Tipperary’s Brendan Maher is determined to make up for last year’s disappointing loss to Kilkenny in the All-Ireland SHC final when the teams meet again on Sunday.
Tipp were denied by two late goals in 2009 just as it looked like they would deny Kilkenny their four-in-a-row of titles - in so becoming only the second county to do so after Cork.
A Henry Shefflin penalty and Martin Comerford goal put paid to Tipp’s hopes of a first Liam McCarthy Cup since 2001 and but for that and the brilliance of Cats goalkeeper PJ Ryan things could have gone the way of the Premier County.
However, Maher revealed the lift the players got on their home coming from the Tipperary people.
Speaking in the Examiner about that final, 21-year-old Maher said: ‘Directly after the game we were distraught but the reception we got the day afterwards in Thurles just showed how much the people of Tipperary were behind us – proud, to be honest.
‘Still no All-Ireland medal in the pocket though and that’s what we’re looking for this year. We know if we can perform we can win. So we’re looking for a performance.’
