SEARCHING FOR HOLY GRAIL

Dunne eyes back-to-back MacCarthy Cup glory for Tipp

- STEPHEN BARRY

TOMMY Dunne has been there on Tipperary's greatest days as both a player and mentor.In 2001, he raised the Liam MacCarthy Cup as winning captain and 18 years later served as coach to the Premier's All-Ireland champions.

That also means the Toomevara man has experienced the subsequent lows. The title defences that didn't deliver silverware.

The 29-time All-Ireland champions haven't gone back-to-back for 61 years since the time of legends such as John and Jimmy Doyle.

Dunne is better qualified than most to decipher why that's the case.

"It's hard to put your finger on why it hasn't been done in a long, long time," says the former Hurler of the Year.

"You're in a different space completely than you were the year before. You're the one with the target on your back.

"The expectations from everyone outside the team are different than they were the year before.

"Maybe there's a pressure or expectancy that can be tricky to navigate.

"There's the whole emotional and physical toll it takes to win an All-Ireland. That does affect teams differently. We don’t know how it will affect this Tipp team yet.

"Then, there's the luck factor as well, so there's lots of different things teams on form. That's a philosophy that's served him well. I'd imagine it won't be too much different this time around."

Having played alongside Cahill, Dunne shared the sideline with him for Tipp's All-Ireland minor success back in 2007. He has seen up close what the Ballingarry man brings to a dressing room.