These things only come around every 81 years or so.
New Zealand can wait another month.
Not since 1935 have Tipperary’s footballers scaled these heights. It doesn’t happen very often to the lovers of the big ball in the Premier County and Jimmy Feehan isn’t going to allow himself to miss any of it.
Tipp’s astounding quarter-final victory over Galway on Sunday extended their stay in the All-Ireland series for another three weeks at least. On August 21, they’ll take on Mayo or Tyrone at Croke Park. On August 21, they’ll fight for a place in the All-Ireland football final.
Tipp wanted to win, Galway were afraid of losing: it was a total mismatch, @ConanDoherty reports from Croke Park https://t.co/aSROfHS0gu
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 31, 2016
So it wasn’t even an option for their prized defender.
Jimmy Feehan has grown up manning the edge of the Tipperary square through his glittering underage career but he’s looking every bit as comfortable and accomplished in the number seven jersey now.
On Sunday, he played his part in history as the Munster men swatted Galway to one side and shook the island as they barged their way into the last four of the senior championship.
The Tipperary manager would soon have you punching the lockers https://t.co/AdKjAsNl89
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 1, 2016
How could Feehan leave now?
Anyone who watches even a second of any of Tipperary’s games would see clear as day that the Killenaule man plays with the sort of passion and commitment that’s a complete throwback. They’d see his aggression, his desire to fight for every ball, his thrill of the battle.
They’d assume that if you cut this man open, he’d bleed Tipperary blue.
Going to New Zealand now was never going to be an option.
Following @TipperaryGAA win, Jimmy Feehan's six month work placement in New Zealand has been put off for another month… At least!!!
— Killian Whelan (@Killian_Whelan) August 1, 2016
You can repeat exams, you can travel at other times, you can find different work placements. But you cannot relive the All-Ireland football championship. And you can’t get a second chance at this kind of magic.
Listen to our GAA podcast with Colm Parkinson where we joined the Tipp lads drinking cans on the bus home. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.
