Craig Morgan's All-Ireland Final Diary: This is for you, Dillon
KINGS AGAIN: Tipperary's Craig Morgan at Nenagh Castle this week. Picture: Eamon Ward
I think of Dillon every day. I see his smile. I can hear his voice.
The poem by Seanie Nally, that was read by Dillon’s sister Shannon at his funeral, is the screensaver on my phone. He pops into my head whenever I go training. Each time I walk into Semple Stadium, it reminds me what happened that night in Thurles when Kilruane played Clonoulty.
Dillon died with his boots on playing for his club in Semple Stadium, and he'll never ever be forgotten for what he's done for us, for his teammates, for Tipperary. For what he’ll continue to do through his foundation.
I made my championship debut with Dillon in 2022 down in Waterford. I was number four, he was five, and we sat beside each other. Making our way out that small little tunnel in Walsh Park, he hit me a belt down on top of the shoulder. “Here we go now, Morgan.”
Myself, Conor Stakelum, Jake Morris and Brian McGrath get to the Quirkes' home house around 4pm before training. These few weeks have been tough for them, with Dillon not here physically.
He is with us. He is at our shoulders. We just wanted to say that to them again, basically. Have a chat. Keep them as involved as much as possible.
We brought one of the foundation bibs from the Kilkenny game. All the boys signed the one I wore. And we brought it down to the graveyard and laid it on top of the grave. Just so Dillon was togged out over the weekend.
Dan and Hazel were happy to see us. I think they enjoy how Dillon lives on in all our different memories of him, in the different ways he touched us all. Their strength is inspiring. Dan texted later, saying how much they appreciate that we stay in contact.
I don't know if it is a coincidence that I was given the five jersey this year, but it's a huge privilege. Dan said to me this afternoon that I'm wearing the number five with honour. That was a huge thing to hear.
After Kilkenny, we trained on the Wednesday. That’s when Liam gave us the plan. There was no big fuss about it. We trust him completely.
We used it then in the in-house game on the Saturday. Now that didn’t go to plan. We lost the match. That’s not unusual in itself. There's never much in those games. There's 40 lads on the panel and any one of them could play. I know it’s what people say, but it’s genuine. It’s hugely competitive, has to be.
But we struggled for a good while that Saturday to get to grips with playing the sweeper and they had us under pressure. We were playing our usual ball into the forwards, muscle memory, kind of forgetting they had a plus-one, because we had one. Stuff was breaking down. Gradually, over the hour, we got better at working it up to the 65 and then getting it over the spare man. That session worked great because at least we knew exactly what we couldn’t do in Croke Park.
So training Friday is much the same as any other Friday. Weather good again so we puck around for 20 minutes beforehand. We've been doing that all year. Meeting around 6:20pm. Team named and the essentials of the gameplan gone over again.
Funny, it is probably one of the shortest meetings of the year. We look again at a few ways we can benefit from how Cork play. But the management mainly just reinforce how much they believe in us.
David Herrity has been brilliant with how we approach games. He just looks at the game, at everything really, from another angle. He’s great too on the basics of hurling. From when we started back training last year, he’s been drilling our basics. Small things. Stuff like tapping the ball down for another fella, hand passing off the other hand, blocking, tackling. He’s got me thinking of how I can improve my game in different ways than I would have looked at before.
Everybody goes home knowing exactly what’s expected of them. Full clarity on your job.
I'm not the type who gets nervous but, before the semi-final and final, there’s a different feeling. Hard to describe. Maybe you’re that little bit extra aware of yourself, your body. You are where you've dreamed of being for so long, and you just want to be right. Am I 100%? You're always looking after yourself, but maybe you pay a small bit more attention to getting the right food in, the right water. Every small thing you can do to nail it.
After training, a haircut. A young guy from Kilruane, Eoin Carroll, is going on holidays Saturday morning so I call out to his place and he cuts it around half nine.
Treat it the same as every Saturday. That means breakfast with the club lads. Kilruane train at nine so I meet the boys after around half 10. The Village Cafe in Cloughjordan for pancakes and orange juice. Get my carbs in.
It's important to stay connected with the boys too because it’s hard to get around to club training with so much on.
There’s no Tipp stuff at all today. Complete switch off. Don’t play the match Saturday. Don’t burn up energy thinking about it.
Our performance coach Cathal Sheridan is big on that. When you're training, you're training, when you're not, you're not.
