Michael Cahill (hurler)

{{About|the hurler|other people with the same name|Michael Cahill (disambiguation)}}

{{infobox Gaelic games player

|image =

|name = Michael Cahill

|irish = Mícheál Ó Cathail

|nickname =

|occupation = Student

|feet = 5

|inches = 11

|sport = Hurling

|code = Hurling

|county = Tipperary

|province = Munster

|club = Thurles Sarsfields

|clyears = 2006–

|clposition = Left Corner Back

|clapps(points) =

|clcounty = 7

|clprovince = 1

|clallireland =

|counties = Tipperary

|icyears = 2009–

|icposition = Left Corner Back

|icapps(points) = 21 (0–1)

|icprovince = 4

|icallireland = 2

|nhl =

|allstars = 1

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|1|3}}

|birth_place = Thurles, County Tipperary

|clupdate =

|icupdate = 12:52, 31 October 2012

}}

Michael Cahill (born 3 January 1989) is an Irish hurler who currently plays as a left corner-back at senior level for the Tipperary county team.{{cite news|url=http://tipperary.gaa.ie/senior-hurling-player-profiles |title=Senior Hurling Panel |publisher=Tipperary GAA website |access-date=31 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817172323/http://tipperary.gaa.ie/senior-hurling-player-profiles |archive-date=17 August 2012 }}

Cahill made his first appearance for the team during the 2009 National League and has become a regular player over the last few seasons. During that time he has won two All-Ireland winners' medals, four Munster winners' medals and one All-Star award. He has ended up as an All-Ireland runner-up on three occasions.

At club level Cahill is a six-time county club championship medalist with Thurles Sarsfield's and has also won the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship on one occasion.

Playing career

=Club=

Cahill plays his club hurling with the famous Thurles Sarsfield's club and enjoyed much success as a dual player in various juvenile and under-age grades.

In 2006 he was just seventeen years-old when he made his senior championship debut for the club.

After losing the championship decider in 2008, Thurles Sarsfield's bounced back to return to the county final again the following year. By this stage Cahill was a regular member of the starting fifteen. A 0–14 to 0–5 trouncing of Drom-Inch gave him his first county club championship medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/sars-bag-title-number-30-430722.html|title=Sar's bag title number 30|publisher=Breaking News website|date=18 October 2009|access-date=31 October 2012}}

Thurles Sarsfield's made it two-in-a-row in 2010. A 1–16 to 1–7 defeat of Clonoulty-Rossmore gave Cahill a second championship medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.thurles.info/2010/10/31/thurles-sarsfields-power-past-clonoultyrossmore/|title=Thurles Sarsfields power past Clonoulty/Rossmore|publisher=Thurles info website|date=30 October 2010|access-date=31 October 2012}}

After surrendering their title in 2011, Thurles Sarsfield's were back in the county decider again the following year. A 1–21 to 2–15 defeat of Drom-Inch gave Cahill his third championship medal in four seasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1015/1224325257270.html|title=Composed Thurles add to their haul|publisher=Irish Times|date=15 October 2012|access-date=31 October 2012}}

=University=

During his studies at University College Cork, Cahill was a regular on the university hurling team. In 2009 he won a Fitzgibbon Cup medal following a 2–17 to 0–14 defeat of the University of Limerick.{{cite web|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/ucc-taste-fitzgibbon-cup-success-401824.html|title=UCC taste Fitzgibbon Cup success|publisher=Breaking News website|date=7 March 2009|access-date=31 October 2012}}

=Minor and under-21=

Cahill first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Tipperary minor hurling team. He enjoyed much success in this grade as Tipperary reached the All-Ireland decider via the "back-door" in 2006. Three-in-a-row hopefuls Galway provided the opposition, however, Tipp powered to 2–18 to 2–7 victory.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0903/tipperary.html|title=Tipp break Galway hearts in MHC final|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=3 September 2006|access-date=3 November 2008}} It was Cahill's first All-Ireland medal in that grade.

