Limerick's Tom Morrissey ready to make impact from bench role
A 54th minute solo goal from Tom Morrissey helped claw the Liam MacCarthy Cup towards Shannonside in August of 2018. It was a key score during a dominant second half spell during that final eight years ago. And, while Galway did thunder back into the contest late on, Morrissey, and later Shane Dowling notched key green flags to help end the 45-year wait for ultimate glory.
Bizarrely, he hasn’t registered a green flag in the Championship in his 57 Championship appearances since. However, the Ahane talisman top scored in the next meeting in 2020, with half a dozen points, while he also influenced the brace of last four wins in 2022 and 2023.
All that said, 2026 has been about patience. Cathal O’Neill has stolen the number 12 shirt from him, which was almost exclusively his during this historic Limerick run. A role from the bench seems altogether more likely role for Morrissey on Sunday.
Having turned 30 earlier in the campaign, five appearances from the bench, as well as a single start in Ennis is his lot to date. So, how does the financial planner ensure he is ready to be introduced?
“You have to try to make sure that you are physically ready to explode and be at the pitch of the game, really. One benefit is that you do have that 30-40 minutes to observe the opposition and see what you can do to exploit anything on their side”.
August of eight seasons ago has gone by for Treaty fans in the blink of an eye, but for Morrissey, he feels he has improved tactically as much as anything in the intervening seasons.
“You get more knowledgeable. In ‘18 I had only been working with Paul (Kinnerk) and John (Kiely) for two seasons, so I have gained a wealth of knowledge in those eight years. I think I know what to do in different stages on a hurling pitch, against different set ups and against different opposition. I think I have grown and developed that side of things in that time”.
The relentless nature of inter-county GAA means that watching opposition games, including that semi-final, appears somewhat off the agenda. It was something that was also mentioned by Kiely and team captain Cian Lynch in recent times.
“I would love to be just a fan, watching all hurling games. It’s the sport I love but I personally don’t watch them, as part of my own preparation, to ensure my energy is going to the right place. We do video analysis with our team. That has me prepared for the likes of Galway, so I don’t watch too much when we are in competition really.”
Despite that admission, Morrissey and co will be primed for this new maroon test, a side he of course has happy memories against, stretching back to semi-final wins at Minor and U21 level, in 2014 and 2017.