Cathal is brilliant. He’s more of a friend than anything, by now. He’s so approachable and genuine and humble. I met him for a coffee Friday before I went to the Quirkes. For 45 minutes I’d say we spoke about hurling for five. Talked about the Lions, my family, his family, whatever road the conversation took.
He just simplifies things for you. Grounds you back to how you got here, reminds you how much of a privilege it is.
He often says to us, make the younger version of yourself proud. Spin the clock back to when you were 10 or 11, whatever. That’s easy for me to do, teaching in Kilruane, meeting the kids every day. There's so much excitement about Tipp. They can barely believe sometimes that their teacher is playing for Tipperary. You’re trying to teach them maths and a fella will stick up his hand and say, ‘where are you gonna be playing at the weekend?’ And it’s like, yeah, we might come back to that at break time.
Everybody knows we've had a tough couple of years. We’ve been at the lowest of lows. Cathal has been there with us through those years. We’ve played games where we've got beaten by 15 points and been devastated, and we've looked at how and why it happened.
We were honest with each other. We’ve met just as players, with Cathal, to talk it through, why certain things happened, how we felt at certain points in a match. I think the way we handled those lows has made us rock solid now.
The management always say to us, hurl with instinct, and that you're going to make mistakes. People think sometimes you go out and play a flawless game, but it doesn't work like that with the fastest field sport in the world.
Cathal always says to play the moment in front of your face, play what’s six inches in front of your face. It’s something we've been practising for a long time.
In the Kilkenny game, personally anyway, I never felt we were going to lose it. Just full belief. Even when Darragh got sent off, I remember turning to the other five backs. Bryan, Eoghan, Robert, Ronan and Mikey. And everyone was the same, just pointing to our heads, we're still in the game. We actually kicked into another gear after that. Years of practice coming into play. That deepened our confidence for the final.
Over to the church in Cloughjordan. I usually light a candle for Dillon. First I go down to a few graves. Oisín Williams, a young lad from Kilruane who died a few years ago. My cousin Mark Gibson. My granny and granddad, Billy Gibson and Kitty. My granduncle Tom Cleary, a great hurling man whose advice I always valued. A short prayer and a request for any small advantages the next day.
I sit in the church for 15 minutes, just pure silence. Peaceful.
Back home, the golf is on. I live near Nenagh with two Kilruane lads. Cian Darcy and Eoin Hogan. But I always head to the home house Saturday before a match.
My mother Bríd is there. My brother Aaron is back from Boston. We call over to my uncle Brendan for a while. Then back to Mam and Dad’s. My auntie Catherine and uncle Liam call.
They are all watching Up for the Match, and having a right laugh. I watch the first 15 minutes and realise I have a bit more eating to do.
It’s routine now. I nearly know exactly how much to take in. Two or three slices of banana bread and a cup of tea to top me up. But I catch Joe Hayes first alright, and his Turkey teeth. What a character.
Slept like a log. Sleep is never a problem. Up at eight, half-eight. We leave Nenagh at 10.10am. The north Tipp lads park up in the Abbey Court and get a minibus, meet the bus at Midway in Portlaoise.
Garda escort from there. But we actually miss a lot of the traffic because everyone had gone so early.
Same seats as always. In beside Barry Hogan. Conor Stakelum and Brian McGrath across from me. Ronan Maher behind.
I don’t think anyone is superstitious about those things. It wouldn’t bother me if someone else sat in. But routine is good too.
The Louis Fitzgerald for the meal, quick meeting, back on the bus. We’ve to get to Croke Park a bit earlier, because the build-up is longer.
When we park up outside and walk into the stadium, the roars from the Tipp crowd make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. There’s this big Tipp flag flowing down over the entrance. And you just have this feeling of everyone being behind you. And you kind of sense that no matter what way the match goes, everyone will still have your back afterwards, which is a great feeling.
I heard after the Kilkenny game, the bus stopped outside, rather than drive in, because it was too big, down to the air conditioning units on top. Or was it just another genius plan from Liam? You wouldn’t put it past him.
Dressing rooms around quarter past two. Over to where my jersey is hanging. As usual, Seamie Butler and John Durnin, our kit men, have a photograph of Dillon placed behind it. The one with the red helmet and the hurley up in the air.
I stack my few bits, Lucozade and my carbohydrate gels and caffeine gels and electrolyte tablets, then out onto the pitch.
You just try and take in the atmosphere, get yourself prepared. Get a grasp of where I am going to be, get a grip of how far the goals are away and how wide the pitch is. Visualise good things happening. If something goes wrong, how I'm going to react. Back in then. Gear on and down for some activation with Angelo Walsh.
