Tipp injuries mount as they get set to honour Dillon

By Shane Brophy

Tipperary’s bright start to the National Hurling League is threatening to be undermined by a growing injury list, added to in Sunday’s LONG overdue win over Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park.

With Craig Morgan and Barry Heffernan still recuperating from cruciate knee injuries from last summer, there are concerns that Paddy Cadell could have sustained a similar injury which forced him to go off after just four minutes of Sunday’s game.

The JK Brackens midfielder looked like he had taken an innocuous shoulder but crumpled to the ground in obvious pain holding his left knee with manager Liam Cahill saying: “Paddy is a player who wouldn’t be coming off that easily, unless it was something fairly severe.”

Cadell underwent a scan on Tuesday with no outcome at the time of going to press, as did Cathal Barrett on a shoulder injury sustained in a collision with teammate Ronan Maher after just eleven minutes.

With goalkeeper Rhys Shelly crying off before the game through injury (defender Gavin Ryan was the sub-keeper but played underage for Tipp between the posts) and Conor Stakelum and Brian McGrath sustaining hamstring injuries in the first-round win over Laois, it has been far from a smooth start for Liam Cahill in terms of player availability.

“Our medics are going to be fairly busy this week,” Cahill said.

“It is tough going on players. Hopefully things will sort themselves out and we’ll get the players back on the field.”

It’s a busy time for the players, particularly those still in third level action with Bryan O’Mara (late sub) and Gearoid O’Connor both rested for the Kilkenny game, as they, along with Shelly, have a Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final for UL later this week.

DILLON QUIRKE GAME

For the rest of the Tipperary panel, while there is no National League game next weekend, they do have a big game as they come face to face with Kilkenny once again, this time in FBD Semple Stadium where they will honour former teammate Dillon Quirke (inset) and, in the process, raise money for the Foundation set-up in his name.

“It will bring on a different array of emotions, admitted Liam Cahill who worked with Dillon at minor and under 21 level.

“It’s one that’s very close to us, very important.”

The game throws-in at 2.00pm with tickets, €20, available to purchase online on the Tipperary GAA website. There is also an option to purchase a non-attendance ticket if you cannot attend, however, the game will also be live-streamed at a cost of €20, with all funds raised going to the Dillon Quirke Foundation which aims to screen all GAA players from the age of twelve for Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) which tragically claimed the life of the Clonoulty/Rossmore clubman last August.