Tipperary captain Eoin Kelly referenced the long journey his side had made as he collected the Liam McCarthy Cup on Sunday.
The Premier County pulled off a stunning 4-17 to 1-18 All-Ireland SHC final win over Kilkenny at Croke Park on Sunday to bury the Cats’ dreams of five-in-a-row and win a 26th All-Ireland for Tipp, after they had come so close to beating the same opposition in the same fixture a year earlier.
Kelly was his reliable self from frees as he hit 0-7 on the day, a good bit short of his 0-13 in last year’s final, but that was not needed as Lar Corbett plundered a hat-trick of goals and Noel McGrath also netted on a famous day for the men in blue and gold, and a great one for hurling.
Kelly used his acceptance speech to pay tribute to the entire Tipp panel, and of course to manager Liam Sheedy, who took up the county reigns for 2008 as things looked to be going downhill after an All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Wexford the previous campaign.
Since then they have progressed each year with two Munster titles, a semi-final appearance in 2008, the runners-up spot in 2009 and now, at last, the glory of the title of All-Ireland champions.
“It’s a great honour for me as a Tipperary man to accept the Liam McCarthy Cup on behalf of a massive, excellent Tipperary squad and the people of Tipperary,” the industrious Mullinahone forward said as he collected the prize.
“It’s been a long journey, starting not this year but back as far as 2008 when this squad came together.
“I’d like to think we formed our own identity. Our characters and our personalities came through, not only today but in the past three years. This Tipperary squad was made up of massive honesty in the past three years.
“2009 is dead and buried. 2010 is truly alive!”
On Sheedy, whose faith in the side and pride in their achievements cannot be questioned, Kelly added a glowing tribute, saying: “Professionalism, honesty, organisation – what can any of us say?
“He came in when this ship was sinking, but by God is this ship sailing today, all the way from Portroe, our Messiah, our leader Liam Sheedy.”
Finally, the winning captain paid tribute to the defeated Kilkenny, a side who have won the last four All-Irelands and who will be considered the best of all time for a long time to come, despite their eight-point deficit on Sunday, one suffered with Henry Shefflin withdrawing injured in the first quarter of an hour.
Kelly said: “It would not be right to leave here today without paying compliment to definitely one of the best teams - not only in hurling but in any sport -that we have seen in this generation.
“To the Kilkenny team, you are humble guys on the field, you are humble guys off the field and what you have achieved in the last four years, from your management, from your county board and most of all from yourselves is exceptional.”