periods — 1922-32 and 1947-57 — where Kilkenny didn’t climb the steps. Fail to do so in the next four weeks and the class of 2025 will be responsible for the largest famine in the county’s rich history.

“I'm old enough to remember,” Keher said of their previous 10-year famine. “I was only five for the 1947 All-Ireland. It took until 1957 to win the next one. Hopefully they'll do it this year.” On the road in front of them are hurling’s two other aristocrats.

“I'd be hopeful. But Tipp are going to be a big hurdle to get across. If we do, we could be coming up against a tremendous Cork team. Of course, there's great rivalry there as well over the years.

“They're a fine team, Kilkenny. I think they'll make a good run of it and that they'll do well. It's very hard to call any game between Kilkenny and Tipp. It'll depend on who turns up most. But I'm very happy with the Kilkenny team that will probably be starting against Tipp.

“Derek [Lyng] has done a good job, particularly following on from Brian [Cody]. He's brought his hurling game into management. He was a brilliant motivator on the field.” 

The other member of hurling’s remaining four is Dublin. Like most observers, Keher has to reach back to Antrim’s 1989 All-Ireland semi-final win over Offaly for a shock of similar scale. A welcome shock, mind.

“Dublin have brought a whole new impetus into hurling. It was a wonderful performance against Limerick. Now, I always felt Dublin were great hurlers, but they just didn't seem to be able to get over the line.

“But I'd say their new manager has instilled a belief in them and now they're not playing with fear. They're playing with a want to win and it's happening for them. Cork are obviously favourites, and favourites for the All-Ireland too. But I think Dublin will shove it up to them if they can generate the same level of performance.”