Tipperary hurler Bryan O'Mara in attendance for the announcement of the FRS Recruitment GAA World Games launch at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
As senior championship debuts go, Bryan O’Mara’s was a good one.
His impressive performance in the Tipperary defence played a big part in their dramatic Munster SHC win over Clare in Ennis on Sunday.
His first championship start came a lot later than might have been expected. He impressed in the 2020 Allianz Hurling League but was then overlooked for the Covid delayed championship.
Then he broke his arm in the first round of the 2021 Allianz Hurling League and missed the rest of the inter-county season, and last year he decided to opt out of senior inter-county hurling and travel to the USA for the summer.
After his commanding display in the heart of the Tipperary defence on Sunday, Tipperary supporters will surely say his championship debut was worth the wait.
“Yeah, never played championship before,” said O’Mara at the launch of the FRS Recruitment World Games in Croke Park yesterday. “Delighted to get the win.
“I think the father was more nervous than I was, he couldn’t sit still, he was all over the place. No, it was great. Exciting, everybody wishing you well. It was nice to get it done.
“It’s what you want to do. You can talk about how intense or how hard it is, but the heat of it is just a different level altogether. You either get up to it or you’ll be swallowed up. It was a great experience.”
Shane O'Donnell of Clare is tackled by Bryan O Mara of Tipperary during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 1 match between Clare and Tipperary at Cusack Park in Ennis, Clare. Photo by John Sheridan/Sportsfile.
Tipperary had a brilliant start to the match and were 3-7 to 0-7 ahead by the 22nd minute, but Clare roared back with two goals of their own before half-time and the Premier County had to show a lot of resolve to come with another surge themselves in the second-half.
“Even when the third goal went in we weren’t thinking we’re home and hosed here, there was only 20 minutes gone,” says O’Mara.
“There was no way Clare were ever going to die and they didn’t. For us it was just about keeping it lit and coming through.
“Happy enough with the win because when you lose that first game, especially in Munster, it’s backs to the wall. Getting off the mark is a big thing.”
Tipperary scored five goals against Clare without their greatest ever Championship goal-scorer, Seamus Callanan, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.
O’Mara couldn’t say for sure whether the Drom-Inch man will be fit to play in their next Munster SHC match against Cork on May 6, but hopes the attacker will play some part in their campaign.
“Hopefully at some stage in the Munster Championship and if not hopefully if we progress out of Munster then we might see him then,” said O’Mara.
“He’s still in good spirits, as always. Hopefully he’ll see some part of the championship, that would be the hope.”