Cork's goal-getters couldn’t be stopped as the Rebels strolled to their first Allianz Hurling League title since 1998 and first national trophy in 20 years in front of a sold-out 43,243 crowd.
Pat Ryan’s free-scoring side took their running total to 13 goals in their last three games with Alan Connolly, Darragh Fitzgibbon, and Ethan Twomey finding the net.
They will hope to carry the feel-good factor into their Munster Championship opener away to Clare in a fortnight, while Tipp must pick themselves up from this 10-point defeat to host Limerick, also on Easter Sunday.
In a pre-match boost, Brian Hayes was deemed fit to line out despite his injury scare against Galway.
Pat Ryan made four changes with starts for Eoin Downey, Cormac O'Brien, Diarmuid Healy, and Connolly. Liam Cahill opted for three changes, welcoming Alan Tynan back from suspension and Sam O’Farrell and Darragh McCarthy from U20 duty.
A lively opening was level four times in the first 20 minutes. Jason Forde equalised twice, including a brilliant acute score, before O’Farrell gave Tipp their only lead at 0-05 to 0-04.
Connolly got the first sniff of goal but was forced wide and flicked over to restore the Rebel advantage.
Tipp didn’t have the same inside threat. Forde hit the side-netting when knocked onto his knees and playing with advantage. When Jake Morris became the sixth Tipp forward to register, it was 0-08 a piece.
Cork blew them away with a 1-04 burst in the next four minutes. Tim O’Mahony scored one and then assisted the goal for the sidestepping Connolly to bamboozle the Tipp defence. It was his first inter-county goal since his hat-trick against the same opposition last May.
Darragh Stakelum was called on to replace Willie Connors and scored a quick brace.
But Cork were feasting on Tipp’s long puck-outs and found their second goal in the 27th minute from that route. Hayes juggled the sliotar out of a ruck and released man of the match Fitzgibbon for a low finish to make it 2-13 to 0-10.
It got even better on the halfway mark. When Tipp tried to work a short restart, Cork forced the ball to the turf and Healy fed Twomey to squeeze a rocket inside the far post, bringing the midfielder’s total to 1-02.
O’Mahony’s point made it a 13-point lead, 3-16 to 0-12, at half-time.
When the DJ played 'Just Can’t Get Enough’ by Depeche Mode on the whistle, it just about summed up the jubilant mood.
The second half was played at a much lower tempo. O’Farrell got a run at goal from the throw-in but O’Brien was alert to hook his effort.
Half-time substitute Seán Kenneally got on the scoresheet but the wide count (9-2 to Cork at the interval) began to swing in the other direction with some sloppy Tipp shooting.
When Hayes scored, all of Cork’s starting forwards and midfielders had raised a flag.
Tipp outscored Cork by 0-11 to 0-08 in the second half with Andrew Ormond their third sub to score.
But the hosts fought to protect their clean sheet with Craig Morgan and Forde shots blocked by Eoin Downey and Collins for 65s and the result never looked in doubt.
The sides will meet again here in Munster on 27 April.
Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce (0-01), R Downey, C O’Brien; T O’Mahony (0-02), E Twomey (1-02); S Barrett (0-02), D Fitzgibbon (1-04), D Healy (0-02); P Horgan (0-07, 5f), A Connolly (1-02), B Hayes (0-01).
Subs: S Harnedy for Healy (48), M Coleman for O’Brien (51), D Dalton for Hayes (52), T O’Connell (0-01) for Twomey (56), L Meade for Fitzgibbon (57-f-t, temp), S Kingston for Barrett (66).
Tipperary: B Hogan; M Breen, E Connolly, R Doyle; J Caesar, R Maher, B O’Mara; C Morgan, W Connors; S O’Farrell (0-02), A Tynan (0-01), G O’Connor (0-01); D McCarthy (0-04, 4f), J Forde (0-07, 2 65, 1f), J Morris (0-03).
Subs: D Stakelum (0-02) for Connors (23), S Kenneally (0-02) for Caesar (h-t), D Walsh for O’Connor (44), A Ormond (0-01) for McCarthy (46), S Kennedy for Tynan (57).
Referee: S Stack (Dublin)
