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15 For 30: Vote Now For Your Best Tipperary Team Of The Last 30 Years

15 For 30: Vote Now For Your Best Tipperary Team Of The Last 30 Years

By Michael McCarthy Jun 08, 2020 12:50 PM

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It's time for the fourth installment of our GAA series here on Balls.ie - 15 for 30.

Each week, we want you to choose a different county's best football and/or hurling team for the last 30 years (from 1990 - 2019). Just pick your favourite team from 1-15 and we'll tally the votes over the course of a week and reveal your county's final XV, as voted by you.

So far, there's been plenty of drama and more than a few surprises in our Donegal football, Waterford hurling, and Meath football teams.

This week, we turn back to hurling and to the current All-Ireland Champions in our search for Tipperary's 15 for 30.

Without doubt, Tipperary are the most successful team we've tackled so far in the series. Over the last 30 years, Tipp have won five All-Ireland titles, played in a further four All-Ireland finals, won nine Munster titles and even four National Leagues.

They also present a unique challengers to voters. The span of being eligible for a spot in the team in from 1990 to 2019. In 1990, Tipp were between All-Irelands, having finally made the long awaited breakthrough under Babs Keating in 1989. The great team that would play at the top table of hurling from 1987 to 1991 can only have two of those years considered.

In fact, you could argue that Tipp have had four separate great teams in the span of thirty years.

In 2001, the mixture of old and new under Nicky English produced some scintillating performances. The likes of Eoin Kelly and Lar Corbett joined Tipp greats such as Tommy Dunne and Declan Ryan and won a first All-Ireland in 10 years.

At the end of that decade, now under Liam Sheedy, a similar thing happened with Kelly and Corbett now leading a new generation. A legendary Under 21 team formed a third of the All-Ireland winning team of 2010 that stopped Kilkenny's five-in-a-row.

By 2016 and 2019, those Under 21s were now the leaders, and leading another new generation of superstars like Bubbles O'Dwyer, John McGrath and Ronan Maher.

In short, the selection dilemma is immense. While Nicky English would likely walk onto any all-time Tipp team, if his performances are measured from 1990 on, does he get named on a full-forward line ahead of Eoin Kelly, Seamus Callanan or Lar Corbett? Those dilemmas exist all over the field, which should make this process the most contested and contentious vote yet.

We can't wait!

Tipperary players have been awarded a remarkable 75 All-Stars in the last 30 years, with Hurler of the Year awards going to Pat Fox in 1991, Tommy Dunne in 2001, Lar Corbett in 2010, and Seamus Callanan in 2019.

You can read the rules, such as they are, here, but suffice to say, just pick your favourite team from 1-15 and we'll make sure we get the most popular team together by the end of the voting.

You can vote by emailing your team to [email protected], by sending a message to any of our social channels, or by simply filling out your team in the box below.

Let your friends know about it and let the debates begin!