Tipperary overwhelm Galway to book All-Ireland semi-final date with Kilkenny

Stephen Barry reports TUS Gaelic Grounds

TIPPERARY ARE HEADING back to Croke Park for the first time since the 2019 All-Ireland final after a comfortable eight-point victory over Galway.

The Premier will face Kilkenny in that semi-final on Sunday, 6 July. The result in front of 15,404 fans at the Gaelic Grounds also means that giant-killers Dublin will meet Cork the previous evening.

The old and young guards came up trumps for Liam Cahill’s side. On the inside line, Jason Forde and John McGrath shared 10 points, led by Forde’s 0-7. That tally was matched by the roving duo of Jake Morris and Andrew Ormond, who scored 0-5 each.

Teenage talent Oisín O’Donoghue made sure they would avenge their 2023 quarter-final exit against the same opponents with the clinching goal.

Colm Molloy and Declan McLoughlin, in the final play, hit the net for Galway. They were overly reliant on Cathal Mannion’s 13 points.

The Tribesmen tallied 16 wides plus a handful of missed goal chances. Tipp missed the posts with 14 shots.

Micheál Donoghue made three late changes to his named team. Ronan Glennon, Conor Cooney, and Molloy were drafted in, while TJ Brennan, John Fleming, and Tom Monaghan dropped out.

For Tipp, Eoghan Connolly and Morris returned after rests, while Peter McGarry capped his rapid rise with a surprise start.

They won the toss and chose to play with the breeze at their backs. Whereas Galway were reliant on Mannion for nine of their 11 first-half points, all six Tipp forwards were on the scoresheet within 25 minutes.

Forde tallied five points, comprising four from play and a sideline cut. McGrath tacked on three more and assisted two of Forde’s scores.

Vice-captain Morris also shone with 0-3 and was fouled for three scoreable frees. Galway began with an early response to their Leinster final defeat. Mannion split the posts for three of the first five points, including one from play. Tipp responded each time with instant equalisers.

The Premier went on to thread together five points on the spin. Forde scored two of those and laid on McGrath’s first.

Craig Morgan had three assists within 12 minutes, teeing up Morris (twice) and Ormond. Centre-forward Ormond also had a sight of goal. Back from suspension, Darach Fahy advanced to save with his leg.

Trailing 0-7 to 0-3, Galway kept in touch with points from play via Conor Whelan, Mannion, and Conor Cooney. The Tribesmen looked like slicing through a couple of times, but the ball didn’t go to hand. Brian Concannon fired high and wide with a snapshot.

Tipp’s scramble defence also came up trumps with Bryan O’Mara and Robert Doyle blocking point attempts. Ronan Maher held up Whelan’s run on goal at the cost of a free. Their biggest advantage was seven, 0-15 to 0-8, on the half-hour.

Mannion finished the second half as he started it, with three of the final four points. They could’ve had a goal in the closing stages, too. Kevin Cooney was forced to shoot early, and Rhys Shelly dived to turn the sliotar around the post.

They trailed 0-16 to 0-11 at half-time, but got their goal within five minutes of the restart. Conor Cooney swooped onto a loose pass and fed Molloy out wide. Doyle slipped and the Kilnadeema-Leitrim attacker took full advantage, racing in for a low finish to the far corner.

The gap was two, but Galway didn’t score again for the next 12 minutes. They tallied seven wides in the third quarter.

In the meantime, Tipp scrubbed the goal with six consecutive points. Ormond accounted for two and won a free for McCarthy. Forde slotted his second sideline.

They almost capped it with a goal, but Fahy denied Morris and Darragh Stakelum’s rebound. Tom Monaghan broke the spell, only for Tipp to find the net in the 59th minute.

Noel McGrath fed the sliotar to O’Donoghue, who wrongfooted the keeper for his second championship goal. When Galway tried the same short free routine that led to a

Concannon goal in the Leinster final, the forward was too close to the free-taker. Mannion went for goal from another free, which Shelly saved, and Connolly got in the way of a Concannon strike.

Declan McLoughlin had three late efforts. Doyle blocked one, the next flew wide, but the final one evaded Shelly’s grasp to find the net.

Scorers for Tipperary: Jason Forde 0-7 (2s/l, 1f), Jake Morris 0-5, Andrew Ormond 0-5, Oisín O’Donoghue 1-0, Darragh McCarthy 0-3 (3f), John McGrath 0-3, Darragh Stakelum 0-2, Willie Connors 0-1, Sam O’Farrell 0-1, Noel McGrath 0-1.

Scorers for Galway: Cathal Mannion 0-13 (8f, 3 65s), Colm Molloy 1-0, Declan McLoughlin 1-0, Tom Monaghan 0-2, Conor Whelan 0-1, C Cooney 0-1.

Tipperary

1. Rhys Shelly (Moycarkey-Borris)

4. Michael Breen (Ballina), 2. Robert Doyle (Clonoulty-Rossmore), 7. Bryan O’Mara (Holycross-Ballycahill)

5. Craig Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs), 3. Eoghan Connolly (Cashel King Cormacs), 6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, captain)

8. Willie Connors (Kiladangan), 9. Peter McGarry (St Mary’s)

10. Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg), 11. Andrew Ormond (JK Brackens), 12. Sam O’Farrell (Nenagh Éire Óg)

13. Darragh McCarthy (Toomevara), 14. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney), 15. Jason Forde (Silvermines)

Subs

• 25. Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for McGarry (h-t)
• 21. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney) for J McGrath (48)
• 22. Oisín O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs) for McCarthy (52)
• 24. Conor Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields) for O’Farrell (59)
• 19. Séamus Kennedy (St Mary’s) for Connors (66)

Galway

1. Darach Fahy (Ardrahan)

2. Pádraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 3. Daithí Burke (Turloughmore), 4. Darren Morrissey (Sarsfields)

8. Seán Linnane (Turloughmore), 6. Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), 5. Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan) 9. David Burke (St Thomas’), 19. Ronan Glennon (Mullagh)

13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara, captain), 21. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’), 14. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)

11. Cathal Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh), 26. Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema-Leitrim), 15. Kevin Cooney (Sarsfields)

Subs

• 7. TJ Brennan (Clarinbridge) for Linnane (h-t)
• 12. T Monaghan (Craughwell) for David Burke (50)
• 24. Declan McLoughlin (Portumna) for C Cooney (51)
• 22. Tiernan Killeen (Loughrea) for K Cooney (58)
• 20. Rory Burke (Oranmore-Maree) for Glennon (66)

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin)

• Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here