Tipperary footballers have reverted to the traditional county colours because it was felt, according to manager David Power, that retaining the Bloody Sunday commemorative jersey would be to “do it a disservice”.
He was speaking at a remote media briefing on Thursday in the wake of the county’s historic first Munster title since 1935, won last Sunday on the centenary weekend of the 1920 atrocity during which Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan was shot dead.
In tribute, the county wore the same jersey as 100 years previously, the club colours of Grangemockler but will resume with the blue-and-gold for Sunday week’s All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo.
“I think as we said there, it was an honour and a privilege for the players and for me to be involved,” said Power, “to be wearing that green and white jersey for the Munster final. We couldn’t have asked for a better occasion to be wearing that jersey. Now, we have to park it.
“I think we’d be doing it a disservice if we went on to wear it again in an All-Ireland semi-final. We’re very, very proud – I always said that even after the game on Sunday, whether it was the green-and-white jersey or the blue-and-gold jersey – but, ultimately, the blue-and-gold jersey is the Tipperary jersey and for the players, they want to be wearing the blue-and-gold jersey.
“That’s in the history books, no one can take away that Munster final and that we wore that green-and-white jersey but now we drive on and wear the blue-and-gold jersey against Mayo.”
He also confirmed that former under-age star Colin O’Riordan, now a professional in the AFL with the Sydney Swans, who played on Sunday had been given permission to continue to line out with the county.
“Yeah. He rang me Monday morning and he said he’s after getting full clearance. It was a funny comment, the coach out in Sydney Swans said to him, ‘are you telling me you’re playing, or are you asking?’
“So, look, he’ll be available for Sunday week, yeah. Actually, just talking about Sydney Swans and I want to say this as well, I just want to thank Sydney Swans for allowing Colin because they didn’t have to do this.
“I don’t think they realised how important the whole thing was until after we actually won on Sunday. They’ve been fantastic and I just want to thank Sydney Swans for everything they’ve done to date.”
Power was also able to confirm that the team have no additional injury concerns after Sunday, as they prepare for what is a repeat of the 2016 All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo, which the Westerners won by five points.
“Yeah, thank God. We’d no-one on the table during the session last night. Everyone was out training. Jack Kennedy and Riain Quigley who were out with injury were doing rehab stuff with Ronan on the field and as of now I can’t say whether they’ll be available for the Mayo game but at least they’re making steady progress.”