Management say their bit. Ronan and Liam talk. Not really anything big. A quick message about everything we've done. One key message. That we deserve to be here. That we have earned the right to be here.
And then we’re back out.
Here we go now, Morgan.
I look up at the clock with 22 minutes gone and can’t believe how fast the match is going. The half’s a blur. Ronan has been extraordinary. That’s my sense anyway. The leader he is. Coming out of the sky. Snap. Back up the field. Jake catches one really sweet ball. Makes everyone gasp nearly. Eoghan Connolly is bursting on. Robert Doyle is tearing at everything. Rhys is so chilled in the goals. John and Jason and Darragh are on the ball. It’s not all slick maybe, but we’re in this. It’s going well. We’re hurling well. Everybody adds something when it is needed. The lads are showing their character. It’s a collective performance.
The goal. I’m in the vicinity but can’t get close enough. We’re caught by an overlap maybe with Robert Downey driving on. Two quick passes and Barrett is in. Good finish.
People have said since it was the perfect time to score. Honestly, it didn’t enter the mind at all. You're just thinking, right, here we go, reset again. We understand that teams are going to score goals. Cork are going to score goals. They got seven in the semi-final. Just go again.
I am late to the bit of debate around the tunnel area. Just landed at the end of it. There isn’t much. A few shoulders and we go our separate ways. There is so much at stake and adrenaline is through the roof. You're trying not to give an inch away. There's no harm in it.
We just come in and sit down. Liam comes in smiling. Six points down but there is no panic, no stress. There’s a minute for ourselves, to get composed. Then into our groups, backs, midfielders, forwards and we just speak about how we can improve. Our execution can be better. I think we had eight wides, but even in our play we aren’t executing the way we wanted to. Small things, delivery to the forwards, end product.
Structurally we are happy. The system is good. Liam tweaks it a little. I’m going sweeper, with Bryan marking. But the plan stays the same. We had different plans ready to go. But we think Plan A is going well. Plan B can wait. The management trust us.
You draw strength from different things. Forcing the draw against Limerick. Four lads still fighting to the bitter end to surround Will O’Donoghue. And Ennis was massive for us, the biggest game we've played since Liam came in. When they came back to level it, and the Clare crowd were roaring, we just found another level that day when we needed people to stand up. And the impact from our subs was unbelievable, as it has been all year. I'll never forget the atmosphere. For a small stadium, the noise from the Tipp crowd was incredible. It kickstarted something that day. Now we have to finish it.
It’s the most beautiful feeling when it clicks. Just feeding off each other. From Rhys the whole way up to Jason. Shelly pucking laser passes 45, 65 yards, into lads’ hands. Handpass, handpass, over the bar. Everyone showing pure bravery on the ball and just working up through the lines. What a time to be in your flow, an All-Ireland final when there is so much at stake. It's hard to describe but you just feel free, like you were 12 years of age at home pucking with your brother outside, just hurling off the cuff.
BANG. I don't really know what happened. Just jumped up for a ball, and the two calves completely locked. I think the boots were a factor. I had been mulling what to wear all week with the father. Everyone says it's hard to get the boots right in Croke Park. It’s a different surface. And it’s only my second time there.
The day of the Kilkenny game, it was wetter, so I had the metal studs. The forecast was bad again so I wore the same. I think it came against me.
Why now, of all times? The physio Paddy O'Brien and doc Brendan Murphy were into me. What’s wrong? I managed to keep going for 10 minutes. As the sweeper I could just cover off space. Think I even got on a couple of balls. But you’re wondering what’s best for the team too.
Bryan O’Mara pulled the hamstring as well and had to go off, and I followed a few minutes afterwards. It was the right call. The subs will drive it on.
Sit down beside Brian McGrath, Darragh Stakelum, Johnny Ryan, Andy Ormond. It’s looking good, but we can't get carried away. You just don't want to jinx it. You’re half afraid to smile in case the cameras are on you.
Cork hit the crossbar and the post a few times. You need those things to go your way too. And I think we deserve the rub the way things have gone the last couple of years.
We kind of relax after John’s second goal. A flash of genius. Noel’s point then, the perfect ending. Like a script. What great lads.
The brilliant thing is time slows down. I remember everything clearly. Every detail of the best feeling I’ve had in my life so far. Hugs. Running towards the backs. Meeting Ronan first. Then Alan Tynan and Michael Breen. You're trying to meet all of them, because you want to share the moment with everybody. Meeting Mikey Bevans and Liam in the middle of the field, and David Herity.
