'Nine years is a long time' - Pádraic Maher thrilled as Thurles end title wait

The Tipp heavyweights made short work of their county finale. 

Thurles Sarsfields manager Padraic Maher celebrates winning with the team. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher

Thurles Sarsfields are one of those local establishments where nine years without success absolutely constitutes a famine. To hold such a mindset is not greed or overdramatisation of a drought period not even extending to a full decade.

Nine years is a famine in Thurles eyes simply because the roll of honour shows them way, way out in front of every other Premier establishment big and small.

The local view was that 2017 desperately required succeeding. It represented the completion of a four-in-a-row, fifth in six years, and eighth in 13 seasons. And then nada. Nine years without Dan Breen spending a winter in Thurles.

Sunday’s comfortable victory - Thurles never once trailed - thus carried famine-ending status.

“Nine years is a long time, so people say for our club, so to get over the line eventually, I’m absolutely thrilled for the players,” began winning Thurles boss Pádraic Maher.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, when you put on a Sarsfields jersey there’s expectation on you to be there or thereabouts every single year. And when you don’t win and it keeps going and going and there’s no Cup coming back, the expectation grows and the jersey can weigh heavy on some lads.

“We were in another bit of a drought and in fairness to the younger lads, they brought great freshness to the group the last 12 months, and the experienced lads definitely rowed in behind them.

“I really wanted them to go out and do it on the biggest day of the Tipp club calendar, and I'm delighted they did.” 

A neck injury forced Maher, then aged 32, to retire from club and inter-county hurling at the beginning of the 2022 season. By the end of that year, he’d been appointed Thurles boss for the forthcoming 2023 season.

Having won seven inside the whitewash, how did this first from the sideline compare?

“You're pucking every ball, but you're just trying to make sure that the lads are giving every last drop of themselves. We’re trying to make them realise what it takes to get over the line. You're trying to get through to them that these are days you'll never forget.

“You want to remember them for the right reasons, and they can go into that dressing-room now and be happy with what they've done and what they've given the jersey today.

“It's nine years since I was stuck in the middle of it myself and sure they are special scenes. I'm just looking over there now and everyone's getting pictures with their families, sure that's what it's all about.” 

 After a busy Tipp programme between county and divisional championship, Thurles have five weeks to themselves before a Munster semi-final against either the Clare or Cork champions. Their roll of honour count here shows just one provincial crown.

“We’re going to give it everything,” Maher continued. “The break will give us a chance to freshen up. We’ll come back in and we’ll train as hard as we’ve been doing all year for that and put our best foot forward.”