Yippee-I-Ay!
It was a good season for Liam Kearns.
The Tipperary manager proved his worth. He dragged the Premier footballers off of their knees and he inspired a whole county in the process. On top of that, he breathed fresh air of common sense back into the GAA.
LISTEN: Tipperary manager's approach to drinking is bloody refreshing and others should take note https://t.co/seowe4h3u3
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 23, 2016
If his players can’t celebrate, what the hell is the point?
He spoke about the sport science and all the rest, but he also spoke about the importance of team bonding. He was with his team as they all shared a few drinks on the bus on the road back from Croke Park after they had beaten Galway. Some of them didn’t make the journey home. It didn’t matter.
As long as they were there ready to work on Wednesday, it didn’t matter. They savoured the history they had made for the first time in 81 years and they looked ahead to the next challenge.
It turns out now that he leads by example.
After a gutsy display of heart and real talent, Tipp took Mayo the whole way in the All-Ireland semi-final and fell just short. They gave it their best shot, they gave it a rattle and it didn’t come through. Sometimes, the beauty is in the attempt.
And Kearns was there at the head of it all to celebrate that attempt and to make sure his players and the whole county were drinking in what was a fine season.
He’s got some set of pipes too and it was captured brilliantly by Brian Lacey.
Video via Pension Structures.
The latest GAA Hour football podcast features Colm Parkinson, Senan Connell and Paul Galvin. Subscribe here on iTunes.
