Billy Seymour ensured that the celebrations in Tipperary will be even better in the coming weeks as they added the All-Ireland U-20 title to their senior success with a devastating display of power at LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick.
Tipperary, on a high after beating Kilkenny in the senior final on Sunday, turned their attentions to their other biggest rivals to win the U-20 title.
It was a repeat of their success in the final U-21 decider a year ago and the outcome was again the same as they put the Rebels to the sword.
Tipp blitzed Cork for four goals in the opening eight minutes and never looked back after that.
The success crowns a glorious week for Tipperary and especially Morris, Paddy Cadell and Jerome Cahill added the U-20 title to their senior medals won on Sunday.
Cork, bidding for a first underage All-Ireland hurling title since winning minor in2001, never recovered from Tipperary’s flurry of goals.
Indeed, it took Tipperary just 19 seconds to find the net when man-of-the-match Seymour finished to the net after being set up by Conor Bowe.
Cork managed to recover and points Brian Turnbull, Conor O’Callaghan and Daire Connery drew them level after four minutes, but the reprieve was brief as Tipperary struck for 2-1 in the next two minutes..
Seymour added a point and then Morris set up Andrew Ormond for their second goal.
And before Cork had time to regroup, Ormond and Jerome Cahill combined to send Seymour through and the Kiladangan man again supplied a neat finish.
Ryan Walsh lifted the siege with a point from distance for Cork but they were rocked again after eight minutes as Cahill soloed through to shoot them 4-1 to 0-4 in front.
Cork hit back with a point from a ’65 from Tommy O’Connell and Turnbull hit a free, but either side of those scores Tipperary pulled away with three points from Morris along with Seymour, Bowe and Ormond also hitting the range to lead by 4-7 to 0-6 after 20 minutes.
Ormond and Cahill added further points for Tipp but Cork were given some hope as Turnbull landed two frees and Connery and Walsh also hit points to leave it 4-9 to 0-10 at the break.
Seymour and Morris extended Tipperary’s lead after the restart with points.
Cork got a glimmer of hope when O’Connell, who was sent off in the closing stages after picking up a second yellow card, found the net to cut the gap to 4-14 to 1-13 after 47 minutes.
Two more frees from Turnbull and a 65 from O’Connell reduced the margin to seven with six minutes remaining as Cork tried to come with a late rally.
But a sublime sideline from Seymour and another Morris free eased any Tipperary nerves and the Premier County wrapped it up when Cathal Bourke fired home their fifth goal in the closing stages.
Tipperary: A Browne; C Morgan, E Connolly, P Cadell; N Heffernan, C McCarthy, B O’Mara; C Connolly (M Purcell 64), J Ryan (C Bourke 58 (1-0)); G O’Connor (S Hayes 36), J Cahill (1-1), J Morris (0-8, 1 65, 3f); C Bowe (0-1) (J Fogarty 53), A Ormond (1-2) (K O’Kelly 49), B Seymour (2-5, 1sl).
Cork : G Collins; J Keating (J Copps 40), E Roche, S O’Leary Hayes; G Millerick, C O’Callaghan (0-1), R Downey (0-1); D Connery (0-2, 1f) (B Murphy 41), R Walsh (0-2) (P Power 54); S Kennefick (E Sheehan 30), T O’Connell (1-2, 1 65, 1f), B Roche (0-1); B Turnbull (0-8, 7f), S O’Regan (0-1), S Twomey.
Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway).
