Latest Tipp-Clare meeting a tale of one pace-setter attempting to outdo the other

Certain to start in Saturday's potentially season-defining Munster SHC game at home to Clare, the extent of Oisin O'Donoghue's involvement in the U20 decider will be closely observed.

Tipperary's Evan Morris keeps a close eye on Clare's Tomás O'Connor.

A Clare-Tipperary Munster U20 hurling final for the second successive May. Earlier this year, we had a second successive Harty Cup final involving Clare and Tipperary schools.

That’s just the evidence of the past 12 months. 

There’s plenty more evidence preceding that to confirm that these two counties have become and continue to be the pace-setters where underage matters are concerned in Munster.

Only right that we start with Tipp. They, after all, won the Munster U20 final meeting last May. It was Tipp schools - Thurles CBS and Nenagh CBS - that won the last two Harty Cups. 

It was Nenagh and Cashel Community School that won the two Hartys before that.

It’s Tipp who are and have been for at least the past three years the outright pace-setters. There’s not a scintilla of evidence to the contrary.

The Premier are chasing a first three-in-a-row of Munster U20 titles in 41 years. Feeding into the current class is the All-Ireland minor winning group of 2024. 

Eight of that group featured in the concluding round-robin victory over Limerick.

Sam Rowan - who started all four of this year’s round-robin games either at midfield or in the half-back line - is a survivor from the 2022 All-Ireland minor final win over Offaly.

That’s the sort of up-the-ladder progression that every academy system in the country is after. Silverware is always welcome. Silverware and subsequent player graduation is the gold standard.

Tipp are well proven in this department. It hardly needs restating that Darragh McCarthy, Sam O’Farrell, and Oisín O’Donoghue won a senior All-Ireland - on the field of play - seven weeks after collecting U20 honours last summer.

O’Donoghue managed all that with a year still to run of U20 eligibility. 

Tipperary's Oisin O'Donoghue shoots at goal. Pic: Inpho

His four-point man of the match performance during last month's draw with Waterford was the latest evidence of his growing worth within Liam Cahill’s senior set-up.

Absent for the U20 round-robin defeat to Wednesday’s final opponents, which took place four days before the aforementioned Déise draw, and used only in the final quarter of the subsequent win over Limerick, the captain is again named on the bench for this latest meeting with the Banner.

Certain to start in Saturday's potentially season-defining Munster SHC game at home to Clare, the extent of O'Donoghue's involvement in the U20 decider will be closely observed.

Donach O’Donnell, who oversaw the 2024 and ‘26 Harty Cup wins of Nenagh CBS, earlier this year gave an insight into the culture that is minding, managing, and moving up the production line this generation of blue and gold talent.

“We have lads that have been flat out on the road for a year now, with no real break between U19 club championship, U21 club championship, senior club championship, schools, and county panels," O'Donnell remarked. "So, it's very hard to manage that load and it's just really important that the players can be at their best for both. 

"The inter-county players are almost in pre-season at the moment whereas we're in the middle of the championship. It's a different level and a different type of training.

“People in Tipp are looking at sports science and up-to-date data that will show what the right things are to do from a physical point of view, and also a psychological point of view because there’s a huge mental load as well.” 

Bidding to avoid a third Munster U20 final defeat in four years, Clare are themselves doing a fine job in bringing their own crop through.

Particularly since the age-grade drop from U18 to U17, minor silverware carries few guarantees. But Clare’s starting team for this latest Munter U20 final appearance shows eight players - Mark Sheedy, Eoghan Gunning, Ronan Keane, Matthew O’Halloran, James Hegarty, Jamie Moylan, Ronan Kilroy, and Michael Collins - that began the 2023 All-Ireland minor final win over Galway.

A ninth member of Wednesday’s line-up, semi-final star Fred Hegarty, came off the bench three years ago against Galway. 

Jack Mescall and Seán Arthur, who started the minor decider, will be on the bench at the Gaelic Grounds. U20 sub Harry Doherty is another.

That’s a very strong number to have thus far held onto.

Full-forward Thomas O’Connor arrived into the team from a different avenue. 

He was a late call-up to this year’s U20 panel. His massively influential semi-final contribution was evidence of the requirement to always leave the door ajar for the later developers.

“We beat Tipp a couple of weeks ago, we know we have it in us,” O’Connor told TG4 after last week’s semi-final win. “Obviously, it is an advantage for them to have the week off, but we’ll be looking forward to it, and we know we are well capable of beating them.” 

One pace-setter attempting to outdo the other.

Clare: M Sheedy (Sixmilebridge); E Gunning (Broadford), R Loftus (Éire Óg Ennis), M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge); J Moylan (Cratloe), J Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), R Hayes (Tulla); D Costelloe (Ballyea), R Keane (Killanena); R Kilroy (Banner), M Collins (Clonlara), F Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona); M Cleary (Éire Óg Ennis), T O’Connor (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), P Rodgers (Scariff).

Subs: C Doyle (Bodyke), G Ball (St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield), S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus), S Boyce (O’Callaghan’s Mills), J Mescall (Inagh-Kilnamona), D Moroney (Éire Óg Ennis), H Doherty (Clarecastle), D Neville (Cratloe), J Cullinan (Ruan).

Tipperary: P McCormack (Moneygall); C O’Reilly (Holycross Ballycahill), E Morris (Holycross Ballycahill), D Ryan (Arravale Rovers); A Ryan (Arravale Rovers), E Murray (Thurles Sarsfields), S Cleary (Kilruane MacDonaghs); C Ryan (Boherlahan Dualla), S Rowan (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone); S Tobin (Carrick Swan), T Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), D Costigan (Moycarkey Borris); R Ryan (Holycross Ballycahill), J Ormond (JK Brackens), C Fitzpatrick (Drom Inch).

Subs: D Hayes (Toomevara), J Donelan-Houlihan (Nenagh Éire Óg), E Doughan (Moneygall), P Hackett (Toomevara), S Hall (Golden Kilfeacle), J Hayes (Moycarkey Borris), O O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs), P Ryan (Borris-Ileigh), S Ryan (Killenaule).