Puck Fare

A round-up of other GAA news in brief...

Shefflin unlikely to catch Canning despite semi-final tally

UNLESS HE scores a miraculous 21 points or more on Sunday Henry Shefflin won’t catch Galway’s Joe Canning as the top scorer in the 2009 hurling championship. Canning hit 54 points in five games, followed closely by the 53 points from Waterford’s Eoin Kelly, then 42 points from Dublin’s Alan McCrabbe, with Shefflin currently ranked fourth with his 33 points from three games.

Shefflin, however, does top the list for the most scores achieved in a single game – the 1-14 he hit against Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-final .

Tipp will welcome Cork official

THE APPOINTMENT of Cork referee Diarmuid Kirwan to take charge of Sunday’s final has been noted with interest in Tipperary.

In three of Tipperary’s last four All-Ireland final wins over Kilkenny, a Cork referee took charge. Con Murphy handled the 1950 decider, Frank Murphy was in charge in 1971 and Willie Horgan was the man in the middle in 1991.

However, Diarmuid’s father, Gerry Kirwan of Offaly, was referee when Tipperary lost to Galway in the All-Ireland final of 1988 and semi-final of 1987.

Doyle passes baton to Cummins

DEFLATION OR Inflation?

John Doyle’s record of 54 championship appearances for Tipperary, which had stood since 1967, was recently surpassed by Brendan Cummins, who played his 55th game for the county in the All Ireland semi-final against Limerick.

On the day that John Doyle played his last game for Tipperary, the Lower Hogan Stand Section M tickets cost 25 shillings, while the match programme cost one shilling.

Unfortunately Doyle didn’t go out on a winning note as his bid for a historic ninth All-Ireland medal failed when Tipperary went down to who else but Kilkenny.

Coincidentally, John’s son, Michael Doyle, was the Tipperary manager in 2003 when Tipperary last played Kilkenny in the championship.