Hughes' hunger spans centuries as Tipperary chase three-in-a-row

Tipperary v Cork: Tipperary only turned their hand to winning camogie All-Irelands at the turn of the century. Just in time for their captain Deirdre Hughes to take on a mantle held in hurling by Brian Whelahan: the only current-day player to be selected on the team of the 20th century.

Just as Superman sparked a follow-on female version, we should probably call the full forward "Millennium Woman" as her achievements easily stand alongside those of the Birr wing back.

Since 1999, Tipperary have dominated the All-Ireland series, winning five out of six titles. Tomorrow they seek to complete the much-vaunted achievement of a three-in-a-row - astonishingly, for the second time since winning their first senior title six years ago.

It hasn't been all glory days for Hughes, in her 16th campaign, as she remembers a time when camogie was a very distant relation to hurling in the Premier County.

"We were a junior team for a good few years before making a breakthrough to intermediate in 1992. Then we were stuck there until winning that title in 1997. But it was only after being hammered in the 1999 league final that we started to change our approach.

"I may be part of the furniture by now but you never tire of it all when you are winning."

However, this Tipperary side are by no means peerless. In fact they need four on the trot to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with tomorrow's opponents in terms of records.

Cork have 20 titles, dating back to 1934, and are the only county to interrupt the Tipperary domination in recent times by winning the All-Ireland in 2002. Incidentally, the Cork four-in-a-row came between 1970 and 1973.

When it comes to 3.15pm tomorrow and these familiar players take up their positions, past success will count for little.

Recent form should be a far better indicator. Unfortunately that doesn't help much either. Both beat Limerick and Wexford handily enough en route to the final, while Tipperary overcame Kilkenny and Cork saw off Galway in close encounters.

"Our form hasn't been great this year, especially in the second-half of the semi-final (against Wexford), when we fell apart," said Hughes. "But the main nucleus of the team is there since 1999, while Julie Kirwan and Jill Horan are decent new additions from last year."

That and the memories of what it is like on a lower rung of the ladder should keep Hughes' Tipperary on course for another year.

Tipperary v Cork
Croke Park, tomorrow
Throw-in - 3.15pm
On TV: RTÉ 2