A big boost.
It was a nearly year for Tipperary, after losing to Cork in the Munster Championship the critics were out and it didn’t get any easier when Cathal Barrett was axed from the squad.
But Tipperary battled back and Barrett’s loss and in his place came Michael Cahill as he had a great year for Michael Ryan’s side.
Cahill is only 28-years-old but inter-county hurling can take its toll for the sheer time and effort that has to be put into it but Cahill has announced that he will be back representing his county next year.
Cahill was speaking at the launch of the AIG Fenway Classic where Tipperary will be travelling over to Boston to play in Fenway Park alongside Dublin, Galway, and Clare and made it clear that he intends to return next season:
“Yeh, I suppose I was thrashing it around in my head but it is looking likely at the moment anyway. I’ll give it another rattle anyway,” Cahill told reporters.
The Thurles Sarsfields’ player also spoke about how the Munster Club Championship is a big aim for him this year after having not been able to get over the line thus far with his team:
“From the start of the year, the one thing you want to do is back to the county final and win that,” Cahill said.
“We had a tough road along the way. Possibly we should have been beaten by Kilruane and Upperchurch-Drombane. We just barely got over them but things came right and we got through to the final and Borris.
“We got through that game thanks be to god but the next day is our real focus now. A Munster quarter-final against the Waterford champions.
“Over the last couple of years, it has been tough. We’ve been on the wrong side of these games so we’ll just have to focus on what’s ahead and take it one step at a time.”
Newly appointed Dublin hurling manager, Pat Gilroy and players Johnny Coen (Galway), Michael Cahill (Tipperary), and David Fitzgerald (Clare) were in Croke Park today to launch the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival, also supported by Aer Lingus. On November 19, Dublin will take on Galway and Tipperary will face Clare in Fenway Park with the winning sides from both proceeding to a final for a chance to win the inaugural Players Champions Cup. This is the second time in three years that hurling, in the “Super 11’s” format, will be played at the venue. Tickets for the AIG Fenway Hurling Classic and Irish Festival can be purchased at www.redsox.com/hurling.
