Liam Cahill has been appointed manager of the Tipperary hurlers. Having decided last Friday not to seek a further year with Waterford, who he had been guiding for the past three seasons, the former minor and under-21 and under-20 All-Ireland winning manager has returned to his own county.
He will be working with a number of the players he guided to under-age success. Cahill’s highly-regarded coach Mikey Bevans has also been appointed to the Tipp management having been involved with Waterford as well.
Further managerial appointments will be made in due course and the appointment is for three years. Observers will note that the last man to get a three-year appointment, was fired after 10 months last week.
Earlier on Monday, Colm Bonnar’s club Cashel King Cormacs expressed anger at his fate of the dismissed Tipperary hurling manager on the club’s Facebook page. In a hard-hitting statement, the club executive said that it had learned “with great disgust” of the manager’s fate from a county board release, posted on social media.
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The decision had been announced last Thursday, July 15th, after Bonnar had met the county to outline his plans for the year ahead. He was 10 months into a three-year appointment.
Tipp’s fortunes were at a low ebb this year with failure to qualify from the Munster round-robin championship having lost all matches to finish bottom of the final table.
Cashel King Cormacs statement:
“The Cashel King Cormacs executive committee wish to convey it’s utter disappointment with how the Tipperary County Management Committee in its own words, ‘relieved of his duties’ Colm Bonnar from his position as managem of the Tipperary Senior Hurling Panel on Thursday July 14th.
“From a young age Colm made his mark on many Tipperary teams as a player winning an All Ireland Minor medal 1982. From there an intercounty career blossomed with Colm a household fixture on the Tipperary senior hurling team from 1986 to 1998.
“During that time, two All-Ireland senior titles, five Munster senior titles and one National League were achieved. Add in a well -deserved All Star award in 1988.
“A sterling service without question.
“Since retiring as a player Colm turned his hand to coaching establishing an equally impressive CV. From Fitzgibbon Cups with Waterford IT to coaching/management roles with Wexford, Waterford, Ballyhale Shamrocks (All Ireland club champions), Dunhill and a successful stint with Carlow.
“So when the opportunity to manage his native county came about in late 2021 he duly answered the call. It’s worth pointing out that the general consensus on his appointment was that Tipperary senior hurling was entering a transitional period with time and patience the key components.
“This same point was reiterated at the 2021 Tipperary board convention.
“Therefore it was with great disgust to learn on social media a press release from the Tipperary County Board on Thursday July 14th, headlined by the line, ‘Colm Bonnar relieved of his duties’.
“We find the statement totally unacceptable towards a man that had, firstly, given everything as a player in the Blue and Gold and secondly, was clearly enthusiastic about entering into the second of his three year term mandated by the county board. Colm had a clear vision towards developing the current player base into the future and presented this to a 15-person management committee.
“Colm, we wish you well. We thank you for your distinguished service as a player and the short term you served as our senior hurling manager. We look forward to seeing you back on the sidelines in the near future guiding and improving the hurling skills of whoever is fortunate to have you by their side.”