In 2007 Cahill won a Munster medal at minor level following an 0–18 to 1–11 defeat of Cork. Both sides met again in the All-Ireland decider, however, Cork also failed on that occasion. A 3–14 to 2–11 victory gave Cahill a second successive All-Ireland medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/gaa/2007/0902/1188603373483.html|title=Tipperary claim minor title|publisher=Irish Times|date=2 September 2007|access-date=30 October 2012}}

Cahill subsequently joined the Tipperary under-21 team. He won a Munster medal in this grade in his debut season following a controversial one-point defeat of Clare. Tipp later reached the All-Ireland, however, Cahill's side were defeated by Kilkenny.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2008/0914/238148-kilkenny_tipperary/|title=RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2–13 Tipperary 0–15|publisher=RTÉ Sport|date=15 September 2008|access-date=30 October 2012}}

After surrendering their provincial crown in 2009, Tipperary bounced back the following year. A 1–22 to 1–17 defeat of Clare gave Cahill a second Munster medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2010/0729/sport/tipp-take-another-step-forward-126466.html|title=Tipp take another step forward|publisher=Irish Examiner|date=29 July 2010|access-date=30 October 2012|first=Fintan|last=O'Toole}} Tipp later played Galway in the All-Ireland final and went on to trounce the westerners by 5–22 to 0–12.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0913/1224278758256.html|title=Tipperary crown an outstanding week|publisher=Irish Times|date=13 September 2010|access-date=7 June 2011}} It was Cahill's sole All-Ireland medal in that grade.

=Senior=

Cahill made his senior competitive debut for Tipperary in a National Hurling League game against Limerick in 2009, however, he remained on the periphery of the team for the remainder of that season.

Cahill made his championship debut in a ten-point defeat against Cork in 2010. Tipperray regrouped in the qualifiers and went on to reach a second successive All-Ireland decider. Kilkenny, a team chasing an unprecedented fifth successive championship, provided the opposition and a great game was expected. Tipperary got off to a great start which was bolstered by an early Lar Corbett goal. He subsequently completed a hat-trick of goals and Tipperary had a fourth by Noel McGrath to deny Kilkenny's drive-for-five and secure a remarkable and convincing 4–17 to 1–18 victory.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0905/tipperary_kilkenny.html |title=RTÉ Sport: Tipperary 4–17 Kilkenny 1–18 |publisher=RTÉ Sport |date=5 September 2010 |access-date=5 September 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906101638/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2010/0905/tipperary_kilkenny.html |archive-date=6 September 2010 }} It was Cahill's first All-Ireland winners' medal.

Tipperary returned as provincial kingpins once again in 2011. A 7–19 to 0–19 trouncing of Waterford in the southern decider gave Cahill his first Munster medal.{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/gaa/2011/0710/1224300484182.html|title=Tipp show appetite for destruction|publisher=Irish Times|date=10 July 2011|access-date=30 October 2012}} For the third successive year, Tipperary faced off against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final, however, on this occasion Kilkenny were slight underdogs going up against the new champions. Kilkenny started quickly and never surrendered the lead in the 2–17 to 1–16 victory.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0904/kilkenny_tipperary_report.html |title=RTÉ Sport: Kilkenny 2–17 Tipperary 1–16 |publisher=RTÉ Sport |access-date=4 September 2011 |date=4 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924061243/http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0904/kilkenny_tipperary_report.html |archive-date=24 September 2011 }} In spite of this defeat Cahill later picked up an All-Star award.

In spite of an indifferent National League campaign, Tipperary were regarded as potential All-Ireland champions once again. A 2–17 to 0–16 defeat of Waterford in the provincial decider gave Cahill a second successive Munster medal.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0716/1224320206161.html|title=Clinical Tipperary complete first task|publisher=Irish Times|access-date=30 October 2012|date=16 July 2012|first=Malachy|last=Clerkin}} Tipperary later faced a humiliating 4–24 to 1–15 defeat by eventual champions Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0820/1224322498139.html|title=Kilkenny trample over Tipp tradition|publisher=Irish Times|access-date=30 October 2012|date=30 August 2012|first=Seán|last=Moran}}

On 4 September 2016, Cahill won his second All-Ireland Senior hurling title when Tipperary defeated Kilkenny in the final by 2–29 to 2-20.{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/2016/09/04/all-ireland-senior-hurling-championship-final-5/|title=Tipperary 2-29 Kilkenny 2-20|date=5 September 2016|work=Munster GAA|access-date=6 September 2016}}{{cite web|url= http://www.the42.ie/tommy-dunne-all-ireland-final-analysis-tipperary-kilkenny-2964584-Sep2016/|title=Analysis: How Tipperary finally overcame Kilkenny to claim All-Ireland senior hurling glory|date=5 September 2016|work=The 42|access-date=6 September 2016}}

Cahill missed the 2019 season due to breaking his kneecap in a club training session in early summer.{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/michael-cahill-tipperary-hurling-injury-5074857-Apr2020/|title =Tipp's Michael Cahill: 'I took a ball into contact and my kneecap broke in two, it was so rare what happened'|date=16 April 2020|work=The Journal|access-date=16 April 2020}}