Tipperary - The Serbia of Hurling
Tipp fans who pine back for their glory days are in danger of filling the role
previously occupied in the collective consciousness by Zivko Jaksic of the Serbian Information Bureau in Rathfarnham, a frequent
contributor to the letters page of the Irish Times.
The Serbs pine for the good old days before the battle of the Field of the Crows when the Turks put them back in their box. They
get up the gander of all decent democrats with their foul means of going back to the good old days. They endlessly recount tales of
past glory to peasant farmers and have an innate sense of greatness not validated by their recent achievements. They are despised
by Croats, Slovenes, Germany, Hungarians and Austrians alike.
Tipperary isn't as mountainous but the Serb parallels are striking. The good old days ended in 1971 by the infidels from
Wexford, then later the golden hordes of Galway, Offaly and Clare came sweeping in from Anatolia. Of course these infidels
didn't know how to play hurling and they were never as good as the royal house of Tipp. Tipp fans piss the rest of us all off by
recounting the halcyon days when hurling was only half-dressed without them. The country and hurling have thankfully moved on
since. It is now socially accptable to have a meal in Ireland without potatoes although Christy Ring would probably have baulked at
the thought. Hurling is fine without Tipp winning an all-Ireland every 5 years, thanks very much. And where the Serbs are hated by
their neighbours, so too do Tipp have a special place in the affections of Galway, Clare, Waterford , Laois and Offaly.
A generation has now matured rather well since 1971 and despite Tipp only winning 2 all-Irelands in the last 25 years the sky
hasn't fallen down. The glory days of Tipp are very rosy but they won't be coming back any time soon. Cavan is another one of
those counties that used to win a lot. There's one in every province . Come on the Banner/the Deise/ the Phelim Murphy allstars.
Anyone but Tipp.