Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Liam Cahill celebrates with his family.Bryan Keane/INPHO absent friends 'I never flinched at any stage on the line once he was across my chest' - Liam Cahill Tipperary manager pays tribute to those with us and those who are gone. 8.58pm, 20 Jul 2025 Share options LET’S START AT the end, for a change. At the post-match press briefing, Michael Breen chatted for a bit. Then Liam Cahill. Then Jason Forde. Liam Cahill said his bit and fancied escaping the vacuum of craic that is the GAA press corps and getting in among the yahoo-ing and cheering again of the dressing room. But he wanted to finish like a good Joe Dolan gig – leave ‘em sweating. So he thanked the media gathered there for all the support over the previous twelve months. A little background to the final pay-off line. At one point when things were going very badly for Tipp, the sports editor of the Nenagh Guardian, Shane Brophy, asked him after a match if he was the man to lead Tipperary forward. Cahill didn’t like the question and there was a tense few moments, caught on camera and recycled on social media. Later, he called up Brophy to do a two-hour sitdown interview with him back in February. But he finished up his gratitude; “And it’s great to be back this year,” he said with a thumbs up to a delighted and content Brophy. Liam MacCarthy in the bag a year after Shane Brophy, and perhaps all of Tipperary outside of Cahill’s family and the majority of players – you’ll never keep all of the panel entirely happy – felt this man hadn’t a rashers what he was at. It has to be the sweetest All-Ireland ever. Enough to rot every tooth in your head. “It was about bringing back a bit of identity to our play,” Cahill explained. Advertisement “2024, we just didn’t contest in the jersey the way we should have. I keep saying that and I’m not going to go there after today because for me it’s in the past now. “We started at a very low base, all of us, management, the whole support team, players. And we just started to go game by game, bit by bit, and suddenly these younger players really started to integrate into the more seasoned players. Alan Tynan, Craig Morgan and Conor Stakelum celebrate.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO “Suddenly you had serious options and then the momentum of our under-20s winning the All-Ireland and it starts to take off. I’m just very, very fortunate to be from Tipperary and to have the talented group of players that were there.” He adds, “Look, we’ve arrived now. It’s easy I suppose to be the hunter going after teams and now it’s going to turn to us being the hunted so it’s going to see a different side to management and our prep and our mindset going into next year, which is not for now.” On the way up to Croke Park, a text landed with Cahill from Dan Quirke, father of the late Dillon Quirke, wishing the team of his son, good luck. He responded by saying that Dillon would be on their shoulders this day, regardless of the result. “He should be with us today,” adds Cahill, “but the legacy he’s leaving and the work that he’s doing to save lives across Ireland at the moment through his name and the foundation is just incredible. “And today I never flinched at any stage on the line once he was across my chest, I knew that we would be battling right to the end. I’m just so proud to have had an input into his life for the for the short number of years he was with us.” Perhaps that’s a point that is rarely considered in all of this. For a great number of players on the Tipperary panel, Dillon Quirke was one of their closest friends. When you lose somebody like that in your life, the body keeps the score. It can affect you in many ways. Your appetite for hurling might take a while to return as it used to. But now it’s back. Playing a sweeper in hurling is somehow regarded as being conservative. But used in the right way, it allows teams to play with even more aggression. Cahill is not a backward-step kinda guy. If he was, he might have held Darragh McCarthy on the bench, given his two red cards this season. Instead, the kid hits 1-13 including a penalty in his first All-Ireland final. At just 19. Darragh McCarthy scores his penalty.Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO “That’s the class of the man,” says Cahill. “You know, we produce legendary players like Jason and Eoin Kelly and Callanan and all these. And some of them, they can’t be hanging around forever and you’ll say where are you going to find the next one out? And suddenly up pops McCarthy, 19 years of age – he’s now arrived on the scene. “But from a serious club up there in Toomevara – them fellas up there would eat you alive. So, there was never going to be a case of Darragh’s character being questioned or he doubting himself. “He just loves his hurling. And when you love hurling like that, you get your rewards – and he got his just reward today and I’m really, really happy for him.” Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here Declan Bogue Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'I never flinched at any stage on the line once he was across my chest' - Liam Cahill”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'I never flinched at any stage on the line once he was across my chest' - Liam Cahill”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion absent friends Hurling Final FreeStudents and Teachers St Pat's equal club record win in FAI Cup rout Evan Ferguson in Italy to finalise season-long loan move to Roma 41 mins ago shock and awe Hell's Kitchen is back for the digital age as Tipp produce Guerilla warfare Declan Bogue Reports from Croke Park 52 mins ago big game player 'Andy had a quiet word... I’m not going to lie, I felt the pressure' FreeCroke Park DJ Carey conspicuously absent from Kilkenny jubilee celebration FreeRory McIlroy 'I've gotten everything I wanted out of this week apart from a Claret Jug' FreeReaction Pat Ryan: 'We got blown away, our momentum and energy was terrible in the second half' As it happened Cork v Tipperary, All-Ireland senior hurling final FreePremier Pride Stunning Tipperary surge sees them take down Cork and claim All-Ireland hurling glory Fintan O'Toole Reports from Croke Park Joe McCarthy a doubt for second Test as Lions call up Brown Test Match Animal 'My mother was kayaking on the river, fair play to her' more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account