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Preview: Electric Ireland All-Ireland MHC Final - Offaly v Tipperary

Tipperary players Tom Delaney, left, and Sam O'Farrell celebrate after the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final match between Tipperary and Galway at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. 

Tipperary players Tom Delaney, left, and Sam O'Farrell celebrate after the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship Semi-Final match between Tipperary and Galway at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. 

Sunday, July 3

Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Final

Tipperary v Offaly, UPMC Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 1.30pm - TG4

Referee: Shane Hynes (Galway)

(ET if necessary and winner on the day)

By Paul Keane

Padraic Maher admits Tipperary supporters are crying out for some success at the end of a difficult season.

The Tipp seniors finished rock bottom in the Munster championship while the U-20s lost a provincial final - but the minors are still flying the flag.

James Woodlock's crew have powered through to the Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship decider with a series of stunning wins.

They beat Clare in the Electric Ireland GAA Munster Minor Hurling Final after a penalty shoot-out and then came from behind in stoppage time to beat Galway last time out.

Tipp legend and two-time Minor medallist Maher said the thrilling form has been a tonic for beleaguered supporters.

Maher said: "We're crying out in Tipp at the moment for a bit of success at some level. From what I've seen so far, these Minors have been a fantastic group and won a cracking Munster final. They had a great win and then got over a fancied Galway team in another good game.

"From a Tipperary point of view, we'd be very excited about these lads. I would have witnessed them first hand because they were doing a lot of the strength and conditioning work in my own club of Thurles Sarsfields throughout the winter. I've seen the massive effort they've put in."

Supporters look on during the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Minor Hurling Championship Final match between Laois and Offaly at MW Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois.

Supporters look on during the Electric Ireland Leinster GAA Minor Hurling Championship Final match between Laois and Offaly at MW Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, Laois.

Maher went head to head with a young Joe Canning in the 2006 Minor final, picking up the first of back to back medals.

Those Tipp teams produced players like Brendan Maher, Noel McGrath, Patrick 'Bonner' Maher and Seamus Callanan who backboned future All-Ireland winning senior teams.

Maher reckons many of the current Minors can go on to enjoy strong senior careers too.

The three-time All-Ireland senior medallist said: "Obviously the first name that comes to mind is Tom Delaney. He has been outstanding throughout the Munster campaign and even the last day as well.

"But the entire panel is strong and it's been used, especially in the Munster final. They used a lot of their panel that day with all the subs that came on and it made a massive difference in extra-time."

It'll be Offaly's first Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Final since 1989 and Maher is expecting a huge Faithful turnout at Nowlan Park.

The Thurles Sarsfields man said: "It's funny, I was in our own field the Friday night that Offaly beat Clare next door in Semple Stadium in the All-Ireland semi-final.

"The atmosphere over the wall was incredible. You'd swear there were 40,000 Offaly people in there. I missed the first 10 minutes and all I could hear was people chanting 'Uibh Fhaili, Uibh Fhaili'. I was thinking, 'Jeez, Offaly must be scoring goals here to beat the band'. I went home and watched it on TV and it was actually just them shouting and celebrating each time they won a free or a tackle! The atmosphere within Offaly at the moment is unreal and they're bringing a great energy to it."

Nowlan Park will be a 27,000 sellout given the huge interest - and Maher wants Tipp fans to travel in big numbers.

He said: "Offaly are on the crest of a wave at the moment and are going to bring massive numbers to Kilkenny so we're trying to drum up as much support as we can in Tipp to match that."