My dad and mother and brother in the Hogan Stand. A moment I have dreamed of. How emotional they are. They are involved as much as you are. I remember coming home from matches last year to the home place, just talking it through. Mam great to keep me motivated and keep me going, always able to find some positive.
My father Christy. A hundred people could tell me I played well. But if he said I didn't… he would be the fella I’d go off. He’s trained me since under-six, the whole way up. Won under-12 county finals, under-14, under-16. A coach when we won the county final in 2022. Just a huge impact on my hurling life. On my life.
Having Aaron home for the final was such a boost. He’s played such a huge role too in my life. I’ll cherish those words under the Hogan.
Everything is worthwhile. The sacrifices. Missing important things, weddings, stag dos, All worth it.
When Ronan is giving his perfect speech, I see Paudie Maher up on the top tier, with his hands in the air, one of the greatest servants of Tipperary hurling ever. I meet him later and he tells me how unbelievable it was. You take everything that man says on board.
Myself and Michael Breen are talking to Marty for the Six One news with the cup when Seamie Butler comes running out, ushering us back into the dressing room. When the cup comes in then, it’s chaos. Pink Pony Club is pumping. And then a song that probably sums up our journey, Rocky Road to Dublin.
The meal in Croke Park, a pint or two.
A lot of people have asked, can you have sympathy for the Cork lads. Of course you do. I know some of them. My first cousin Lisa got married to Conor Lehane last December so I was at their wedding. Lots of the Cork lads were there. I met Conor on the pitch and just offered condolences. I know Darragh Fitz well from college. Seamus Harnedy’s a lovely man I’ve met a few times. I can only imagine how they're feeling. We’ve been on the other end, though thankfully not in an All-Ireland final. We’re ecstatic and it's brilliant, but there’s a bleak other side of the coin. I hate the excessive criticism after, the stupid theories. Leave them alone to get over it. It’s sport, we're all hurling people, we're all Irish people, and they'll have their day.
The reception out at the Grand Malahide was unreal. Ronan man the match. My judgment wasn’t too bad, in the blur of it all.
Onto Rody Bolands, a Tipp tradition, for a great night. I don’t make it to Coppers. A few go on, but I’m content where I am. My family are here. Liam O’Kelly and a few lads from home. Darragh Peters. Conor ‘Beever’ Cleary. James Cleary. Jerry Cahill. My father maintains the tradition he started in Rocky’s in Nenagh after we won the U20 All-Ireland in ‘19, when I was captain. His go-to song. Daydream Believer.
Ten of the lads went to the hospitals. What a brilliant tradition. The boys represented us well. We hung around the Palace Bar for an hour or two, another tradition. When Slievenamon softly swells, it’s spinetingling.
The bus down. We park up in Urlingford first. Davy Nolan walks the cup across with Ronan into his own parish, Gortnahoe. It’s a beautiful moment for Davy, who hasn’t got the game time I’m sure he’d have liked. A super, humble character, and it’s lovely to see how proud his club is of him.
Through Littleton then, massive crowd, fireworks going off, bonfires lit. Into the Horse and Jockey for food. Hungry at this stage and needing the steak to soak it up. Back on the bus and into the homecoming. Jesus Christ. What a crowd. It was madness.
In among the throngs, on the way over to the Dome, I spotted Mary Maher, with her daughter Noreen. Mary minded me as a young lad, so Noreen had to put up with me too. Mary was a second mother, half reared me really. We had a moment and she was getting emotional. Said she still remembers trying to get me in out of the back lawn when I was pucking in the rain. Before my mam came home and saw me soaking.
This matters so much to so many people, anyone that's connected to you in some way.
A moment comes back to me after the league final. Just watching the presentation, Cork getting the cup. I was standing beside Ronan, and I just felt so bad for him. He's had a tough road leading us the last couple of years. He's been captain when we've been rock bottom. You feel you’re letting him down. I said that to him today and he nearly looked insulted. He’d never think that way. He’s so humble in everything he does. But so inspirational. Everyone looks up to Ronan.
I remember going to a match in Nowlan Park as a young lad and he came on as a sub. Hurled off his left same as me. I remember thinking that’s the type of hurler I want to be when I’m older.
We got the bus down to the Thurles Sars Centre and they erected the plaque of him on the wall. Up there with the other Sars captains, immortalised with his great granddad and his granduncle. Forever to be remembered as a Tipperary winning captain. Nobody deserves it more.
