'You go to Croke Park, you don't show up, you get what comes after that': McLoughlin recalls low of 2014 fall to Tipp

Cork's Lorcán McLoughlin tackles Tipperary's Lar Corbett during the All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park in 2014. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

On Sunday, Cork will have four survivors and Tipperary two in their squads from their last and inaugural senior hurling championship meeting in Croke Park.

Munster champions Cork were caught cold by a Tipperary team who had stormed their way through the qualifiers and won that All-Ireland semi-final by 10 points.

A dire performance 11 years ago hardly has a bearing now, but in front of almost 70,000 people, the vast majority of whom were from Cork, it took a lot of the good away from beating Limerick five weeks earlier. 

Upon his substitution in the 55th minute, Aidan Walsh apologised to manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy.

Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder that being favourites and winning Munster doesn’t go a whole way against a team from the province in Croke Park. 

In the last 10 all-Munster All-Ireland semi-finals or finals, the provincial winners have lost six times. Only Limerick (2020 and twice in ’21) and Tipperary in ’09 backed up their trophies.

“It was our first Munster in a number of years (eight), so there was obviously a high from that,” recalls Lorcán McLoughlin. “And then you have to come down to kind of build up again.

“And Tipp just had been through the mill a few times. They'd been in All-Ireland finals a couple of years, and they just had a lot of experience, and they were ready. They hit the ground, and we were flat, and that's what happens. You go to Croke Park, you don't show up, you get what comes after that.” 

More had been expected after coming so close to emulating the previous All-Ireland success in 2005. 

“We were a new team, an inexperienced team, but we got a great run at it from the All-Ireland quarter-finals and you build and build the confidence.” 

The feeling among the Cork players was dejection, McLoughlin says. 

“It's no different to Sunday, where you appreciate the support. When you deliver a performance like that, it's hugely disappointing because outside of losing the game, you kind of realise the effort that supporters put in as well to kind of make that trip up.” 

Not that the Kanturk man is expecting history to repeat itself on Sunday. 

“We've learned a lot from the last 12 months, really. We've learned a lot about the team. I think as supporters, we've learned a lot as well, that no game can be taken for granted. You still have to go and win it and deliver the performance.

“Finals are there to be won and you do whatever you have to do to win a final as well. They delivered a perfect performance, a brilliant performance against Dublin. I don't think anyone they played that day would have beaten them but the final is a new game again.

“I think there's enough there in terms of experience. I think the team are firing. There'll be nothing taken for granted against Tipperary. And there should be nothing taken for granted based on some of the lessons over the last 12 months.”