Tipperary win back-to-back All-Ireland Master titles as they overcome Wexford

Ger O'Grady's crew have certainly displayed an impressive appetite for success since the Masters competition was revived last year, beating Wexford well in both the 2024 and 2025 finals.

CHAMPS: Tipperary winning Masters team. Pic: @TipperaryGAAMasters on X

All-Ireland Hurling Masters final: Tipperary 3-24 Wexford 0-12

Back-to-back All-Ireland adult hurling titles for Tipperary and, potentially, a window into the future.

Ger 'Redser' O'Grady was only half joking when he said after guiding his county to an eighth All-Ireland Masters success that they have produced a template for Liam Cahill to follow in 2026.

It's chalk and cheese, of course, winning senior All-Irelands and Over-40s competitions.

But O'Grady's crew have certainly displayed an impressive appetite for success since the Masters competition was revived last year, beating Wexford well in both the 2024 and 2025 finals.

They used goals as their battering ram to success in last year's final, played in Tipp, and overwhelmed hosts Wexford on this occasion in virtually all departments.

Wexford got it going for a period in the second quarter but had already fallen 1-6 to 0-1 behind at that stage and, having played with a stiff wind, needed to be ahead at half-time instead of six points down.

And a star-studded Tipp side containing former All-Stars Lar Corbett, Eoin Kelly and Shane McGrath, with Eoin Brislane in goals, didn't need any invitation to pile on the misery in the second-half.

Corbett killed the game as a contest when he struck Tipp's second goal in the 48th minute at the Rapparees-Starlights club grounds in Enniscorthy, putting them 13 points clear.

Player/manager O'Grady then came on and struck Tipp's third goal, the ex-senior captain promptly substituting himself off again and joking with Kelly that his work was done.

It was all smiles at that stage for Tipp who had a vital edge in midfield where Corbett and team captain McGrath lined out.

Toomevara's David Young was prominent early on too, as Tipp turned the screw, while Tommy Connors struck their opening goal after six minutes.

It's yet another All-Ireland hurling title for Tipp at the end of a landmark season in which they claimed U20 and senior wins.

"It was a great year for Tipp," said Corbett. "The serious guys, Brendan Cummins with the U20s and Liam Cahill with the seniors, what they achieved with their teams was unreal. Tipp hurling is in a great place.

"What we're doing in comparison is a bit of a laugh but we take it seriously. At the end of the day we put in the work and we came down to Wexford for an All-Ireland final and we won it. That's something to be proud of."

Three-time All-Star Corbett, who famously netted an All-Ireland final hat-trick in 2010, thwarting Kilkenny's drive for five and earning him the Hurler of the Year award, operates at Junior B level these days for Thurles Sarsfields.

"'Redser' is the player/manager again there, a dictator, calling all the shots," joked Corbett. "No, I love it. I just love being able to play the game of hurling at 44 years of age."

Diarmuid 'Gizzy' Lyng and MJ Furlong were among a number of well known Wexford players involved.

Gizzy grabbed a point while Joey Lawlor, Gary Morton and Nigel Higgins added scores in the run up to half-time but they faded out in the second-half.

Scorers for Tipperary: P Shortt (0-8, 5 frees, 1 65); T Connors (1-2); L Corbett (1-1); D Young (0-4); G O'Grady (1-0); T Collins (0-2); M Stapleton, S McGrath, J Caesar, S Stapleton, R O'Brien, E Kelly, E Shortt (0-1 each).

Scorers for Wexford: J Lawlor (0-3); G Morton (0-2, 1 free, 1 65); J O'Connor (1 free), M Mahon (1 free), E Redmond (1 free), J Tonks, D Lyng, N Higgins, D Doyle (0-1 each).

TIPPERARY: E Brislane; M Treacy, S Quirke, M Stapleton; T Collins, C Gleeson, D Horan; L Corbett, S McGrath; P Shortt, S Maher, J Caesar; S Stapleton, D Young, T Connors.

Subs used: C Ryan, R O'Brien, N Curran, E Kelly, E Shortt, P Maher, G O'Grady, N Kenny, T Costello, S Stapleton.

WEXFORD: D O'Dwyer; D Browne, T Devereux, B Mulligan; J Tonks, J O'Connor, K Cloney; A Lynch, M Mahon; MJ Furlong, G Morton, D Lyng; J Lawlor, N Higgins, J Breen.

Subs used: C Daly, D Fenlon, L Morrissey, D Doyle, E Redmond, P Kennedy, J Miller, P Murphy.

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).