Tipperary are Masters of Galway in Hurling opener

Master’s hurling returned in 2024 on Sunday as Tipperary lined up with a lot of familiar names and secured a fine victory in a keenly contested championship opener with Galway.

GAA: Gaelic Masters Association All-Ireland Hurling Championship Round 1

Galway 0-18

Tipperary 1-23

Report: Michael McCarthy in Killimor

Galway registered the first score from a free just thirty seconds in through captain David McDonough. A minute later, Tom Costello, who won an All-Ireland medal at corner back over Galway in 2001, set the tone with a fair but crunching tackle that had the Galway man needing treatment and gasping for air.

Tipp responded and a long delivery from Tom King into the full forward line saw John Devane pull one-handed to the net and Tipp were up and running.

Willie Mulraney managed a raking score for the westerners, as he roared ‘Up Galway,’ from deep. Eoin Brislane, who turned out to be a revelation in the goal for Tipp, arrowed a puckout to the lively Lar Corbett in midfield and he made no mistake.

Three quick Galway scores had them back in front before John Devane got a point following clever work from Paddy Julian. A couple of exchanges with Eoin Kelly were a joy to behold showing class is permanent. A delightful move in the tenth minute that started with Costello feeding Benny Dunne whose pinpoint pass was picked up by Kelly who in turn fed Corbett for the best point of the game.

Conor O’Mahony came to centre back in a switch with Paul Curran, he thundered into the game and along with wing-backs Benny Dunne and Tom King Tipp had a great platform. Fr. Vinny Stapleton was picking up a world of ball around the middle and used it intelligently and scoring a good point to boot.

Tipp rang the changes in the roll-on roll-off system to freshen things up and it paid immediate dividends with brothers Paddy & John O’Brien and Tommy Connors getting on the scoresheet. Noel ‘Rusty’ Qualter was on for Galway and grabbed his first of four points.

The remaining ten minutes of the half belonged to Tipp and five unanswered points set them up well going in at the break seven to the good, 1-15 to 0-11.

Galway needed a quick start on the turnaround, but it was John O’Brien who extended Tipp’s lead. The westerners woke up and Fergal Healy came more into the game. Tipp would fail to score for the next fifteen minutes as Galway scored five unanswered through Healy, Qualter and a brace of David McDonough frees.

The game was finely poised but with the pressure on, up stepped Eoin Kelly who hit three of the next four points for Tipp. In an inspired move the Tipp Bainisteoir Ger ‘Redser’ brought himself on and struck for a point immediately.

Galway were searching for goals but the Tipp full-back line of Tom Costello, Paul Curran and the impressive Matthew Stapleton held firm. A McDonogh free- and long-range point from Martin Kelly was all they could muster in the last ten minutes. A second O’Grady point and an Eoin Kelly free rounded out the scoring as Tipp won by eight.

Tipperary travel to Kildare next Saturday for round 2 in Clane at 2.30pm.

Galway: Liam Donoghue; Darragh Mac Con Iomaire, Ian Daniels, Paul Parker; Willie Mulraney (0-2), Declan McEvoy, Sean King; Martin McGrath, Martin Kelly (0-1); Colm Connaughton, Emmet Caulfield, Fergal Healy (0-4, 2f); Cyril Murray, Ciaran Rafferty, David McDonough (0-5f).

Subs used: Declan Molloy; Joe Kennedy; Noel Qualter (0-4); Dermot Dunne (0-1); Seamus Kyne; Francis Larkin; Patrick Carr; Damien O’Brien; Kevin Callanan; Mark Folan (0-1).

Tipperary: Eoin Brislane (Toomevara, 0-1f); Tom Costello (Cappawhite), Conor O’Mahony (Newport), Matthew Stapleton (Borris-Ileigh); Benny Dunne (Toomevara, 0-1), Paul Curran (CJ Kickhams, Mullinahone), Tom King (Loughmore/Castleiney); Lar Corbett (Thurles Sarsfields, 0-3), Vinny Stapleton (Borris-Ileigh, 0-2); Sean Quirke (Silvermines), Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone, 0-7, 5f), Shane Stapleton (Golden Kilfeacle); Nigel Kenny (Gortnahoe/Glengoole), John Devane (Clonoulty/Rossmore, 1-1), Paddy Julian (Cappawhite).

Subs used: John O’Brien (Toomevara, 0-2); Paddy O’Brien (Toomevara, 0-2); Tommy Connors (Kiladangan, 0-2); Paul Kelly (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone); Brian Darcy (Nenagh Éire Óg); Paul McGrath (Toomevara); Ger ‘Redser’ O’Grady (Thurles Sarsfields, 0-2).

Referee: Joe Mullins (Limerick).