Tynan opts for hurlers after tug of love

By Shane Brophy

Alan Tynan has joined up with the Tipperary senior hurling training panel after initially accepting a call-up from the senior footballers.

Tipperary football manager David Power has confirmed that as recently as last Thursday, the former underage dual star, who was released from the Munster Rugby Academy last year, had agreed to join the senior football set-up, only for Tynan to inform him over the weekend that he had, in the meantime, received an approach from Liam Sheedy to join the senior hurlers, and would be joining them instead.

Power admitted his disappointment over the Roscrea/Inane Rovers clubmans decision but added that the door remains open if the hurling panel is trimmed in advance of the National League, with particular attention on both John Meagher and Paul Maher who previously played senior football with Tipperary.

The inclusion of Tynan in the senior hurling training panel suggests that manager Liam Sheedy is looking to add greater physical strength to the forward division and the Roscrea native certainly brings that after four years with Munster Rugby where he played a number of times at ‘A’ level but never played for the first team. Tynan, who won a Leinster Schools Cup with Cistercian College in 2015, also played for Ireland at the Under 20 World Cup in 2017 in Georgia.

Alan Tynan played for Roscrea in the 2020 county senior hurling championship, scoring 2-4 from play in four matches, with the two goals coming in the relegation semi-final win over Eire Og Annacarty, while he was impressive in scoring three points from play off limited ball in the defeat to Kiladangan, a game watched by Liam Sheedy in Cloughjordan.

That Tynan has been included in the senior hurling training panel over a player like Conor Bowe, who has accepted an invite into the senior football squad, suggests the hurling management are looking for ready-made strength in the shape of Tynan rather than the potential of Bowe.

Tynan’s return is a major boost to the GAA in the county as he was one of its rising stars when part of both the minor hurlers and footballers that reached the All-Ireland Finals in 2015, losing to Galway and Kerry respectively, with Tynan scoring in both matches.

Football squad additions

Tynan’s change of heart means there will be just eight new faces added to the senior football squad as they look to build on last year’s Munster Championship success.

Conor Bowe is a quality footballer in his own right and was to the fore in Moyne-Templetuohy’s first year back at senior level, and is joined on the panel by clubmate Tom Meade. Conor O’Sullivan becomes the latest member of the 2011 minor winning team to join the football squad and is joined by Galtee Rovers clubmate Shane Ryan, while Grangemockler/Ballyneale’s Mark O’Meara and Moyle Rovers Stephen Quirke, a dual colleague of Alan Tynan in 2015, are also included.

There are recalls for Clonmel Commercials Liam Ryan and Golden Kilfeacle’s Shane O’Connell, the latter having opted off last year after an injury ravaged 2019 season.

On top of Colin O’Riordan’s return to Australia, there are no retirements expected.