I think too of the great Kilruane men who enjoyed days like this. Niall O’Meara, Brian Buggy, Mark O’Leary, Seamus Hennessy. Len Gaynor and Tom McLoughney of course. I think of plenty more very unlucky to miss out. It’s the history and the people who’ve come before that gives these great days such meaning.
Templemore today. The whole panel are still together. Nobody dispersing around the county. It’s not forced. We just cling to each other’s company.
Darragh has talked about how all 40 on the panel sent him a text after the sending off in Cork. I didn’t know that. I remember sending him one, but it’s not something you’d organise. But I think it’s a mark of the bond we’ve built. Again tough times have strengthened that.
Kit man John Durnin has brought a lot of glue to that bond. John has been through a tough time with cancer. Even when he was struggling, he'd come into training, the mask on, still vibrating huge energy to do it for him as well.
We’ve been worried about John a lot. He epitomises everything about us. Genuine, humble, but huge craic, even when he’s not well. Himself and Seamie, I regard them as friends. Bert and Ernie I call them. The work they do behind the scenes is vital.
There was a cloud in the lead-up to the final. Mikey Corcoran went down in the in-house match. He learned since it was the dreaded cruciate. I know that sinking feeling too well. The group will be there for Mikey too and if anybody comes back stronger, it’s him.
Seamus Hennessy, a Kilruane great, played such a part in me coming back. Someone I've looked up to my whole career. Always there with a kind word. That nightmare year 2022. Dillon, My cruciate. Kilruane winning the county was brilliant but bittersweet too when you’re watching on. Seamus suffered his own injury nightmares and was always there with a word. He’s been in constant contact this year too. Seamus has helped me more than he knows.
I missed the mini-Olympics on the street in Thurles this morning. Everyone in the country has seen the videos. My first cousin Buggy O’Meara bit off more than he could chew racing Sharlene. Though I thought there was a false start.
All great fun. Videos are everywhere, which could be dangerous I suppose, but it comes from a good place. People are excited.
We spoke straight after the match about how we're going to represent the jersey. Liam is big on that anyway, ever since we've been minor. You're wearing the jersey all the time. I think the whole panel understands that. You don't even have to tell a fella anyway that he needs to behave himself, because they are solid lads. They wouldn’t be there otherwise. There are credentials and responsibilities that come with playing for Tipperary, You’re not representing yourself. You’re representing every parish in Tipperary, You represent your family, you represent the management team, and most importantly, your teammates.
You're going to be ecstatic and you're going to be full of energy. But you need to respect it, and you need to respect yourself.
Today we’re in Tom the Bucks in Templemore, Tom Keneally’s place. Looked after brilliantly with food and music. Just meeting people. My uncle Brendan, ‘The Bear’, calls over. Paddy White and Gary Curley from the Clough Inn. Donald Austin. That’s what it's all about.
Onto Nenagh. Philly Ryans, the Hi-B and then The 44. Still all together. Still singing. Still meeting people. I meet a few lads who were on the panel and might have dropped off. There are many who’ve played parts on this journey but not made it quite to the end. It must be gutting in one way to miss this. But I hope they take pride in the part they played.
Where are the boots? It’s dawning that Kilruane are hurling this weekend. All the clubs are playing in the divisions. I'm never going to turn down a chance to hurl for my club. I need to respect them too and respect the jersey. Right now, I’m planning to play. But we’ll reassess over the next couple of days and I'll have a talk with management. I need to see how my body is as well, because the last thing you want is to go out and get injured. Whatever all the boys decide needs to be respected this week and I think it will be.
As I write I think we’re heading for Clonmel later. Seamus Kennedy needs to go home for another Arsenal jersey. I’ve been thinking a lot about Liam Cahill. I’m so thankful to that man, have so much respect for him.
I’ve known him since I was 17. Honesty is the word I’d associate most with him. He wants the best for Tipperary. I'm so happy he and Mikey have got what they deserve because a lot of people doubted them and the team. Declan and TJ too. None of them ever dropped their belief in us.
I’m thinking a lot about Dillon, of course. We wish he was physically here with us. How he’d have revelled in this week. How he’d have sung.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Dan sent me a lovely message on Sunday afternoon, telling me how proud he was of me and assuring me that I am a friend forever.
This is for you, Dillon.
You ooze green and gold,
All the fans in the stand,
Watch your talent unfold.
The Dan Breen final you scored 2 from the line,
The news got around "young Quirke is sublime"
A star has been found,
Get him into the stadium,
No time to mess around.
But you've made it to senior,
There's more to be won.
