POWER: ‘It was nothing short of a privilege’

Tipperary senior football manager David Power steps down

BY CONOR O’DONOGHUE

DAVID POWER has stepped down from his role as Tipperary senior football manager.

The Kilsheelan man, who successfully led Tipperary to their first Munster Senior Football Championship title in 85 years on the significant centenary of Bloody Sunday in 2020, will leave the position after serving for four years.

Prior to this achievement, he guided the Premier County to victory in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship in 2011. Additionally, he held the roles of U21 manager and Wexford senior boss in subsequent years.

Under his guidance, Tipperary secured promotion to Division 3 of the Allianz League in 2021.

However, this year proved to be more challenging as the team faced a series of setbacks including injuries, retirements and players embarking on their travels.

As a consequence, Tipperary was relegated back to Division 4 and had premature exits from both the Munster Senior Football Championship and Tailteann Cup

“Now that our season has ended, I have decided to step aside from the role of Tipperary senior football manager,” Power said in a statement.

“The last four years have been some of the best of my life,” he added.

“I enjoyed every minute of trying to drive Tipperary football on, alongside some of the most passionate people you could ever meet. It was nothing short of a privilege.”

Regarding the club’s recent performance, he admitted “results didn’t go our way this year” before adding “but we stood firm even though the wind was blowing against us”.

He explained: “We lost so many players, key warriors, through injury, travel and retirement but even with all those knock backs, our panel worked so hard this season.

“We had 35 players training every night and I would like to thank them for the massive effort, and for the fight they showed. That desire that will stand to Tipp football in the years ahead. There are several young players now coming through the system with senior experience and I hope they drive the county on.” ourselves as a small club every time, with too much humility, saying we are the underdogs.

“Rog came and said, ‘no, look around, look at the team, you are not underdogs, you want to win and you are going to win’.

“He kind of changed the mentality of the club.”

When asked which win over Leinster was better, the win in Marseille or the win in Dublin, the 26-year-old was unable to decide.

“Winning the first title in Marseille was emotional for the club, but the second one, winning against Leinster in Dublin after being 17 points behind, this creates a magic around the second one,” he said.

“But honestly, it’s impossible to choose between both.”