THE SCRIPT rang out at Croker after Tipperary tore it up against Kilkenny – and hurling’s greatest rivalry delivered another all-time classic.
Oisín O’Donoghue made his SHC debut this summer – but his dream 69th-minute goal fired him into the hall of fame as the Premier reached their first All-Ireland final in six years.
Extra-time loomed large when Martin Keoghan levelled it for the fifth time in the second half and Tipp ace Darragh McCarthy looked on from the stands in floods of tears.
The Toomevara man was convinced he had cost his team after picking up a harsh second yellow for rattling Eoin Murphy’s knuckles in the 58th minute.
The result looked ominous when Cian Kenny’s point gave Kilkenny a 0-28 to 3-17 lead with eight minutes left.
But Tipp never gave in as Forde scored 0-3 on the trot before O’Donoghue landed the killer blow in style.
Stalwart Noel McGrath, 34, thought he turned the screw but after some confusion, the score was not given.
Somehow his team survived a late onslaught to power into the showpiece against the rampant Rebels.
Stopper Rhys Shelly cleared his lines twice before John Donnelly’s 74th-minute bullet was stopped on the line by Robert Doyle.
And the Premier silenced their doubters as first half goals from John McGrath, Darragh McCarthy and Jason Forde set them on their way.
Liam Cahill’s men will play Cork in an All-Ireland SHC final for the first time ever on July 20, and Kilkenny’s wait for glory will stretch to 11 years.
It remains to be seen if TJ Reid will ever grace the hallowed Croke Park turf in black and amber again.
He turns 38 in November, but still starred and led the charge for his team with 0-11.
They have won six Leinster titles in a row and reached seven All-Ireland semis on the bounce, but they will wait for their first Liam MacCarthy since 2015.
This loss will raise more serious questions on Noreside, but this was Tipp’s day – and how quickly things can change.
Boss Cahill faced the same heat when they failed to win a game in the 2024 Munster SHC – and now the ultimate prize is 70 minutes away.
Forde’s relentless work-rate in their firing line was crucial and he scored 1-5.
Conor Stakelum lorded the middle and struck 0-3, while Eoghan Connolly won his battle with Adrian Mullen and outscored him by a point while he was at it.
Tipp were clever with the ball, and their running game shone through as they ensured Cats full-back Huw Lawlor did not lord the skies as he usually does.
Mossy Keoghan struck 0-6 from play, and Jordan Molloy fired 0-4 from midfield but Kilkenny never got a sniff at goal until the frantic finale.
And they could give no more after firing 0-30 in an epic that went to the wire.
Tipp’s inside line of McGrath, McCarthy and Forde fired first half goals to storm four ahead at the break and all of their 3-11 haul came from play.
But it took them a while to find their groove, and McGrath’s 8th minute strike was their first score of the game when Jake Morris’ effort was blocked and the Loughmore-Castleiney man lashed home from the loose ball.
But the Cats took charge and fired 0-5 on the bounce from here to go 0-8 to 1-0 ahead.
Paddy Deegan was keeping Jake Morris quiet, and Kilkenny’s zonal defensive shape worked until it didn’t.
Ronan Maher had a bruising battle with TJ Reid but Kilkenny’s stalwart was still their go-man and fired 0-7 in the first 35 alone.
The Cats went about their business simply, as they pinged diagonal balls across Croker as Reid, Mossy Keoghan, Jordan Molloy and Billy Ryan all pointed into Hill 16.
Ryan’s score was a trademark Cats move when Lawlor lorded above two Tipp attackers to fetch a long ball before the Graigue-Ballycallan man finished it off.
The goals arrived with the rain. Conor Stakelum, Connors and Morris kept Tipp alive before they blew the match wide open with 2-2 in the space of five minutes.
Bryan O’Mara’s ball caused havoc in the Cats defence as Lawlor, Shane Murphy and Eoin Murphy could do nothing about McCarthy’s goal.
Morris’ shot was deflected over by Cats stopper Murphy before John McGrath’s point put Tipp ahead.
Then came Forde’s goal, as Mikey Butler slipped and could only look on in horror.
McCarthy brilliantly read Forde’s run with a perfect hand-pass and the Silvermines man deftly flicked it over Murphy’s head to the net.
It was sublime, and was vital to their four-point half-time cushion as Reid pointed four times for the Cats and Stakelum, Connolly, Morris and McGrath did the same into the Davin end.
CLASSIC CLASH
Tipp’s wide started to let them down badly in a sluggish second half as McCarthy, Connolly, McGrath, and Andrew Ormond all missed before the game set fire in between the rain.
Billy Ryan was lucky to go unpublished when he clattered Stakelum and temperatures rose before Adrian Mullen, Cian Kenny and Reid squared the game at 3-14 to 0-23.
Connolly and Mullen were flashed yellows for grappling and Forde scored the free after Paddy Deegan was booked for clattering McCarthy.
Then, McCarthy was harshly sent off – and as he walked off with his head in his hands, Tipp’s chances looked slim.
But those who remained rose for the cause, buoyed by Alan Tynan, Noel McGrath and O’Donoghue’s legs off the bench.
Shelly pulled down Kenny’s shot before it could go over the bar before Forde’s triple gave Tipp genuine belief – before all their dreams came true.
Carey failed to clear Tynan’s ball and Stakelum did enough to flick it out to Morris.
It broke into O’Donoghue’s path – and he bustled past Butler and David Blanchfield to rifle into the top corner from just inside the 20-metre line.
The Premier held firm, the Cats ran out of lives and another barren All-Ireland summer passes by on the banks of the Nore. Tipp are back – and not even Cahill can deny it now.
KILKENNY 0-30
TIPPERARY 4-20
KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, S Murphy; M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan; C Kenny 0-2, J Molloy 0-4; A Mullen 0-2, J Donnelly 0-1, B Ryan 0-2; M Keoghan 0-6, TJ Reid 0-11, 8f, 1 65, E Cody 0-2.
Subs: D Blanchfield for Murphy HT, S Donnelly for Mullen 66, K Doyle for Kenny 70
TIPPERARY: R Shelly; R Doyle, E Connolly 0-3, M Breen; C Morgan, R Maher, B O’Mara; W Connors, C Stakelum 0-3; J Morris 0-4, A Ormond, S O’Farrell 0-1; D McCarthy 1-2, 2f, J McGrath 1-2, J Forde 1-5, 4f.
Subs: A Tynan for Ormond 30mins (blood); N McGrath for J McGrath 50mins, A Tynan for O’Farrell 53, D Stakelum for Connors 57, O O’Donoghue 1-0 for C Stakelum 63, S Kenneally for Ormond 71
REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford)
