Tipperary starlet Darragh McCarthy says he isn’t bothered by the focus on the amount of time he takes to strike frees. “I don't even look into it,” McCarthy said of the reaction. “I know it's used as a cliché, this privilege word, but it honestly is a privilege to get to play both Fitzgibbon and senior inter-county. In Thurles this Saturday, he and Oisín O’Donoghue will be opposing them as they return to the blue and gold. Once you cross the four white lines, you're in battle again and that's just the reality of hurling nowadays.”

Source: Irish Examiner February 16, 2026 22:42 UTC