oneills.com, leading online sportswear retailer, with the GAA are delighted to announce the fourth year of their U20 GAA All-Ireland Hurling Championship sponsorship deal at Croke Park. Pictured is Tipperary U20 hurler Senan Butler. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
It is at that stage of the year when interesting inter-county matches are arriving thick and fast.
Tuesday evening's oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship opener between Tipperary and Limerick will certainly be classed in that category.
Reaching last year's All-Ireland final illustrated Tipperary's potential and Senan Butler is delighted to be back involved again in Brendan Cummins' team.
A recent hamstring injury was a setback, but Butler is ready, willing, and able to serve the Tipperary cause. "I tore it twice in about three weeks, so I was kind of wary," Butler says about the thought of potentially missing the start of the campaign.
"I didn't expect to be as well as I am now, I didn't expect to get to the first round of the championship against Limerick, but I feel good training, so we'll see how it goes. I'm definitely available for selection."
Senan Butler of Tipperary stands for a photo with a supporter after the 2024 oneills.com Munster GAA U20 Hurling Championship final match between Tipperary and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Butler is relishing being involved in these types of fixtures. The fact that Tipperary have competed strongly at minor and U20 bodes well. "Yeah, it's a good experience, being relevant underage is always great for when you get up to senior level," Butler says. "It's good to get games in front of the crowds, especially the finals in Nowlan Park, they're good to get used to the crowds."
That so many emerging hurlers are being afforded opportunities in Liam Cahill's senior set-up also offers encouragement. "Definitely, you just have to build your way up, it's a big difference from under U20 to seniors, as I said, you have to build up physically, speed is a big factor, but obviously you have to work hard to get up to that senior grade, so we'll see in the next coming years how it goes," he responds.
Cummins' U20 management features high profile figures too. So, learning is always on the agenda. "It's very good, he has a lot of knowledge, many years, he's a brilliant lad to work under, he knows what he's on about, as well as his backroom team as well, they're brilliant as well, with Paddy Stapleton, Fintan O'Connor, Tom Costello, they're all brilliant, they have great knowledge, and it's good to work under Brendan," Butler remarks.
The connection with Tipperary's past matters deeply. Patrick 'Bonner' Maher was a player Butler respected and admired. "I always look up to Bonner, his work rate is amazing, no team wouldn't have been as good without Bonner because his work rate was unbelievable, even if you just look back at the games, my father always said his favourite player was Bonner as well," Butler says.
"I got to meet Bonner when I was younger and it was a very cool experience, he was my favourite player."
