Seamus Kennedy is a Tipp man through and through. If you cut him open, he probably bleeds blue and gold, but the two-time All-Ireland winner could have had a different intercounty and club career as he lived for the majority of his life in the Nire, Co. Waterford.
Kennedy’s mother and aunt have a strong pedigree in ladies' football with Ballymacarby and Waterford, and the Commercials man reveals on the GAA Social how they inspired him and how he could have potentially played for the Déise.
“It's always good crack at home when it's against Waterford,” Kennedy said.
“Mam is a Waterford woman. She has a junior all-Ireland medal with Waterford, the first final in Croke Park; Aine, then Mam’s sister, would have five senior All-Irelands with Waterford. They would be my earliest memories of Croke Park, watching her go play.
“So yeah, mam is from Nire/Fourmilewater, which borders Newcastle in Tipperary, the right side of the river. That’s where Dad's from. He was over the team when I was a young lad, so I was always down the field with him, but we moved to the Nire when I was 10. I've always had good aul crack when Tipp are playing Waterford.”
‘You’ve lived longer in Waterford, ’ Niblock replied.
“I’m definitely a Tipp man,” Kennedy responded in a flash.
Captain of Tipperary one week, torn cruciate 6 days later. In his first interview since a season ending injury, Seamus Kennedy opens up on life, winning an All-Ireland, “Honouring” Dillon Quirke & the injury increase
🎙️The GAA Social
🎧Listen here: https://t.co/BEeFZPgUeq pic.twitter.com/Idhcqgrtqu— Thomas Niblock (@thomasniblock) April 17, 2024
'You Have To Believe You Can Win'
When Niblock asked if teams believe they can topple the almighty Limerick team, which is chasing a historic five-in-a-row, Kennedy was quick to respond with a positive answer and fully expects his Tipperary teammates to bounce back from their league semi-final no-show against Clare.
“I think Tipp are. I think you have to believe it,” Kennedy said.
“I think it goes back to the tradition we have behind us in Tipp and the success we have had over the years. We will always believe that we don’t fear anyone going out playing a hurling match I know the boys were very disappointed with their performance against Clare in the league semi-final, but I have great confidence in the lads that they will re-group and be ready for the Munster championship I think you have to believe particularly when your playing for Tipp with the tradition and everything that has gone before us there's always a believes in Tipp that on our day we can beat anyone and I think it will be no different this year and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the lads go.”
